BUITENZORG.
Through a charming combination of hills, river and woodland
scenery the tourist is carried in a comfortable train to Buitenzorg
(called Bogor by the natives) a distance of about 70 min.
There are two good
hotels. The Hotel Bellevue
and the Hotel du Chemin
de fer, situated near the
station.
The first mentioned Ho-
tel is famous for its Moun-
tain-rooms, which give an
excellent view over the
river and mt. Salak.
Miss Scidmore describes
her impressions of this
view as follows:
''At daylight we saw
that our portico looked
full upon the front of
mount Salak, green to the
very summit with planta-
tions and primeval forests.
Deep down below us lay
a valley of Eden, where
thousands of palmtrees
were in constant motion,
their branches bending, swaying, and fluttering as softly asostrichplumes
to the eye, but with a strange, harsh, metallic rustle and clash, different
from the whispers and sighs and cooing sounds of temperate foliage.
As stronger winds threshed the heavy leaves, the level of the valley
rippled and tossed in green billows like a oarley-field. There was a
basket village on the riverbank, where tropic life went on in as plain
pantomime as in any stage presentation. 'At sunrise the people came
out of their fragile toy houses, stretched their arms to the sky and
yawned, took a swim in the river, and then gathered in the dewy
shade to eat their morning curry and rice from their plantain-leaf
Returning from Market.
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plates. Then the baskets and cooking-utensils were held in the swift-
flowing stream, — such a fastidious, ideal, adorable sort of dish-
washing! — and the little community turned to its daily vocations.
The men went away to work, or sat hammering and hewing with
implements strangely Japanese, and held in each instance in the
Japanese way. The women pounded and switched clothing to and
fro in the stream, and spread it out in white and brilliant colored
mosaics on the bank to dry. They plaited baskets and painted saroAJgs,
and the happy brown children, [in nature's dress, rolled at play under the
cocoanut-trees, or splashed like young frogs in and out of the stream."
Buitenzorg is a charming little place 265 M. above sea level. The
protestant church and the beautiful club building on the main road,
the military barracks, the great market (passar); the Governor's
Palace, the race course where races are held in May and September'
the lunatic asylum situated on the road that leads to the cemetery'
all give a peculiar aspect to the place differing from that of other
country places in Java.
GOVERNMENT BOTANICAL GARDENS.
The famous Botanical Garden at Buitenzorg Hortus Bogorenses
(founded in 1817) is the great show-place,
the paradise and pride of the island. .
The Governor's Palace at Bnitenzors-
Pledang Buitenzorg, Mount Salak in the background.
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The Experimental Gardens at Tjikeumeuh, which form part of them,
and the mountain garden on the northern slope of the Gedeh are also
well worth a visit. To visit the Herbarium, the Museum and the
Library (Kantor batoe) the botanical zoological, agricultural, chemical
and pharmacological laboratories, the Museum of the Forest Depart-
ment, and the photozincographical studio, special permission is required.
It requires about two hours to walk through the gardens; and for
this the morning is best, as it frequently rains in the afternoon.
Buitenzorg has an average of 219 rainy days a year.
For further information see. Guide to Buitenzorg and its environs.
The Agricultural Garden,
important to those who are interested in tropical botany — is
situated in the Buitenzorg quarter Tjikeumeuh, and is about half an
hour's walk from the Hotel, or it can be reached in shorter time per
trap ("karretje") for half a florin there and back.
Further excursions will help to make the stay here more agreeable
and lend variety to it
Kota-Batoe
can be reached per trap in half an hour's time. Here is an excellent
bathing establishment (15" Celsius), and shapeless lumps of antique
stone figures are to be seen.
To Batoe Toelis
(= inscribed stone) by rail, on foot, per carriage, from the Hotel,
or by small car, at no great distance. From here we can enjoy a
beautiful prospect of the surrounding districts, as well as have a look
at a hieroglyphical stone of the Hindoo period.
Conveyances.
The most common among these is the "sado". The fare is 60 cents
per hour and 25 cents for a drive notflonger than 20 minutes. Shorter
drives are paid accordingly at a minimum of 10 cent for each person.
Among the means of conveyance the Hotel-carriages are worth
mentioning because they are very comtortable and give tourists the
best opportunity to see the country. For a drive to Batoe toelis the
charge is 4 guilders, but this trip can easily be combined with a
drive through the village. To Kota Batoe over rather steep roads
the charge is 7 guilders, but one may keep the carriage waiting there
and take a bath at his ease.
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Onleaving Buitenzorg the tourist may choose between two routes
to Soekahoemi. One is by rail direct and takes only two hours; the
other is by carriage via Sindanglaya and Tjiandjuer.
