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Surabaya, Island of Java, Republic of Indonesia
Friday, 11th June 1993
Surabaya derives
its name from the Javanese words Suro, meaning shark, and Boyo, meaning
crocodile – from a legend regarding a giant crocodile
battling with a giant shark. Images of
this epic battle can be seen on the city’s logo, flag and a statue thereof.
Surabaya is Indonesia's second largest city
and is on the northern shore of Java, 419 miles east of Jakarta.
The city was established in 1293, making it
the oldest city in Indonesia, and for many centuries it has been a hub for
trade and commerce. The 18th century brought the Dutch and the beginning of the
colonial era to Surabaya, with the city developing as a major port for the Dutch
East India Co. Today Surabaya is the
commercial heart of East Java, with a large shipyard, and numerous specialized
naval schools.
Surabaya sits on a coastal strait between
Java and Maduro Island, and its main airport, Juanda International, is eight
miles south of the city’s center.
Usually it took us (block out - to block in) 1:20 from Jakarta to
Surabaya. The airport had a single
runway (Runway 10/28,
100°/280° magnetic, SE/NW) at 9,843 feet in length, with a single ILS to Runway
10.
A
rare occurrence:
Without a guidance system, placing the nose wheels exactly either side of the
parking centerline is impossible.
Especially
since I’m doing it blind from the cockpit. However, I nailed it at Surabaya.
Occasionally we were required to do a one night layover at Surabaya, and
BOURAQ would put us up at the five-star Hyatt Regency. With its luxury rooms, five restaurants,
beautiful gardens and pool, once again I was enticed to stay put and not wander
outside the hotel.
The sole bummer was
the rooftop barbecues the hotel would throw for the BOURAQ crews on the
weekends. At 8 P.M. the “prayer whistle”
would go off, igniting a couple dozen mosques’ P.A. systems in an electronic
shouting match to see which Mullah could wail the loudest!
Honest to Allah, dear reader, the
painful racket was so bad I had to wear earplugs.
Once you peel her out of all that Muslim gear- here’s what lies
underneath!
I got crabs at Surabaya!
As for the local Indonesian cuisine, aside from chicken or beef satay
with spicy peanut sauce, I really couldn’t get into the rest of it. For example: Rujak cingur, considered
the traditional food of Surabaya, consists of marinated cow snout or lips and noses (cingur), served
with boiled vegetables and shrimp crackers, which is then dressed in a sauce of
caramelized, fermented shrimp paste (petis), peanuts, chili, and spices; usually served with lontong, a boiled rice cake. Oh yum-de-fuck-yum, dear reader, where’s the
nearest KFC?
For you
movie buffs, here’s a footnote: The 1976
version of King Kong, starring Jeff
Bridges and Jessica Lange, supposedly launched their expedition from Surabaya,
discovering the giant ape on one of Indonesia’s roughly 7,460 uninhabited islands.
And
speaking of movies, one night in particular stands out in my grey matter. I was returning to Surabaya from Ujung
Pandang, coming in low over the water on an intercept heading in preparation to
entering the downwind leg for Runway One-Zero.
As I crossed the coastline, with the lights of Surabaya spread out comparable
to sparkling jewels to my right, something far more interesting was occurring
to my left.
I had a quarter moon that night
clearly illuminating a horizon line broken up by the cones of volcanoes resting
south of the airport. While southeast of
the airport rose this gigantic, solitary thundercloud, erupting in a moonlit,
white-billowing column, climbing towards the moon and stars above me, as its
flat bottom spat the occasional dazzling lightning bolt. Plus ahead, in the moonlit distance, airport runway
lights were neatly spread out in parallel columns, patiently waiting for me.
At that moment, dear reader, I honestly felt
I had flown onto the set of an Indiana Jones’ movie!
Note all the brown peaks south of Surabaya: These are numerous active
volcanoes.
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