Mbah & Atok go to… tour of Java - Day 6

Mbah & Atok go to… tour of Java — Day 6: Bandung (North)

Thursday 18 July 2024

All of today’s visits somehow made up for the rather unsatisfying fast train experience we had yesterday. First, we went to the Museum Pendidikan Nasional, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (National Education Museum, Education University of Indonesia). 

As an educator and teacher trainer, the museum was of interest to Mbah. It was especially relevant as we were in Indonesia for Mbah’s education research. The display style was rather old school but very informative nonetheless. We liked how Indonesia could trace her education history stretching back 400 years due to the existence of written records.

In the grounds of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia which is very picturesque

Those early records used metal-tip writing implements that made scratches on tree bark. Then they progressed to writing on paper, produced from rice or wood pulp, with charcoal-based ink. It was interesting to see the barks (with writings in old Sanskrit), the “carving pens” used for writing on the barks, the primitive paper and ink, and the implements to produce those paper and ink (I was so engrossed in reading and studying these displays that I forgot to take their photos). The early writings were mostly centred on disseminating and learning religions, first Hinduism and then Islam.

The display also paid homage to women’s education in Indonesia and the ladies who pushed that agenda. Although initially it focused on formalising traditional women’s roles as housewives, such as cooking and sewing, it gradually progressed to more mainstream education.

The numbers showed that quite a significant number of Indonesians were given formal education in her pre-independence era

It was also evident from the displayed photos that the Dutch provided high-level education to locals from all over their territories, training them to become teachers, technicians (e.g. for trains and railways), and medical personnel (doctors and nurses). This education provision was not in insignificant quantities either. The practice started in the late 1800’s and continued up to the start of World War Two; that spanned for at least 50 years. Indonesia gained her independence soon after the war in 1945.

The Stone Tablet — Papan Batu in Bahasa Melayu or Sabak in Bahasa Indonesia

The display that caught my interest the most, however, was the Stone Tablet (Papan Batu in Bahasa Melayu or Sabak in Bahasa Indonesia). According to my father, Ayah, this was his “exercise book” during his primary schooldays in the 1950’s. Learning was mostly by rote in those days. Students would write whatever was read aloud by the teacher or copy the teacher’s writing from the class blackboard to be memorised. It had to be memorised because the writing on the tablet would then be wiped clean for the next lesson. 

Only rich kids brought books and pencils to school he said. Ayah was an orphan since he was three years old. His mother remarried when he was five and his grandfather raised him ever since. 

Unfortunately Ayah did not keep his stone tablet. But today I finally saw one with my own eyes. Ayah had very good memory until he died at 79 years old. Maybe that was the foundation that permitted him to break out from poverty and retire as a school headmaster. But he almost never talked about his childhood. The stone tablet was among Ayah’s few stories.

Tangkuban Perahu, a very accessible and still active volcano

Our next stop was Tangkuban Perahu, an active volcano where the air got much chillier as we rode up the mountain. It only takes an hour from Bandung city to get right to the crater, making it very accessible compared to Bromo’s crater. Apparently, it erupted recently in 2019. A new crater was boiling over and spouting sulphur gas hundreds of metres below. We could smell the foul odour even from this far away. 

However, there were many touts. One followed us around, throwing random facts about the mountain in the hope we would pay him as a guide. I think that was not allowed, so they disguised their act by carrying trinkets for sale. We felt very disturbed as they were relentless and made for an uncomfortable experience. Hence we escaped to a nearby warong for something hot. We learnt that, unlike Bromo, this mountain top has no electricity supply. It would be closed after dark. After a bowl of Indomie and a mug of coffee, we decided to head back to the hotel since we’d rather not ride in total darkness on an unfamiliar road. 

Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe

But along the way we got hungry (or rather, I was). So we stopped at Kampung Daun Culture Gallery & Cafe in the city outskirts. This restaurant was mentioned by several bloggers and was on our itinerary to Bandung 10 years ago, but we didn’t make it. The food was good but not the best we have had either. You definitely pay for the ambience here. The hillside huts looked nicer but involved a bit of a climb. We sat in a hut below beside the stream.

Unfortunately, there were some mosquitoes but with the help of a burning aromatic oil lamp they soon went away and we enjoyed the place. What we found interesting was the location of this restaurant. It’s inside an up-scale housing compound, judging by the neighbouring buildings. The houses were beautifully designed, and one of them had been turned into a cafe that resembled a lovely English cottage.

However, the general condition of the roads in this compound was deplorable. It seems as if everybody only takes care of their own property, but nobody is concerned about the common good. Or am I over analysing? 

Maybe I need a break. That is what we were hoping to achieve tomorrow in the South of Bandung.