Either my memory failed me, or Surabaya had really changed. I mean, I remember Surabaya to be so boring and there was nothing much to do. Now that we were back after 13 years, Surabaya seemed to be a place that was full of vibrancy. It even looks much cleaner than I remember it was back then. 

We were there on the first of May, when the whole world was celebrating Labour Day. It wasn’t the best day to be in Surabaya, because most of the main attractions including the Dataran Pahlawan which was built to commemorate the fierce 1945 Battle of Surabaya where locals fought for independence, making Surabaya the “City of Heroes”.

We stayed at Ibis Hotel in the middle of the second largest city in Indonesia. We got to see the massive procession of Labour Day right from the lobby of the hotel. Somehow, watching a procession of such a big scale made me choke with emotion. 

Since most places of interest were closed, perhaps I can only highlight our visit to a place called Hops Kitchen & Bar – a place that we found on an internet search – and it was such a relaxing place to be. There were live band performances, it actually provided the relaxing vibes of a lounge or something. The selection of songs was great too, a combination of English and Indonesian songs. We enjoyed the place so much that we actually returned the next day. 

Somehow I felt there was much more of Surabaya that we could explore more but a couple of days didn’t seem to provide us a sufficient time to do it. While heading to the airport, I knew I’d return to Surabaya on third visit. I just knew I would.