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The trip to Jakarta was quick, even the headwind not slowing us down...arriving at the airport...talk about bureaucracy gone mad..you queue to pay for your visa and then you join another queue...at the next window to actually get your passport stamped. It only took about 40 minutes to get out of the airport and to the taxi rank and then there was a 15 minutes discussion with all the drivers as to where I actually wanted to go! It took ages but we got there eventually, tho I'm not sure how..the traffic is horrendous!! Cars, bikes, buses and no one seems to have a sense of responsibility or one of personal space..I'm surprised there weren't scenes of carnage and mayhem every few yards!
My timing was perfect and I arrived just as Heather and Joey were finishing work...so
lovely to see her!!
After a flurry of hugs and kisses we went back to where they live, a typical indonesian middle class house. High ceilings, tile floors, the front door opens into a big central hall way with rooms on either side. There's a tiny kitchen, with a spiral staicase that goes up to the water tank and at the end of the hallway there is a little open courtyard to help with air flow..and give you somewhere to dry the clothes. There are 3 further rooms and a wet room bathroom..no hot water tho!
We went up the road for street food to one of their favourite places. We walked up, attracting a lot of attention as we stumbled our way along the side of the road, trying to avoid the open ditch on one side and the crazy scooter riders on the other! When we finally got to the wayun, we were serenaded by a couple of troubadours... shame they only knew one song in english tho!!
Tuesday morning, having had a hot and restless night we went to Citos, to the open air swimming pool..a lovely way to start the day..there was hardly anyone there!
Spent the afternoon in Joey's favourite coffee shop using their free WiFi for the price of a cup of coffee.
Taxis seem to be the best way to travel...so cheap!! It took 25 mins from the coffee shop to pejaten where Joey works and it cost about a pound! Driving through Jakarta, that's if you can bear to keep your eyes open in all the mayhem...slums on one side, dazzling malls on the other..street vendors selling everything you could possibly want to eat or drink...and somethings you probably don't want to even guess what they might be!
Joey, Heather and I went to the beehive, one of Joey s favorite haunts for supper. Colin, their boss turned up and we spent the evening chatting.ate a lovely gado gado and had a bintang beer to drink...then home to bed!
Wednesday morning was to be my first solo trip out of the big city..to Bogor, the botanic gardens on the outskirts of the city.an angkot to the station pasa minguu and a ticket for the commuter line, the air conditioned more expensive one..that cost me just over 50p for a 45 minute journey.
Got put on the wrong angkot at the station..we drove all the way round the fence and then stopped said its over there! It took about an hour for me to find my way to the right gate..I could have walked from the station! The tourist information office in bogor looks like the architect had been watching the magic roundabout and eating magic mushrooms.. a collection of brightly painted mushroom shaped buildings in shades of pink, yellow, purple and green!!
Very municipal park until you see that there are huge palm trees, groves of padang trees and birds of paradise in the beds. I wandered past the palm garden to the orchid house and then on to the Lady Raffles monument. A threat of rain, but there were only a few drops.
Walked back to the station, bought my ticket and got the right train back to pasa minggu, and got chatting to a lovely indonesian girl called Ende who wanted to practice her English, who helped me get a taxi and sent me on my way.
Got back to pejaten and when Joey and Heather had finished work we boarded a bus to another street food seller for nasi luet. Sat on the floor, just inches away from a busy main road, and had a most delicious meal, rice with a coconut milk sauce, a few fried onions and some sambal and lovely fresh fried chicken...messy but gorgeous!!
When we got back we opened one of the bottles wine.a nice way to finish the evening.
Another adventure for me today..catching the bus to Fatimillah Square..started out well by managing to get on the wrong bus..but was pointed in the right direction by a nice old man,. Once I was on the bus, a lady started chatting to me..turns out she was a photographer..so we exchanged emails. Got to the square and found the puppet museum with the help of a fairly toothless old gentleman...who then told me he was only 52!
The puppet museum was amazing and I was given a guided tour by one of the puppeteers whose family have been making the puppets for over 200 years. He told me the story behind each of the puppets and basically its Romeo and Juliet, with a happy ending..there are giants and evil princes and wicked old women..a great tale. ..it might have been a sales pitch, but i finished the tour buying some of the beautiful puppets..the craft that had gone into their making was amazing.
Left the museum and got chatting to a post card seller in the square...turns out he was the brother of the puppet maker..i was feeling like I was being set up..he was also a tour guide, surprise, surprise! I didn't have an awful lot of time so I asked him to show me what he could..it was really worth the money as he showed me things I'd never have found on my own...the old houses there from the early 17th century, the fish market, a bit like the grand bazaar in Istanbul only much more packed in and twice as smelly, to the old harbour.. a quick very expensive drink at the cafe Batavia and then the journey back thru the centre of Jakarta...2.5 hours packed like a sardine in a very hot bus, holding on to my camera and bag!!
I made it and rewarded myself with a coffee and a doughnut ftom JCOs..who offer avacado donuts...but I wasn't tempted!
Went to Kemiri for dinner, a couple of floors up from EF where Joey and Heather work..lots of different things to try and I chose soto betawi, a beef soup/stew with rice...really tasty! Most of my ordering has been either on recommendation or looking at pictures!
We had to finish packing when we got home and by the time we got sorted and finished off the bottle of wine, looked at Joey's jungle photos it was gone 1...and we had to be up and out by 3.30!! Needless to say, not a lot of sleep was had!
It must have been the fastest taxi ride ever to he airport. Almost empty roads and I think the driver was enjoying the chance to put his foot down. We got there really quickly, but it took ages to find out where we should check in..up and down the airport twice before we found the check in desk..
Bali .. Next stop!
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