It's just over a year since our last trip to Surabaya.

We took the train from Yogya (as we did for our very first visit, back in 2013). This is not a fast mode of transport (it took a bit over six hours this time), but the seats are comfortable, there's plenty of leg-room, the temperature is well controlled, and the views of the Javanese countryside are superb. It's also a great opportunity to get going on any book reviews whose deadlines might be looming.

Our first nice surprise, on arriving at the Hotel Majapahit, was an upgrade! Which meant we got to enjoy a lovely suite, with a huge lounge/dining room opening onto a private terrace by the swimming pool, a spacious bedroom, and the usual vast bathroom.

So just when you think you're all photoed out where the Majapahit is concerned, you find you have to document your opulence a bit more. This is a pleasant way to spend what's left of Day 1.







Inspired by Travelfish's Surabaya walking tour, but lacking the time (and the oomph) needed to do it all in one go, we spread it out over two days (leaving out the bits we'd already done in previous years, and adding a couple of detours of our own).

Day 2: First, the pagoda-like Cheng Ho Mosque, the Makam Peneleh (a colonial graveyard dating back to 1814), and the Museum Dr Soetomo (commemorating an early nationalist and servant of the people, who -- most unusually for that time -- married a Dutch woman). Next, the Joko Dolog (a 13th-century, Sanskrit-inscribed statue), and the nearby Es Teller Tanjung Anom, which serves up big cooling bowls of shaved ice, condensed milk, pink sago, coconut, jackfruit, and avocado. Plus, there's all the interesting stuff in between, of course.





















Day 3: First, the Tugu Pahlawan and the Museum Sepuluh Nopember, which commemorate Surabaya's brave defence of Indonesia's newly acquired independence in 1945. The touchstone was the arrival of British troops, whose mandate to maintain order and oversee the release of internees rapidly became embroiled in Dutch attempts to reassert control, and whose leadership seemed remarkably unprepared for the new post-colonial climate. Next, and completely differently, the Klenteng Sanggar Agung, a Chinese temple facing the island of Madura. You need a Grab to get here, and you access it via Atlantis Land Surabaya, which -- like most theme parks on low-visitor days -- appeared somewhat weird and surreal. The temple is small but quite atmospheric, and the arch, with its sea-backed dragons, is very impressive (especially as the dragons' feet were home to a gorgeous family of kittens). Then back to our gorgeous pad to do my day's work.



















Day 4: This consisted of only a morning, so we did a brief pre-work walk, finding all sorts of interesting things in the streets close to the hotel.







The Majapahit has been a wonderful centrepiece for this stay. Our big airy space has been a good place to work. And the food is great. I'm still post-virally addicted to soto ayam, and the version here is very good. The breakfast spread is awesome (they do great rice porridge; you can try "rawon poached eggs", which involve a lick of that beefy rawon gravy; I've always loved their home-made jams; and you can build yourself a "bubur Madura" out of sweet beans, sumsum, coconut, pink sago pearls, and so on).

So... This is the end of the road for a little while. But if a road has to end, make the last stop fabulous -- and it has been.