Share Jakarta, Bandung & Pandangaran, Indonesia, February 2011
What I did…
I spent my flight over from Bintan to Jakarta speaking to a guy from Norway called Jorgen. After finding separate accommodation due to budget differences we agreed to meet to dinner and few beers that night. After dinner at a local food store we headed to a bar to meet people he had met on couchsurf.com. We found the group and drank the night away with perfect strangers from Indonesia, Norway, Czech Republic and Australia. After quite a few beers and a funny night retreated to my box room to find 3 Indian guys watching a Bollywood film out side my door. I joined them and quickly realised exactly why i have refused to go and watch any before! I was rolling around laughing thinking it was a comedy as the Indian guys were watching on as if it was The Borne Identity! I joined pretty much at the end so got treated to the ‘special effects’ and the dancing around at the end.
Next morning I was up and out around Jalan Jaksa for a little explore but did not find much. I made my way to the train station for my trip to Pandangaran around 4PM and was on my way. By the time I reached Bandung where i had to get a connecting bus it was 8PM and all I wanted to do was rest.
A lady from USA approached me as i got off the train looking at my guide book for a direction to head. She was visiting her family in Bandung and offered to give me a break from all the screaming taxi drivers and a lift to a hostel. I snapped up the offer and was quickly rammed into the front of their car with all my bags on my lap! They were shocked at me even being anywhere near Indonesia and told me to be careful. I smiled and took the advice but had been here a week and a half and had no more than one problem (taxi driver in Bintan). So since the Manchester Derby was on I decided to run to the shop and get a few beers in to watch the game at my hostel. A beer in the Novotel, where entering cars get checked for bombs!, and I was back in bed safe and sound.
Next morning I got a taxi to the bus station and just made it in time to get the bus to Pandangaran. We had religious people asking for money, buskers asking for money after giving us a rendition on a guitar and people selling food every time the bus pulled up anywhere! We pulled up at a petrol station and I jumped out and walked to the shop. As I walked back out the bus was leaving, with my bag, without me! I ran of course to stop it but by the time I had reached it it had already pulled over, sat waiting for everyone who had got off. Phew, but there was no need for the exercise!
I got to Pandangaran after my 7 hour bus ride and found a room easily. I also bumped back into Jase, Ed and Marcus very easily as they were eating in the 1st bar I passed. We hit the hay pretty early after a beer and the next morning set off on our way to Jogjakarta. What a journey that was! Not now though, Jogjakarta is next…
I have no gallery for this blog as I only took 3 and 2 of them were of Dunkin Donuts!