Fred went a wandering.

Traditional Javanese musical instruments

I was on a bus from Purwokerto to kebumen but the driver is doing something while speeding to the destination.
The photo isn't clear as the road was bumpy.



So whatl is he doing?

Having a shave.



California Highway Patrol (Indonesian style).



Not that the cops actually do much about the roads

Need a taxi?



A road sweeper



Stupidity





Sausages

Punk never died; it just moved to Indonesia.

So whatl is he doing?

Having a shave.

Getting in the rice crop

The last pic in this one seems like you frightened the guy?

An Indonesian hands free kit for a mobile phone

  love it !!

A disgusting traditional market - it stinks



Indonesia is a country of motorbikes. Most here simply don't have the cash for a car but need transport. Parking spaces are designed with this in mind



Tidak apa apa or no what what (Like the Australian no worries) gets into everything.
Indonesian don't tend to plan ahead but think about things as they happen. That's why, when it rains, they head for the nearest shelter. It rains most days at the moment but they leave their waterproofs at home because it's sunny when they set off.

Stupidity

omg !!

Fred out of interest, do you know what distance they covered with the ladder round their neck (if you followed them) ? 

Health and safety is someone else's problem out here





Everyone thinks Indonesia is a third world country but this isn't really so. It's true to a level but the country is well and truly first world in some places. We even have Burger king.

It rains most days at the moment but they leave their waterproofs at home because it's sunny when they set off.

Fred, is it the rainy season over there now?

At quiet times (that's a laugh), traffic light change to flashing amber and everyone decides for themselves if they can go.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … -5QlRrMQfA

Health and safety is someone else's problem out here

I shouldn't laugh...but these guys would be really good on a circus act!!

A train station









http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … x2ijP_qoAk

At quiet times (that's a laugh), traffic light change to flashing amber and everyone decides for themselves if they can go.

Similar to India, first come, first serve...

Many types of food are available in Jakarta. There is all the local stuff, pizza, burgers and of course the Indonesian version of the hot dog stand.
OK, kebab stand. This guy usually has a little queue so he must be doing OK.







180

Other businesses are less cash pullers but with no welfare state you do what you can.
This guy buys and sells paper and card




Any spare bit of land is a good place for a shop and, if there's no land.....



Looks good, must try it sometime.



181

A flat tyre commonly means a push of not more than a kilometre or so as roadside tyre repair stations are everywhere.
There is little by way of recovery services for bikes so you push.
I, being lazy, use tubeless tyres so have little chance of a problem.

This guy does not but maybe it's just me that's chicken.

The pictures really describe the actual state of this nation, nice info

We can guess whats next for those chickens on the bike...

jazzy851 wrote:

We can guess whats next for those chickens on the bike...

I'd put money on their survival as far as this morning being unlikely.
Just like the motorcycling ducks of a week or so ago; the market awaits.

rizky wrote:

The pictures really describe the actual state of this nation, nice info

Thank you.
As I've mentioned before - I just wander around and snap away at random in the hope of the odd good photo.

Explanation time.
Most of the photos in Purwokerto were taken with one of several cameraphones I've had over the years. The latter ones being with a 5mp Nokia.
I eventually moved on to an Olympus bridge camera when I moved to Bintaro but that only lasted about 18 months before the screen died so I got rid and moved on to the camera I use at the moment, a lovely little Fujifilm S4500.
I like this camera because it's really fast to shoot and it has a fantastic 30X optical zoom but....

I now have need for more video but don't want to carry two cameras around so I need to consider changing to something with an external microphone input.
That in mind, I've hunted around and came up with some ideas.
I finally dismissed the SLRs because they're just too much messing around so it looks like I'm going to settle on the Fujifilm HS50EXR.
I called the local distributor, Fujifilm Indonesia to make sure that was the best choice from their range.
An exceptionally helpful gentleman had a chat with me about the camera and I think I'm pretty much convinced it's the right thing for the job.
This little baby has an exceptional 42 times optical zoom and the ability to record full HD with an external microphone.
With the extra battery, it'll set me back about Rp6,000,000 but that's not too bad when you consider all the fun I'll have with the thing.



I also keep a little Samsung compact for when I can't carry the bigger camera but may just need to snap something - see the chickens with the flat tyre or the guys cooking the snake I posted a few weeks ago.

Honda, Yamaha and all the others put in many hours of time and effort to ensure your motorcycle ride is as comfortable as possible.
Of course, someone always comes up with something that suits them better.



Food wagons are really common in western countries but they're still unusual out here. This is one of very few I've seen.

Friday is the big prayer day for Muslims but many still have to work so places of work set up praying areas.
Giant supermarkets either use car parks or service roads.

No way to the house? No problem; build a bridge.

