See Through My Eyes: November 2014

Hello!! Back again to my half-day Surabaya Heritage trip. This my second post about my beloved city (hope that there'll be the third one..Ameen!), Surabaya.

Now we are exploring North Surabaya. Actually North Surabaya has a lot of old spot, old culinary, and old places, but because of the lack of time (half-day only) and because some places closed at noon or on Saturday then we can only visit some spot only...such a pity T_T If we traced back to the old times, to the originally Surabaya city, north area was the main entrance to Surabaya city it functioned as a kind of a port for Surabaya (the port now built as a plaza named as JMP "Jembatan Merah Plaza" from the origin: The Red Bridge -"Jembatan Merah") so a lot of people and activities mainly focused on this area, it also effected on the massive growth of the building (in that time) for supporting the activities. Those building (which has been built since old times) existance still preserved until now, and being reused to be a new function (bank, etc) but still retain its originally building form.

So if you have a lot of free time (I guess need more than 1 day to explore North Surabaya -places & culinary-) I'm sure at least you can explore 70% of all.

Health Museum

First of all we visited Health Museum ("Museum kesehatan"), eventhough we are starved to death at that noon but we choose to explore this place first, because Health Museum is closed at 2o'clock at Saturday noon (too early for an office-worker visitor like me). We were rushed to the museum from my office location at East Surabaya, street of Raya Manyar, by citizens transportation "bemo" code "N" colour white-grey. If you are new to this transportation I advise you to tell the driver your destination first before you sit inside the "bemo", so when bemo has reached the location he (usually a man) will inform you.

Ticketing

Health museum entrance ticket fee is too cheap for me, only Rp.1.500,- (because I'm sure that museum income from ticket will give effects to the museum exhibits, treatment & facilities), and because of the lack of museum officer, and the ticket room is too far from the museum entrance I found that it will be its own problem, as example that I found there, visitor can enter the museum without paying the ticket, they have nothing to be worried since there's no officer who will check whether you have the ticket or not (in the entrance / inside / exit). So I would advise to all my beloved blog reader.. please..please.. be a nice visitor.. even if you see no officer.. even if the entrance freely open, wherever you are, whenever you are (in this case historical places of Indonesia), please find the officer, and do your responsibility (pay the ticket) I'm sure that your kindness and your sincerity, will give a positive support for the museum, for the history of Surabaya.

The one & only (the best photo spot area)

Health museum has three main section: historical health, science&technology health, traditional health.

Historical health entrance

First of all, we enter the historical health section. Well, from the first time I can say that they have plenty of collection, such a pity that the museum is too quite in that Saturday (c'mon..it's weekend and nobody is visiting the museum oh..please..! -except us, off course-), and that's exactly what makes the museum athmosphere a bit scary for us..hahahha..

As you can see from all my photos, the museum building concept is like an old, ancient, Netherland style building I guess, maybe it's because they're reusing a-preserved-surabaya-historical-building, but change the building's purpose into a Health Museum, they have a lot of alleys, hidden corners, hidden rooms, white painting wall, small white squared floor, cream coloured door & window, 2-windowed door, plus all their meducational collections, oyeahh.. such a great combinarion for a scary athmoshphere inside...hiiy..hiiy.. Luckily, they are closed at night.. oh.. I can't imagine how the athmosphere will be.. (don't mind me.. I think it's just me.. too chicken-hearted^^)

Souvenir Shop

Educational & Organizarion section

Plants & Animals section

As what I said above, they have plenty collection, make sure that you visit all their rooms of collections, a bit turn left here or turn right there, just don't get lost, OK? And trust me there's no good photo spot area..hahhaha.. except the first stone statue which welcomes you at the first entrance (I think it's Gajahmada Statue) so this museum is definitely a wonderful place for anyone who wants to know more about medication world or Indonesian health history, pay attention to one by one of their collection and its information, I can guarantee you that those ticket fee is nothing to compare with what you can get inside!

Indonesia Red Cross logo

Traditional recuperation section (1)

Traditional recuperation section (2)

Jailangkung puppet

Dakon (Indonesian traditional games)

LONTONG BALAP RAJAWALI
Finally! From Health Museum we walk down to the corner of Indrapura street then take bemo "C" (orange coloured) & ask the driver to stop at our Lunch spot "Lontong Balap Rajawali" (I'll mention it as LBR, more shoreter, OK?) a famous traditional food well-known from many years ago, and people said that they still have their original taste from long time ago until now! Waoww!

Street in front of LBR (Can youu see the street corner behind the white car? It will lead you to H.O.S)

While Health museum was too quite, LBR in that saturday noon was totally crowded, with only a small amount of table there were so many guest queue for it.

Then we get our table..after queueing for about 15", we ordered the Lontong Balap only IDR10,000.00, Sate kerang (small shell satay) IDR10,000.00, and Es degan (coconut shreded ice) for drink IDR5,000.00, quite cheap but so scrumptious and so full! Hahahha...

Sate kerang & sauce

The chef & the cook

LBR

The waitress & some guests

SAMPOERNA SURABAYA HERITAGE TRACK
Get ready for the next spot!
Heading out from LBR, you can see an intersection street as below photo, cross the street walk down into the small road behind the car (in my photo), then you just walk along the spacious wall which is the wall of Kalisosok prison, look at your right side and I suggest you to ask a direction to some pedestrians that you meet during your walk since that the next spot is a bit hidden from the main road.

Fill this reservation log upon your arrival in the SHT reservation desk

Yes!! We were visiting House of Sampoerna, a small factory and a museum that captured all the history of Sampoerna Cigarettes, but H.o.S wasn't our real purpose, it's only a complimentary of the main purpose.

SHT ticket

What we were looking for was a free-short-tour-package that's offered by H.o.S which has some different track based on the day that you choose and a special track which held only on special calendar day (such as Indonesia Independence day, Eid Mubarak day, etc)

Map

First of all, you'll have to make a booking via telephone to reserve a seat in the SHT bus. Since that SHT short tour's quite an interesting trip for local / foreign tourist (yeahh..free..!!) I advise you to make the phone booking call from at least 3 days before your intending trip day. Phone: +6231-353-9000.

SHT passenger tag

On the trip day, I suggest you to arrive earlier than the tour schedule, at least 30" before the schedule. Once you arrive at HoS, you'll have to inform the SHT staff & fill your reservation log on the reservation desk (it's a small room next to the A cafe entrance door), there you'll be given a passenger tag, you'll have to use it during the short tour as a sign that you are part of SHT short tour (I think it's also another way to avoid you to get lost during the short tour), and I would suggest you to take the SHT map.

The couches

Tarraa...!!! Come take a look inside the SHT bus! I love this bus so much! My favourite colour red for all the couches, and don't forget the red & full printing & colour exterior of the bus, such a cheerful athmosphere!

Our tour guide

The bus consist of 20 seats, plus 1 for the driver, 1 for the tour guide (well, I'm so sorry Mr. Tour Guide we had never listened to whatever you said during te short tour :P ), and 1 for the bus conductor.

The bus will stops in some historical spot, there we will walk down the street, or visit the spot, or enjoy some historical view, show or dance, etc, and the tour guide will lead & explain us about the spot' historical story.
Oops.. forget to mention.. we.. passengers of SHT are called the Trackers..!! Woo..hoo..feels like an adventurer!!

It stops exactly in front of H.o.S museum entrance door, means that we have to take a look into the museum^^

One of the spot that we stopped at during the short tour was Cak Durasim building, a building that was built for traditional show, such as ludruk, traditional dance, and etc. We were lead by our tour guide to a small room at the backside of the building, white colour small room, with so many sandals & shoes in front of it.