Wlingi (Blitar) Part 2: A quiet arrival and a donut reunion

It’s a rainy and gloomy day, but I’m back with part 2 of my Wlingi adventure. A little drizzle never stopped a good story.

We finally arrived at Wlingi Station at 9:30 in the morning. Once we got there, we contacted our friend to let her know we had arrived.

All this time, I thought my friend in Wlingi only rode a motorbike. So, my travel buddy and I assumed we’d be picked up from the station riding triple on a motorbike—haha. But as we looked around for my friend, we saw her in a car… and she could drive! We were surprised and relieved—no need to squeeze three people onto one bike after all. We got into the car and greeted each other warmly—it had been years since we last met. 

We didn’t have any plans for where to go; we were relying on our friend, the local host, to guide us around. Our friend eventually took us to a local attraction called Kampung Coklat. It was my first time visiting, and I was amazed by how spacious the place was—and how many activities it offered. The entrance ticket cost 20,000 rupiah. Inside, there were plenty of family-friendly rides: paddle boats, electric bikes, golf cart-style cars, and small electric cars for kids.

Entrance of Kampung Coklat

We headed straight to the garden in the middle of a small river, where the paddle boats passed by—a perfect spot for photos. I brought my dad’s old Fujifilm digital camera, which he bought over a decade ago.

Intermezzo: I had the camera serviced at a repair shop in Matos, Malang. Before the repair, it was completely dead—the battery wouldn’t charge, and the battery slot didn’t work at all. The initial repair cost was 275,000 rupiah just to get the camera working again, not including the battery. But once I added the cost of a new battery and charger, the total jumped to 500,000 rupiah. It was originally quoted at 670,000, but the seller gave me a discount. Funny how the repair ended up costing more than buying a new one—especially for a camera with just 10MP resolution.

After our little photo session, we continued exploring the rest of the attractions. Turns out, Kampung Coklat offers a chocolate-making class—but it came with a separate fee, so we decided to skip it for now. There were plenty of seating areas scattered around: umbrella-shaded chairs, and table setups that felt like a casual outdoor café. The deeper we wandered, the more surprises we found—a children’s swimming pool, and even a small nursery selling cacao seedlings.

Eventually, we stumbled upon an archery booth. Guess what? We gave it a try—even though it was clearly designed for kids. The target was barely five meters away. For 15,000 rupiah, we got 10 arrows to share among the three of us. One by one, we took our shots… and let’s just say, we were hilariously bad at it. Most of our arrows didn’t even reach the target—some dropped right in front of us, and one even flopped sideways. We laughed through the whole thing. Out of all that chaos, we managed to record one moment. Sadly, I can’t upload it here—but trust me, it was worth the giggle.

After our archery adventure, we wandered around a bit more and came across the chocolate factory. We could only view it from the outside, but it was still interesting to see. After walking around, we decided to get some chocolate as souvenirs—to enjoy at home later.

Oh, and before we even arrived at Kampung Coklat, we had an idea while in the car: to visit our friend in Blitar, who was in her final trimester of pregnancy. So, we bought extra chocolate for her too.

We did end up going to Blitar. When we arrived, our friend greeted us with her beautiful baby bump. Honestly, I felt deeply moved—it had been so long since we last met and seeing her in this new chapter of life was emotional in the best way.

We talked about everything—from A to Z—while enjoying traditional snacks and a refreshing glass of es dawet, perfect for the warm Blitar weather. Time flew by, and soon it was time for dhuhur prayer. The three of us prayed together, since our friend had already prayed earlier.

Afterward, we returned to the living room and were surprised to find bowls of soto waiting for us. She had prepared it while we were praying. And to my surprise—it was delicious. My mom never adds tomatoes to her soto, usually just vermicelli and bean sprouts. But with tomatoes, the broth tasted even fresher.

Homemade soto, by my friend

Once we finished eating, we decided to head home. I know—it’s not the best manners to leave right after a meal, haha. But before parting ways, we took a photo together for memories, of course using my trusty digital camera.

After the meal, the chats, and a few photos, we said our goodbyes and headed home. It felt brief, but full of warmth. The story of that day isn’t over yet—see you in Part 3.

Part 3: Last destination of the trip

Begin with Part 1 if you’d like to follow the full journey.