~ Spring Festival: Jakarta ~

Indonesia...Here We Come!!!!!!!

Our triumphant trio in front of our (delayed) flight gate.

Aaron, Andrea, and I set out for our magical Indonesian adventure on January 11th...or was it the 12th...10th? Man, I knew I'd regret not keeping a journal of the trip! Anyway, thanks to their hard work planning (while I was sick in bed for a week), and Andrea's connections in Indonesia, we began to make our way to our first stop: Jakarta!

View out of Jake's apartment window...it was great to see SO MUCH green! It was rainy season though, so Mr. Sun only came out sometimes.

Aaron had gotten us tickets to take the fast train out of Wuhan to Guangzhou, in southern China. A taxi took us to a part of town we'd never seen before (Wuhan is such a crazy-big metropolis), and we waited around in a pretty luxurious train station...clean...not remotely crowded...we already felt like we'd left the country ;) We had a nice, speedy, trip to Guangzhou, took a laughably expensive taxi ride to the airport (over 200 RMB, about 35 dollars, which is insanely pricey), and once our delayed flight got situated, we flew to Singapore. After a short layover, we were off to Jakarta!

Sadly I can't remember its name, but we had this uber-sweet coconut dessert our first night in Jakarta. I think the serving on palm fronds is quite the nice touch!

Andrea's friend Jake is a teacher in Jakarta, and he graciously allowed us to stay at his place, and show us around a bit, when we visited. His school even sent a driver to pick us up from the airport, and we had the standard "awkwardly trying to speak with a non-English-speaker" convo, except we didn't know ANY Indonesian to chime in with :( Thankfully, a Justin Bieber billboard we passed created a brief conversation, just as it would have in dear old China ;) On our ride to Jake's apartment, we soaked in how WARM, colorful, clean, and GREEN Indonesia was!

Bonding with my ojek (motorcycle) driver! The preferred way to get around our little neck of Jakarta.

Our first day in Jakarta was spent RESTING (didn't got a lot of sleep on the overnight flights), exploring Jake's ritzy neighborhood (it was quite high-class and featured lots of Western restaurants we hadn't seen in quite some time), and exchanging money...the currency exchange rate is 10,000 Indonesian Rupiahs for $1 U.S., so after we did that...we were millionaires! Jake and a bunch of his friends took us out for dinner at a local outdoor food market; we sampled lots of different meats, sauces, and soups...barbecued intestines were offered, but I refrained. EVERY day doesn't need to be an adventure ;)

It was pretty nice to see Romanized words written out, instead of the Chinese characters we've gotten so used to seeing! Even if we didn't know the meanings of words, we could at least guess ;) Here's one for ya: ayam = chicken. 

My first full day in Jakarta was VERY relaxed...Andrea went to visit Jake's school, but I slept in. Jake's friend Helena (from Canada) was an awesome hostess to Andrea and I, offering us lots of food cooked by her maid (very common to have in Indonesia, I guess), and giving us tips on what to see and do. Per her suggestion, I met up with Aaron, and we took motorcycle taxis to a spa...I felt quite spoiled as I was treated to a manicure, and a cream bath (they wash your hair and give you a head/neck/shoulder massage), two things I've never tried in the U.S. The price was so good that Aaron and I didn't feel guilty for buying a couple beers and waiting at a nearby restaurant for the torrential rainstorm to settle down. Sadly, it didn't completely stop, and my nice hairdo got destroyed on our motorcycle back home. Don't worry though--my second massage of the day (this time with Andrea, Jake, and Aaron) cheered me up! "Reflexi" massage is big in Indonesia, and certainly more relaxing to me than any massage I've gotten in China ;) We ended our day eating out with a few of Jake's friends, feasting on quesadillas with sour cream. I was a happy camper.

Just a small chunk of the throng of spectators, nervously checking out the nearby fire.

Yesterday and today were about as polar opposite as they come. Yesterday: pampering, a glitzy neighborhood, Western food, relaxation. Today: a look at the "real" Jakarta, a couple wake-up calls, and a reminder that all of we Americans are WAY more blessed/spoiled than we realize. Aaron, Andrea, Jake, and I took a bus ride into the center of the city, which looked much more like Wuhan than his neighborhood. We saw ramshackle houses, people living in piles of garbage under bridges, and just...lots of poverty. Given my lack of geographical expertise, I often found myself comparing the sights to pictures I've seen of India...except there are many more Muslims in Jakarta! We did a bit of shopping in a huge marketplace, similar to the Silk Market in Beijing, and on our way to our next destination...we heard firetrucks...we saw scores of people running frantically through alleyways, shouting, clamoring. Following Jake's lead, we took off after the others, eventually realizing we were heading towards a gigantic cloud of smoke. After running for several minutes, maneuvering through crowded alleyways, and even running through a stopped train, we saw the sight clearly: a large cluster of slums were on fire.

It was common to see men, women, and children digging through the piles of rubbish, even during something like this.

