It didn’t go as planned, but I still enjoyed it~
About a month ago, I took this trip randomly. It wasn’t really spontaneous, but I didn’t even have a specific plan for why I wanted to go. All I remember was that I had Saturday off that week. Well, I worked 6 days a week, so I usually still work half day on Saturday. Having 2 days off in a row made me feel like I needed to do something fun, instead of just going to a cafe in my hometown like I usually do.
So I thought about taking another solo road trip to Malang. I did it for the first time last year, and this time I actually wanted to take the train. But, I didn’t want to waste more money for a motorbike taxi to go around.
So, I went by motorcycle instead! Honestly, I never thought about going on a road trip with friends. Not because I really like being alone (which might be true in some ways lol) but I prefer riding alone to have a whole time to think about so many random things haha
Anyway, I guess this is one of my mistakes, I left Surabaya probably almost 10:30 am. I felt like the journey to get to Malang didn't feel as pleasant and fast as my previous experience. And the weather wasn’t friendly either, so yeah.
I was still in Pandaan at around 12 noon. Since I had to pray first, I stopped by the mosque.
After that, I continued my journey and ended up heading straight to Malang City Center. There’s a mosque that I really wanted to visit located right across the city center, and I also wanted to see the surrounding area.
I was pretty exhausted from the ride to get there but once I arrived, the fresh coconut iced saved me🤣 I was so ready to pay more because usually sellers tend to mark up prices in touristy spots like this, but I was surprised when I heard the price was only IDR5.000 which is less than $0.5!
I didn’t take a picture of my drink, though the portion wasn’t much, but it truly saved me from the heat.
After walking around the city center, I went to the mosque to do another prayer. Oh finally I saw the interior design of this grand mosque. It’s mostly made of wood, giving a somewhat traditional feel, that makes sense.
There were quite many people there, making me wonder if they’re from another city like me, or if they're locals. But anyway, I stayed a bit longer to take photos and videos and probably around 4 pm, I left to head to the homestay I’d rented for the night.
Malang’s streets have a certain... vibe. Because the city is not as big and hot as my hometown, the air feels better or maybe I’m just over-romanticizing. But it’s not my fault, because this city is calming with its own charm that makes people easily remember it and want to return.
The vast shady trees on both sides of the streets create a very relaxing atmosphere. It’s less crowded than my hometown, which is probably one of the main reasons why I somehow always miss this city.
Honestly, I was hoping to go out again that night, but I have no idea where to go alone, so I just bought something for dinner and sat on the balcony of this homestay. I don’t remember much about what I did while eating, probably planning things for the next week or something.
But I do remember how relaxing it felt being by myself without any distractions. However, a few minutes later, it started drizzling, so I had to go back to my room.
Unfortunately, that night when I couldn't even sleep until around 2 am (which is unusual), my younger sister texted me to tell me that my uncle had passed away. I was shocked. I wasn’t even close to him, but for the past week or so, my father actually had been taking care of him a lot in the hospital.
My uncle had been discharged to be cared for at home, so most of us assumed he was getting better and would be fine very soon. But just a day after he came back home, he passed away.
Seems like that’s the reason why I couldn’t sleep that night, so I could receive my sister’s text. I think my mom told my sister not to tell me until I got home because she was afraid I’d worry and head straight back to Surabaya.
But of course, that’s exactly what I did. I planned to explore a few more places the next morning and afternoon, but I had to get home.
I woke up for Subuh prayer before 6 am and didn't go back to sleep, so I opted to spend a quiet, slow morning on the balcony one more time.
The homestay also provides water, tea, and coffee. So I boiled some water and made a small cup of tea, sat outside on the balcony, and just wrote random things while also taking some video footage.
Even though this trip didn’t go as planned, this homestay really does the justice for me LOL. I really liked the atmosphere here, so it still felt like a successful little escape even though I only stayed for one day and one night.
I decided to pack my bag before 9 am (as I recall), and head to my hometown. Usually it takes me about two and a half hours, sometimes even three. But that day, I think somehow the journey only took me an hour and forty five minutes.
I didn’t mean to rush, but I really wanted to visit my uncle’s funeral if possible. I arrived just in time, as the ustad was about to recite the prayer. Of course I cried, I just couldn’t help it, I wasn’t even close to him, this is so nostalgic to write.
I apologize if this travel blog doesn’t go as how it should be, but I hope you still find “something” by reading this. I’ll see you with another story or review of the places I visited, so see you around! Thanks for reading as always, please take care :)