Fred went a wandering.

New year is big here.
Load so people want their noise making things and funny hats. That means roadside stalls spring up all over the place.

Safety first - not
No proper equipment or anything wild like a safety harness.
Just out of interest, if one fell, would they (Or probably the family)  be able to sue McD headquarters?

Every so often, I find something odder than usual as I wander.
This super high tech ferry is just on the edge of Chinatown, Jakarta.

All aboard



Setting sail, well, pulling on a rope to get to the other side.



disembarking. Passport control to the left.



More soon but it's time for bed now; night night.

If you park in a shopping centre or a row of shops, you usually have to pay for parking there. Most charge Rp1,000 for the service (6p).
This can be quite a lot for some people or for kids who ride motorbikes illegally so they try to get in via the exit, thus,  don't have to pay.



We don't want him to fall off on his way home so potholes (or collapsed drains) have special warning signs.

All aboard the choo choo train; all aboard the choo choo train....(Sorry, been watching Michelle's kids TV channels)

This 'train' runs around estates, taking kids for a ride.



A closer look shows the thing is just a motorbike in train's clothing.

Non air conditioned trains are fun, extremely crowded and dangerous in several ways.
Crowded isn't even close but I found a quiet place to stand. Pity about the smell.



You do see how the other half lives.

This isn't a more conservative Muslim, just a lass trying not to inhale traffic fumes as if she smokes 20 a day.



Some people are so poor, they don't have running water in the house so washing clothes is a task done outside in a bucket.

I want to go on the choo choo train , i want to go on it NOW!

haggishunter wrote:

I want to go on the choo choo train , i want to go on it NOW!

The kids love it. The thing seems to run almost every day and it's almost always full.

haggishunter wrote:

I want to go on the choo choo train , i want to go on it NOW!

Hi Haggishunter i hope you are well and happy. I invite you to see my pics as well Click 'n' enjoy !

Hi Mas Fred
you took pictures of police officers without getting arrested?!?

Street markets are pretty common here. The ones I've seen develop tend to start with a couple of people selling whatever, then others latching on to the idea until you end up with a market. I've seen one or two start and very quickly grow.

I passed this one a couple of weeks ago.



The road is open to traffic



All sorts of things are available

Hericles wrote:

Hi Mas Fred
you took pictures of police officers without getting arrested?!?

The police have a bad reputation here, sometimes deserved, often not.
I have a good relationship with the local cops. A smile works  wonders.

It was coming up to new year so people were selling the usual noisy things.



Mobile phone sim cards and credit, of course



and pirate DVDs, it wouldn't be an Indonesian market without them.

I really, really want a hat like this. The sun and the rain have no chance to damage my sweet head.



Parkir are everywhere. They (in theory) help you to find a space, look after your car and help clear a path so you can rejoin traffic.
You normally pay them Rp1,000 for this service but I understand car drivers commonly pay a little more.



A fridge is an expensive item and drinks have very little profit so an insulated box, filled with ice, is a common way to keep drinks cold.



Durian season is with us so the stink is everywhere.

English is a fashion out here,
Private English schools are everywhere and the language is commonly used on business signs.





Rubbish being tossed away anywhere is a common problem. Local authorities put up signs that are generally ignored.



Local people also put up signs.



A rough translation goes; "People who throw rubbish here are the rotting corpse of a satanic dog, pig, monkey".
I may be slightly off as my Indonesian isn't great but you get the idea.

Loading up



and off he goes



Drainage ditches at roadsides are handy....and sometimes not





As luck has it, some local will always direct traffic around the hazard, as long as he gets the odd seribu (Rp1,000)
Note the bits of tree stuck in the back of the truck as a warning sign.

I have no idea. It was just there and, yes, it is as big as it looks.



The last time I noticed a couple of holes in a bridge, I ignored them and we know what happened. I'll keep an eye on these and chronicle the progress if they get bigger.



Things western are quite popular here. Fish and chip shops are becoming more common. I may just have to call in to check out the chicken pies.

The flooding in Jakarta is hitting the world news but smaller floods are hardly ever mentioned in the press.
I posted a photo of this river blocked by rubbish a few weeks ago. The water level is quite high now.



That means the area is also flooded.



