Arrived in Jarkarta on March 10th. The smog was bad, worse than L.A. The traffic was definitely worse. There are lots of people (9 Million) crammed into a relatively small city (255 sq. mi.) and almost every one of them rides a scooter. Landfills are few and far between, with most people burning their trash. The rest is all over the place. Not much of a skyline and the infrastructure is crumbling. Now the good part. The people are very nice, friendly, and helpful, there is a decent transportation system, several wonderful museums, and the food is really tasty. I've eaten nothing but gado gado and nasi goreng (noodle and rice dishes with meat and vegetables) since I arrived in Indonesia. Went to the Wayang (Puppet) Museum which is full of thousands of puppets made from bull hide and beautifully painted. Also saw a show performed. Also checked out the Fine Art Museum, History Museum, and the National Museum. They were all worth the time and money. Taman Fatahillah is a large square where people perform songs, dances, etc. My roomate and I were approached constantly by students on field trips wanting to practice their English by interviewing us! Most were English students, some nursing students. They were all so sweet and polite while they asked their questions. We did at least 20 interviews! Felt like celebrities! They all wanted pictures taken with us too.

Took a train to Bandung. Hired a guide with two other travellers and saw rice being harvested, tofu being made, bamboo mats being woven. Hiked to the crater of Tangkubahan Prahu and the surrounding sulfur hot springs. The hot springs were the perfect temperature. I could have sat in them for hours, especially since they are supposed to make you younger the longer you stay in them! The sulfur immediately turned all of my silver jewelry brown. Live and learn. It seems to be turning back slowly.

Took a 12-hour overnight bus to Yogyakarta. Pretty bad bus but for $7 what the hell. Our travelmate from Germany had his cash and camera stolen while he slept. I didn't sleep at all and kept my pack wrapped around my legs. Took shuttles to Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was beautiful. Built in the 9th century, it has six levels, 504 Buddha statues, and took several hours to cover. Every surface was covered in carved pictures depicting life scenes. It was abandoned in the 14th century and discovered again by Sir Thomas Raffles in 1814. There was a major restoration between 1975-82 and it is the most visited site in Indonesia.

Back in Jakarta visited Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Indonesia. More than 10,000 people pray at noon on Fridays. Right across the street is a beautiful Catholic cathedral.

You're taking your life in your hands as a pedestrian here. There are few crosswalks and drivers ignore them. There are even fewer intersections with lights and crossing signs and drivers ignore those also. They go around you at lightening speed. It's really scary. At one 4-way intersection there were probably 500 vehicles or more. Some drivers got out of their cars and helped us cross! There are so few jobs and police in Indonesia that citizens act as crossing guards voluntarily. They sometimes buy themselves a vest, flashlight, or baton to look official and rely on passing pedestrians and motorists to give them money for the service.

On my last night I splurged and went with a new friend to a Chinese Hot Pot restaurant. There were probably over one hundred meats, fish, tofu, shellfish, and vegetables to cook at your table on a large, round grill and in a big boiling crockpot. They also give you nifty utensils to use. It was delicious and fun! It's topped off with several types of desserts and fruits. I'm pretty sure that with a few beers, this type of eating could easily occupy my sons for several hours.

Strange Things I've Seen In Jakarta

A truck driver of a big rig was washing his truck on the shoulder of the freeway (equivalent to the 405) during morning rush hour traffic.

There are virtually no birds here. I have an idea why but don't want to think about it...

There are dishwashing sprayers (the ones you attach to your kitchen sink) next to all of the toilets. I can't look at them as anything more than a kitchen item that shouldn't be anywhere near a bathroom. Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer installs a disposal in his shower. It's just not right for these two rooms to be trading equipment. I'm clinging to toilet paper as long as possible.