Trans East Java Day 3: Catimor Homestay

7 Jan 2013, Monday 
Catimor Homestay
Ijen Plateau, East Java, Indonesia 

We arrived at the Catimor Homestay pretty late at night around 10 pm and we didn't have time to look around the place on the way to Catimor because that time already dark. Actually, on the way to Catimor, we will pass thru a coffee plantation but since no lamp post along the way, so, nothing we could see. All we can do was having a night sleep inside our van.

Catimor Homestay is simply a short pitstop to rest for the night before we hit out early at 5 am the next day for Ijen Crater. We were too tired to do anything as we had a long day... surabaya - Lapindo - Probolinggo - Bondowoso. But still, I have time to look around the hotel, chit chatting with the homestay keeper and drink the hot coffee provided for the visitors. There's a small hot spring next to the swimming pool. Plan macam nak mandi tapi macam dah lewat sangat pulak. Rugi sampai lambat. 

Any visitors coming must report with the guide first (photo taken during daytime)

Actually, before kami sampai, ade sesuatu yang diluar jangkaan kami terjadi. Di dalam kegelapan malam menuju ke Catimor, tiba-tiba our driver, Bambang break mengejut. Oh... rupanye ade pokok tumbang. Agak besar juga lah... memang gaya nye macam baru je landing. Our guide, Agus terpaksa keluar nak menolong 2 orang pakcik ni, bergelap pulak tu (I believe orang-orang situ juga), yang sedang berusaha juga nak ketepikan pokok yang tumbang tu. Alhamdulillah, nothing bad happened to us.

Welcome to Catimor (taken during daytime)

Catimor was actually contructed in 1894 by the Dutch. No wonder lah design kat sini semacam ade sentuhan belanda sikit... dutch classic design... I like. Actually, we have two options samada nak stay Catimor atau pun di Arabica masa mula-mula dapat quotation. Akhir nya, Catimor menjadi pilihan package kami sebab kata nye Catimor is better compare to Arabica. Aku pun tak pasti sebab tak tahu kan tapi aku baca review comments kat Trip advisor lebih kurang jer for both places. Yang pasti, both are closer to Mount Ijen.Yang pasti juga, kami tidur sekejap je pun.

We just arrived at this time

The dining hall...

Rooms on the other side

Pintu masuk pun dah nampak creepy
Ini pilihan bilik untuk yang budget yea :-)

View just after the above door

The living room... 
Tak sempat pun nak lepak-lepak kat sini sebab sampai pun dah malam

Our room is on the left side

The room was quite OK... classic old design. Sempit sikit tapi boleh lah nak solat and berkemas. Dinding dia aku tak sure made of what tapi yang pasti boleh dengar orang sebelah cakap.

One more thing... ade problem sikit dengan pintu bilik kami... aku & fad je tau, tak sure bilik orang lain pulak. Mula-mula tu macam fikir lain juga apsal pintu asyik terbuka jer padahal aku baru je tutup. Rupanye, ade something wrong dengan tombol dia. Kena berusaha keras sikit kalau betul-betul nak dia tertutup rapat... ternyata only the housekeeper knows how to keep the door closed. Tak fikir pulak nak tukar bilik masa tu... yang ade difikiran hanyelah nak landing di katil yang empuk itu. 

Once dah landing atas katil nie... hanya azan Suboh yang mampu mengejutkan aku

The bathroom was not so OK. There is a water heater but not so hot & water from the pipe also very small. It smells something too... like an abandoned toilet... tapi memang bau yang tak best lah. Senang citer dah malam kan, so, keep your mouth shut. Aku reda jer dengan apa yang ade bila memikirkan we stayed only for a few hours before tomorrow's trip to ijen. 

Sinki air ade diluar... disini jugalah tempat kami solat

Toilet ade water heater...
Kolam dia tak guna pun sebab macam kotor sikit

I love the welcoming quote

Nice garden with small pond

Breakfast that morning also was okay. A choice of tea or coffee with sugar on the side. One hard boiling egg and a sandwich with butter and chocolate rice which was OK to me.

To be continued...