  Words can't express it. It felt like a scene out of a movie, to be one of hundreds staring at the flames, watching people's lives and possessions crumble in the smoke. The slums, little & crowded, dirty & disheveled to begin with, were surrounded by crowds scrambling to get out, and people running back in to save what little of their earthly possessions they could. I felt a morbid fascination, I felt like it was a bad dream, and I felt despair most of all. Thinking of the poor living conditions of the people there, of course, I also found myself wondering about their sp*ritual needs. How many residents of the slum know the only ONE true Hope there is for this life, and the life to come? How many of them know that despite their current living conditions, there are mansions being prepared in he@ven? While watching, I also felt...quite guilty. In addition to HIS Grace and eternal blessings, he has also blessed me with wealth in America...possessions beyond what I'd ever need, a safe and warm home, plenty of food and water, and everything to lead an incredibly comfortable life. Not writing this to depress anyone, or make anyone feel guilty...just as a reminder to all of us, that HE has blessed us richly...physically and sp*ritually! And we should all do our part to help others experience the same JOY we have.

A more cheerful sight :)

Eventually we wandered away from the sight, but it seemed like many would be there helping and watching for hours. Thankfully, it started to rain awhile later...I "hope" that helped! We explored the area near a city square, and found a large group of street performers (Stef & Maria-- "Wow...street performers!). It was entertaining...a few men and a couple younger boys, doing gymnastics, playing instruments, and drawing a large crowd. However, it also seemed kind of "off" somehow. A bit later on, Andrea came over and talked to me; she said that based on a presentation she'd seen recently about Indonesia, it seemed like the show was using black magic...the music they were playing apparently was associated with the dark arts, and they some kind of an animal talisman that is known to go hand-in-hand with this kind of thing also. A bit freaked out, we watched from farther away after that!

Fire-swallowing! He was only facing that side of the audience, so sorry I couldn't get a better shot. 

After stepping away for awhile, we came back to watch a bit more of the show. It got disturbing--one of the main performers was "riding" around on some kind of a fake horse. But, he kept twitching and having spasms, and his eyes were rolled to the back of his head...he just looked...unsettling...inhuman, even. We'll never be sure, but Andrea and I couldn't help but wonder whether the black magic was working extra hard on him, and if maybe there was demon-possession involved in the show. Yikes; even typing and thinking about it now gives me goosebumps. We didn't stay much longer after that...we never felt in danger, just uncomfortable, and pr@ying that knowledge of HIM can reach people like this.

School kids were among the many spectators; they sat much closer to the action, and could actually understand the words being spoken in the performance ;)

Having only eaten a small meal earlier at the market, we found a nearby restaurant and tried more traditional Indonesian food. It was really delicious, and good timing as we avoided most of an afternoon rainstorm. Sadly, my cold and sore throat were still pretty strong at this point in our trip, so it took awhile to eat, and I couldn't taste everything to its full potential...and the spicy dipping sauce REALLY burned my throat and chapped lips. Good thing I had the beer to wash it down :)

My lunch: a sweet & spicy soup with corn, Heineken beer, cute rice tower, and fried squid, some kind of oat bars, and spicy spicy sauce.

Andrea had found a brochure with suggestions for tourists to check out in the nearby area, so we planned to check out a Chinese temple (a little strange to do in Indonesia, I know) and a mosque, which seemed like a good cultural thing to experience, and sounded safe, since it was printed in English, on a brochure of places for visitors to check out.

W0rshippers :(

HOWEVER! When we arrived to the mosque (after a long, traffic-jammed taxi ride there), we felt uncomfortable instantly. Andrea and I were acutely aware of being the only women without Muslim headdresses, and all of us felt more aware of our whiteness than ever. The stares were just as constant as the worst we've gotten in China, but seemed...unfriendly. Andrea and I decided quickly that we didn't want to enter the mosque at all, and hung back as Aaron and Jake ventured in. As we backed away from the inner courtyard surrounding the mosque, a lady approached us, asking for money. Unsure whether we were getting ripped off or not, I got out my wallet, wishing just to pay anyway and get out of that uncomfortable situation! As soon as money was seen, ten little boys RAN over to me, surrounding and grabbing for money...it was a little sad, and a little scary...thankfully my hero Andrea got me out quickly, with all my money still in the wallet! A few minutes later, standing a safer distance away, the lady walked up to us again and asked for money...and after a LONG five minutes, the boys came back out, saying they felt pretty unwelcome inside! We figured we should get out of the area as quickly as possible...

Mosque from farther away...throughout our time in Jakarta, we could hear Muslim songs and pr*yers being blared from loudspeakers on these towers, several times a day.

But then...someone in our group wanted to ride the lovely "vehicles" you see pictured below (I have no idea whose idea it was, or what these are called) :) So instead, we crept along out of the alleyway, being pulled by bikers and crammed into tight seats. It was funny, and quite a sight for everyone who saw us and shouted "Hello Mister!" as we passed by...yes, even to Andrea and I ;)

Enjoying a "cozy" ride home!