Doesn't look too bad but they're about to build a housing estate on that land. I won't be looking to buy.

Further upstream, just to one side of that bridge with the new hole, we see a house on stilts.



This time it's only rice paddy fields that have flooded.

I, being a sharp eyed sort of handsome chap, noticed this digger looked to be in trouble. Note the back end of the vehicle.



A couple of days later I found a closer shot. Note the new position of the back.



Indonesian workers are commonly casual staff who roll in for a job , work for a while then go to the next job.
Whoever was around will have done a runner.

Wow Mas Fred,

I think this is one coolest thread here.  You have success to capture so many real moments about Indonesia. Yes, true. most foreigners sometime more focus in big city life, upscale neighborhood etc etc. But you share the real culture here. I hope with this thread, many expats living in Indonesia will get more knowledge about Indonesian real culture and living but of course (and i hope) without loosing respect for real culture of this country. Salut!

Thank you for your kind comments but, as I mentioned before, I just snap away and hope for a good picture or two.
I have to admit, the thread has made me look around for more unusual bits and bobs and takes me to places most Indonesians never visit.

The rescue attempt

A day out for us all on Saturday.

The usual overloaded motorbikes.



The prison in the Jakarta museum.





and people hanged by the neck until they were dead.



The museum is in the north of Jakarta. I wouldn't say it was worth a special trip but it's well worth a visit as part of a day out.
Sadly, we were too late to visit the bank museum just down the road as it was about to close.

Sea world is near the port area of Ancol (Pro. Anochol).
More photos later but the tunnel is great.
This place is definitely worth a visit.

Bintaro is a town set into sections; sort of a newtown.
One thing it has is a restaurant called, SS or special sambal.
They sell sambal (chilli) then you buy the food to food with the 'sauce'.
It's great.







No idea what happened to the middle photo - sorry.

Safety first in Supermarkets

Back to that fish and chip shop in Bintaro 3A.
The food was pretty good, even if the serving wasn't quite English style.
For Muslims, it is halal.

The owner, I'm assured, spent time in London. I suspect that's true.
The price is expensive by local standards but cheap for expats.
I'll wander in when I'm in that area as it makes a nice little treat.

Seaworld.
The food is just run of the mill. If I go again, I won't buy it.





Other than that, the place is well worth the trip.
Michelle loved it.
There are little domes so you can see the fish from inside the tanks.



Sorry the photos are poor, I only had my phone as they were through glass.

I almost forgot; that digger got out.



The roads are commonly good for a few photos.
Something looks wrong.



Sure is....



And yet another car stuck down the edge of the new concrete road surface

Fairy tales (1)

Snow white's evil step mum and nasty queen said, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall".
Indonesian motorcyclists have, "Mirror, Mirror on the bike".

Fairy tales (2)

No ugly sisters and no pumpkin, no worries, the ball is accessible by home made car.

Fairy tales (3)

Cinderella's rags turned into a beautiful ball gown.
These old rags end up as cloths to clean the car with.









Sadly for this lady, prince Charming is no where to be found and he's unlikely to turn up any time soon.

Fairy tales (4)

Jack's dad never appeared in the story and, as I recall, he didn't have any siblings.
This little Jack is at school at the moment but the cost of secondary education will probably see the end of that when he's twelve.
Magic beans are not on his menu and never will be, even if Tangerang city has just announced free high school education.

During the Christmas holiday, I wandered into Jakarta.
I prefer the non air conditioned train as you tend to see more "life".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWMX7PGlNMU

we have 2 kind of trains run here, one is the economy with no door, no air con, the other one we called it CL or Commuter Line, air con and the door close properly I usually take CL train to commute from my home to my work place

Pagi Pak Fred,

Just to echo the sentiments Ayu wrote earlier, please keep up the good work as your photos are far from the typical post card variety one sees of Indonesia all too often.

Selamat!

lizzielee wrote:

we have 2 kind of trains run here, one is the economy with no door, no air con, the other one we called it CL or Commuter Line, air con and the door close properly I usually take CL train to commute from my home to my work place

I much prefer the non A/C.
Where else can you stick a video camera out of a smelly toilet window and see buskers performing a UB 40 song?

I've been experimenting with time lapse video.
I may try something and post it........if it works.