A petrol station.



The price of fuel has just risen from Rp4,500/L to Rp6,500 and it hasn't made many people happy.



but it hasn't stopped anyone buying the stuff.



Most individuals son't use much fuel so it has little direct effect but it does effect transport costs so prices are rising on everything.
The fried rice was Rp9,000 last week.



There goes the big problem - The shock of such a sharp rise has panicked a lot of people.
They would have been far better raising the price Rp500 every two months and letting people get used to it.

You may have noticed this guy at the front of the petrol station in the first photo.



They're collecting for a new mosque so, as usual, they have people in the road as well as a lady trying to catch drivers after they fill up.

The guys with hand carts meet the larger wagons and pass the rubbish up to them.





The cart collectors separate the plastic out first and, if the truck blokes see anything they've missed, the return it.
Every little thing helps when you have almost nothing.

Right.
I've gone wild and bought the camera so anything you see posted from this post on will be with a Fujifilm HS50.
(Except old stuff I'm catching up on and anything I snap with the little Samsung I carry when I can't take the big one).

Some will think this is just a number in normal progression.
Others know.

“Some will think this is just a number in normal progression.  Others know.”

Indeed, you should be proud of this string Fred, as it is truly a unique and honest insight into daily life here.

I enjoy it far more than any regular blog on Indonesia I can think of, and what is particularly excellent (IMHO) is that you keep your reporting free of editorial comments and opinions. 

You have an inherent talent for photo-journalism, and you and your cameras tell your stories very well.

Selamat!

Your comments are very kind.
Thank you.

At on end of Bintaro in South Jakarta, there is a place called Bintaro junction.
You can buy a new car, find expensive supermarkets or get pizza there.

As a note - The BMW showroom is worth a visit if you fancy a really top quality, generally fantastic car.

Most foreigners never go round the back of the place where there are many people that never get the chance to smell a pizza let alone eat one.

There are many small businesses making all sorts. This guy is making grave stones





If you see one of these it means there's a wedding on that road.



181

Hey Fred, that last photo caught my eye.  Here in Bali we call such poles penjor but they are generally much taller, in fact, normally they are a complete and full size bamboo stalk.   

Many photos here:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Penjor&t … 66&bih=586

They represent the holy mountain, Gunung Agung, and during the Galungan/Kuningan high holiday period they can be seen in front of Balinese compounds all over Bali for about a six week period.  They can also be spotted at any other times of the year in front of temples that are celebrating their odalon (anniversaries). 

I’ve never seen one in Java before aside from at the few active Balinese temples in eastern Java, so your photo really surprised me.  Are they commonly used by non Hindu Balinese folks around Jakarta to, as you say, indicate a wedding nearby?

Ubudian wrote:

Hey Fred, that last photo caught my eye.  Here in Bali we call such poles penjor but they are generally much taller, in fact, normally they are a complete and full size bamboo stalk.   

Many photos here:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Penjor&t … 66&bih=586

They represent the holy mountain, Gunung Agung, and during the Galungan/Kuningan high holiday period they can be seen in front of Balinese compounds all over Bali for about a six week period.  They can also be spotted at any other times of the year in front of temples that are celebrating their odalon (anniversaries). 

I’ve never seen one in Java before aside from at the few active Balinese temples in eastern Java, so your photo really surprised me.  Are they commonly used by non Hindu Balinese folks around Jakarta to, as you say, indicate a wedding nearby?

Yes - they're the norm for weddings.
Maybe one more hang on from Java's past.

mas fred wrote:

Far more sinister than the Sign of the Fred is the "Leisure tax" / "Children pets" part.

Most of my photos tend to be poorer areas or people but I don't want people to get the idea, Jakarta is a third world dump.
Parts of it are very modern, up to date and very western in style.
We have multi lane roads.



With service stations.



and traffic jams, complete with people selling things on the middle of the road.



and toll booths as roads have to be paid for by someone.

Indonesia, especially Jakarta, has some world class shopping malls.
This one, a very nice mall, is near the edge of Central Jakarta and gives you the idea.
Apart from all the top name shops, it has excellent food available and even a skating rink.



New malls are being built all the time but many seem to be having trouble getting shops to rent the space so we're seeing brand new but half empty buildings.
I see a serious crash in the near future and a lot of people losing their shirts.

Fred,Im sorry to say I agree with you on a crash over the horizon.

Local taxes are very low in most of Indonesia so local services tend to be somewhere between poor and non existent.
However, you often see rubbish collection (but you usually have to pay) and, just now and again, grass cutting.

My new Fujifilm camera is wonderful.
I'm still learning to drive it but hope to give it an outing tomorrow when, if all goes to plan, I'll wander into the city of Jakarta.