I wasn't too sure what to call this little story, i was thinking maybe 'Culture shock and tears' or 'jakarta - avoid it like the plague' or 'hell on earth' also crossed my mind!
You have probably guessed that I didn't really like Jakarta and had a pretty rubbing time there - you would be correct!
I arrived in the afternoon where i checked into my really nice hostel which cost a pretty penny (100,000 Rupiah - 6 pounds) and was feeling rather positive about everything. I decided to go for a wander to get my bearings and a feel for the place whilst it was still light - i don't think its advised for girls to wander the streets at night on their own!
I literlly couldn't walk more than 5 steps without someone shouting something at me. It was either "hello mister" , "where are you going?", "nasi goreng?", "transport", "i take you on my motorbike" and the list continues. To begin with i smiled sweetly and often said hello back, but after a good 15 minutes i was just sick and tired of the hassle. It was worse than Medan!! I think it was heightened by the fact I was on my own and usually Han and I would be able to distribute the comments between us... no such luck this time.
After an hour or so of walking the rediculously busy, dirty streets amd having seen nothing of interest whatsoever, I headed back to my hostel for a bit of a snooze. I was just reading on my nice double bed and spotted a cockroach just casually walking across the floor! My instant reaction was to scream and cry - both of which weren't really an option seeing as though i would seem like a crazed little girl and i didn't want anyone to come into the room as i was half naked! I decided my best option was to capture it, get some clothes on then call for someone to dispose of it. Well, capturing it wasn't the easiest thing to do... i got the plastic pan thing used to flush the loo but then the cockroach started moving at top speed, so my lame attempts to throw the pan thing at it were lost! In the end i shoved on some clothes and got one on the guys to kill and remove it... yuk!
After that little escapade I decided to go for another walk - just to get out of the room! It was about 7pm and dark, but i neded food and decided not to walk far. I spotted a street stall selling Nasi Goreng which looked fab - so stopped and ordered a portion. Whilst the guy was cooking my rice and egg, i sat on the bench with a nice lady. Up until now i had managed to avoid getting hassled and then a guy came up and started chatting to me in English - he was South African. We exchanged to usual plesentries and then he promptly sat down and continued to chat to me. My food was handed to me and i only had a 50,000 note, whci the guy didn't have change for, so the South African guy ended up paying for my tea!! Result! Well, it was until he started trying to get me to go for a drink with him and wanted to give me his mobile number... people seriously don't seem to get hints in Asia! In the end i insisted that i was tired and didn't want to have a drink or play pool with him and was going to my hostel. He was rather persistent about seeing me the next day, so i agreed to meet in in the same place at 6pm the following day and said we would have dinner - he seemed happy with this and off i went knowing full well i wasn't going to show up! :-)
I got back and ate about hal of my rice before actually looking at what was in it... chicked liver and chick feet perhaps?! Either way, it didn't look too good so i extracted the 'suspect' bits and polished off the rest. Again, i was in bed reading (about how to get out of jakarta!) and was about to go to the loo before turning off the lights and as i opened the bathroom door, spotted ANOTHER Cockroach! This was just not funny - one was bad enough, but two!!!! I was dying for the loo so tried to get it to move by throwing an elastic band at it - no joy. Again, i was half dressed (this isn't my usual attire!) so put on some clothes and went to get help. The man came and the cockroach had vanished - typical! How i slept that i night i do not know...
The next day i had a plan - get train ticket then go to a shopping mall where they had Starbucks, Topshop and no street guys shouting at me!
I walked to gambir train station and got to the right place with my form all filled in only to stand in a queue and be repeatedly poked, yes poked, by some man 2 spaces behind me in the queue! Why he was poking me in the back and shoulder i do not know... maybe i wasn't pushing forwards in the same way the lady behind me was! I was already hot and bothered and desperate to leave - this man was just adding to my problem. I got to the counter only to be told that the tickets had sold out. I then showed the lady by book and she told me I was at the wrong train station! I think i was about to cry, until i saw a do-nut shop where i stopped for a drink and pulled myself together.
I got a taxi to the other train station where i was told i couldn't buy my ticket until 6pm... this was turning into a serious nightmare. All i wanted to do was leave Jakarata and everything and everyone was getting in my way! I got more hassle leaving the station - one man even stood over me whilst i was clearly looking at my book and then sat down next to me!
Anyway, i got in a little orange 3-wheeler taxi thing (so cool, i cannot explain!) and headed to the Mall. I arrived at this beautiful, quiet, clear, air-condiutioned mall with a sigh of relief. I then had lunch at Starbucks and bought myself some new underwear to cheer myself up - simple things... :-)
After a good few hour shopping i decided to walk back to the hostel, get my bags and go and catch my train. I walked for a good hour in the wrong direction before giving up and getting in a taxi and back to my hostel! Oh well, at least i had killed some time.
I got to the train station and bought my ticket to Yogyakarta without any hassle - i was just about 3 hours too early. I sat down next to a lady (always a good call) who offered me various different foods including a duck egg, cake, fruit and the one thing i accepted (to be polite) was a little round squidy thing covered in coconut. I bit into this sweet / cake thing and some brown liquid spurted everywhere! I was so embarrased but we both though it was highly amusing and couldn't stop laughing! Obviously i had no idea there was anything inside this cake thing until it went everywhere! It really was rather tasty so when she offered another, i accepted but ate it very carefully second time around!
After the food lady had left, a nice Indonesian guy came to sit and chat with me. For once, he wasn't selling anything and just wanted to practice his Enlish. He said he lived near Borobudur (huge temple) and that he would show me around if i wanted him too - i have his e-mail, so maybe!
Once on the train, which arrived early, I got chatting to another guy who told me all about his ambitions to work on a cruise ship in America! Their perceptions of Westerner's are so idealist it's scary... interesting conversation though and another e-mail to add to the collection i've started!
I managed to get some sleep on the train - it was hard with people constantly trying to sell coffee, "pot mie" (pot noodle!), newspapers, nail clippers and other bits and bobs. I arrived in Yogyakata at about 5:30am - an hour ahead of schedule which was highly confusing - and got straight in a taxi to my lovely hostel and went straight to sleep.
I will write about Yogyakarta soon... but so far, so good :-) Oh, although i have already had one invitation for dinner! The men here are very odd, i'm glad i have a Western man!!
