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Well I've just found my first internet cafe that allows me to upload photo's!!
Indonesia is awesum; terminally chaotic, yet organised within that mayhem. So far have seen only a tiny part of western Java - Jakarta, Bogor, Pelabuhamratu and Cimaja. The first two are enormous cities that stretch for hundreds of miles in every direction. Huge American style shopping malls break up the slums that surround electricity pylons where people syphon power for there megre huts. The traffic brings even more chaos to the confusion as cars of all sizes compete for road space from Angkuts, motorbikes, scooters and what are supposedly public buses. Angkuts are the prefered mode of public transport though the bikes and scooters also offer the strong hearted a lift for a small price. At the moment the exchange rate is around 14,000 rupiah to £1 so when you think a ride in a Angkut costs 2,000 rupiah then travel is next to nothing. We have spent a lot of time teravelling from city to suburb and back again on buses. Definately NOT the National Express variety!! Each bus has a driver and a money collector. the bus has a vague leaving time though this changes depending on who you ask and seems to have no particular stopping place as people seem to get on and off by just flagging the down. Some have air conditioning and some dont so its just pot luck really! A 3 hour journey costs around 30,000 rupiah (£2) and throughout it various men clamber on and off selling fried soya curd, nuts, water and other refreshments.
Pelabuhamrata was a beautiful primarily surfing resort, though no surfers this time. The day we had onj the beach was splendid though the current was so strong that although Dean and I are really strong swimmers we had a very very scary expereince of not being able to beat it, panicking, and having to calm each other down before we perservered and clambered ashore - very very scary experience.
At present we are back in Bogor and tomorrow we are flying to Medan in northern Sumatra tghe bus-ing it to Bukit Lawang for the Orang-utans and some awsesum sounding 3 hour ride in an inner tube off a truck down a river. from there down to Lake Tobar which is the largest lake in Indonesia and surrounds a volcano. Staying there for a week the Dean and I are flying for some propa partying in Bali.
On a downer (wouldnt be me without it) McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Starbucks are everywhere, especially the first two. The tactics used by these two companies seem to mimic the tactics used when they first came to UK - advertising to children for lifetime nostalgia. Bad McDonalds. Being a muslim country all meat is Halal which means the animals must suffer greatly . Havent seen as much cruelty as I thought though have seen a monkey in chains entertaing passing cars and lots of rabbits in small cages next to the street sellers.
Check out the photos up to now..... Si.x
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