Afterwards, we tried to visit a local museum (already closed, sadly) and took "tuk tuks" to our bus stop...a tuk tuk has only a teense more space than the lovely vehicles we used right beforehand, but it is motorized, and a fun thing to say you have ridden ;) After our 2-hour bus ride back to Jake's, we went out for dinner at a local Indonesian-style place. In Indonesian dining, it's common to sit on the floor (or mats on the floor) after having removed your shoes. In stark contrast to Chinese customs, it's also the norm to eat EVERYTHING with your hands: chicken, veggies, rice, everything! A fun thing to try...I guess they bring silverware to foreigners if they ask (or chopsticks, for Japanese tourists), but it was fun feasting on juicy, crispy fried chicken in the traditional Indonesian way :)

I can't remember what we're eating here, but our drinks were Fanta floats! Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most authentic place, but it was enjoyable!

Our next day was another excursion that required a TON of traveling...but we had a volcano as our destination, which kept us going as we 1) missed the first shuttle into Bandung 2) had a 2-hour shuttle ride 3) had to circle the city searching for the correct bus terminal 4) secured transportation in a big taxi-ish van uphill 5) were transferred to another van after riding, lots of stares, and carsickness and 6) finally arrived at the foot of the volcano!

Tree-huggers...just like my Grandma and Grandpa always wanted me to be ;)

Jake and Andrea bargained with a guy who FINALLY treated us decently (it was a culture-shock day for Julie), giving us a ride up to the volcano, and back into town two hours later. By this point, we'd already been up and traveling for around 8 hours! We did meet a couple nice ladies on our shuttle ride there--a student from Papua, and a teacher who's traveled to Japan and speaks Japanese, English, and Indonesian well! We're now Facebook friends ;)

Once at the entrance to the volcano, we ended up hiring a guide...totally unnecessary, but he was fun to talk to, and he liked pointing out photo ops to us...and talking (like many we met in Indonesia) about Obama.

After a picturesque hike, we got to climb down and walk around in the dormant volcano...there were some geysers, and lots of hot springs to dip our legs into! Ahh...I am jealous of my former self as I type this while shivering in my school office :p

See the lady in the purple dress? Another tourist told Andrea that she's a Malaysian princess...not sure how they knew that, or whether it was accurate (wouldn't you think she'd have an entourage?) but, there you have it.

And yes, I'm aware it's a huge tourist trap, but I couldn't resist...Andrea and I got partial mud baths from some workers at the volcano. Supposedly the mud is great for removing pimples, smoothing the skin, curing eczema, etc. They gave us a couple long speeches about it, trying to convince us to buy bottles of it to take home and use later...all I know is it was funny, and one of those experiences to tell your grandkids about someday ;)

After you have mud slathered on your arms and legs, you have to wait about ten minutes for it to dry, gazing at the scenery of the volcano you're inside, watching the boys you're traveling with take goofy pictures, and politely refusing tour guides who want to sell you anything slightly volcano-related! We made the best of it though...today involved a TON of transportation and just a couple hours of sight-seeing, but that'll happen if you get out and see the world, especially going to lesser-known places. But it's worth it, especially when you get some awesome pics...and to have the amazing feeling of plopping down in bed at the end of the day :)

LOVE this pic!

Our next day was much more relaxing by comparison! After sleeping in (in Helena's uber-comfy bed), Andrea and I went out to lunch...at Burger King!!! We did a bit of shopping, but then could no longer resist the logo in the distance, teasing us and reminding us that there is no Burger King in China ;)

Lunch of Starbucks' Caramel Frappuccino, onion rings, and burger: very divine, and very American! Well, except for the spicy Indonesian chili sauce you could add...but that made it even better!

Later that night, we went to the most amazing movie theatre...the cinema only has one screening room, you can get food and drinks delivered to you, and you get to sit in RECLINERS! So we sat back, cuddled with blankets (also provided) and watched Sherlock Holmes 2...while digesting the Domino's we'd had for dinner...another delicacy you just can't find in China ;)

Aaron, Andrea, Rebecca (one of Jake's friends and fellow teachers) and I lounging post-movie.

Oops--well these last pictures are out of order, but I'm too lazy, and impatient to FINALLY post this blog, so I'll just write about them now...earlier this day, Andrea and I also headed to the spa that Aaron and I visited our first full day in Jakarta. Andrea got the princess treatment, as workers gave her a cream bath, manicure and pedicure, and I got a wonderful cream bath...complete with a gorgeous hair-styling...wish it could look that way every day!

Still Chinese :)

More Indonesian adventures to come soon, in this very blog! Stay tuned!!!

I was a little enamored with my hairstyle..if only I could commit an hour a day to my hair, this could be a regular look! Well, probably with a real top, not this lovely salon gown.