Alison had a conference in Bandung on the Monday so we got up early on Sunday to spend a day and night up there. Bandung is a large city up in the hills in West Java. We took the train up from Jakarta which is about a 3 hour trip. Unfortunately after getting up early to catch the 6.30 train we have to wait two hours at the train station as something vague was wrong with the train.
The train journey with the replacement train was comfortable enough and travels through some interesting scenery as it passes through the outskirts of Jakarta through the plains of West Java then up through the mountains. We were on some very high bridges over steep gorges and viewed a few waterfalls on the way.
Arriving a few hours late put heed to plans to head further up the hills to look around. So we took a taxi down to town. Traffic was terrible. The town is in a valley between steep volcanic mountains . The Padma Hotel were we stayed was up the hill overlooking a green gorge. In the upper parts of town there are lots of nice old Dutch buildings and new resorts and in the center lots buildings which were a mixture of old Dutch and 50/60s Art Deco. Bandung is famous for outlet fashion shopping but this was of no interest to me.
Jakarta Gambir station waiting for the train.
The train journey with the replacement train was comfortable enough and travels through some interesting scenery as it passes through the outskirts of Jakarta through the plains of West Java then up through the mountains. We were on some very high bridges over steep gorges and viewed a few waterfalls on the way.
Arriving a few hours late put heed to plans to head further up the hills to look around. So we took a taxi down to town. Traffic was terrible. The town is in a valley between steep volcanic mountains . The Padma Hotel were we stayed was up the hill overlooking a green gorge. In the upper parts of town there are lots of nice old Dutch buildings and new resorts and in the center lots buildings which were a mixture of old Dutch and 50/60s Art Deco. Bandung is famous for outlet fashion shopping but this was of no interest to me.
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| Gedung Sate ( Now the Governor's Office ) |
Small packed artificial turf park in centre of town.
Our Hotel
Well earned gin.
While Alison attended her conference I did a short walk from the Hotel up the steep muddy paths through the jungle on the hill opposite. This was listed as a 'trek' by the hotel but actually was about half an hours walk accompanied by a gardener from the hotel who spoke no English.
This guy was nearly the size of my (not very manly) hand.
I realised I had this sitting in draft and had never published it.
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