Surabaya

The 'book' says little to fore-warm the traveller to Surabaya. It is Javas second biggest city and has a feeling of being more worthy as a capital. Our chosen accommodation is du Paviljoen, very satisfactory rooms around a leafy courtyard with friendly staff. The home sweet home picture is soon on the wall.

We visit the House of Sampoerna, a company that makes cigarettes from tobacco and cloves, Krateks they are called. The cigarettes are banned in most countries of the world because of the tar content. The museum is at the front of the manufacturing floor which we view from an immaculate, air-conditioned gallery. The pace at which the 325 women work is gob-smacking. One lady is so fast she never actually seems to stop moving, like she has a permanent tick, another trims the ends of the cigarettes (no filters here) so quickly you don't see it spin in her hand.

The museum is free and they also run a free sight-seeing bus tour of the city 3 times daily. The cynic in me wonders if this is to make amends for all the damage to health the company causes. All are full so we book for when we return to Surabaya.

Luckily for us there is the Majapahit Hotel here in Surabaya, built originally as a holiday villa by the Raffles-famous Sarkie Family and later turned into a luxury hotel. Our treat to selves is always afternoon tea at a Sarkie hotel should there be one in town. At 125,000 rupia per head plus 21% tax it sounds fairly expensive but thats only £6.63  before tax so not really breaking the bank.

The hotel is exquisite in a quite understated way. It is beautifully and immaculately maintained, the first time we have experienced this to this degree in Indonesia. We eat our tea, much to the staffs amusement, outside overlooking the garden. They know, and we know, there is rain due. It is sublime to sit outside in the warmth taking tea, watching the deluge. Whilst Raffles still holds number 1 spot for the tea, Majapahit hotel just took it slightly on the hotel. We are returning to Surabaya to fly to Kuala Lumpur in a few days and I beg and I plead and I offer to pay but he won't be budged.