Finally, I am in Malang! Actually, I arrived yesterday afternoon on the ekonomi train from Surabaya. It was just Rp 40,000 (A$5), but very crowded and hot (when it stopped moving). However, thanks to a nice Indonesian boy who carried my 2 bags (while I balanced the 26kg bag on my head), we found seats near the front of the train. It would have been a long 3 hours if we had to stand up.
Interestingly enough, Malang is just 93km from Surabaya (the 2nd biggest city in Indonesia). You can imagine then how slow, and how many times the train stopped along the way.
My biggest frustration with Indonesia so far (other than not being able to remember much language), is that I finding it impossible to get a micro-SIM for my iPhone! :-( I am going to try again today, and perhaps go to the head office of one of the phone companies here. Unlike in Australia, the phone shops here a dime a dozen, but they are not 'official' shops owned by the Telcos. Thus I just get weird looks when I show them my micro-SIM.
(Yes, if you are wondering, there IS micro-SIMs in Indonesia. I have found info and press releases online about it).
Tomorrow, Will is visiting from Semarang. Yay!
audio/video/pictures will come later - if I can get my 'own' internet access.
Video podcast from my travels in Java, Indonesia, as I set out on a year of language study at UMM (Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang) - courtesy of Darmasiswa scholarship program 2010-11. Join me as I bring both the hum-drum of my daily life in Jawa Timur (east Java), as well as my cultural observations and experiences, to your iTunes/iPod/iPhone screen!
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