# Page 47 and a strange fruit.



## Indofred

The 21st of September 2008 was a funny date.
It saw me start a blog of sorts on another forum. It stayed as the written word until page 47 when I started posting photos regularly.
The photos were taken with an old mobile phone and the camera wasn't that great.

The first was this strange fruit that I never really remembered the name of.







A lot were way too poor quality to bother with now but I did get the odd interesting snap.






I started to look around for interesting bits and bobs.






Jogjakarta is a tourist city.
The road signs are in Indonesian and javanese.


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## Indofred

Food can be interesting out here.






Borobudur temple in Java is amazing


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Kids in government schools tidy their own classrooms.






A bus






Repairing a motorcycle inner tube






Safety first at a petrol station.
Sticky tape is an acceptable way to sort out a leaking hose on a petrol pump.


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## Indofred

A pretty typical village shop.






Roadside food sales.
Sate (pro. Sattay) is very nice. It's whatever meat on a stick, BBQed.











A guy on a bike.


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## Indofred

I wondered if anyone will read this crap or if I should devote more time to scratching my balls and farting.

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## koshergrl

I read it! I love pics! There is a photography and imagining forum, I post my bs pics there all the time, lol.


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## Indofred

I'll post a few more later.
Oh go on - one more now.






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## koshergrl

The first one looks like what we call prickly pear...which is a succulent? A cactus? But I've never seen one that big.

Here is purple prickly pear:


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## koshergrl

Yours is a little different though.


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## Sunni Man

Please keep posting the pictures because I find them interesting.

Last year I gave a talk at the Indonesian mosque in the city where I live.

They were exceptionally nice people and had a great buffet after the event.

I would love to visit there some day.


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## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> Please keep posting the pictures because I find them interesting.
> 
> Last year I gave a talk at the Indonesian mosque in the city where I live.
> 
> They were exceptionally nice people and had a great buffet after the event.
> 
> I would love to visit there some day.



Thailand is known as "The land of smiles".
They aren't even close to people here.
Smiling and being nice are national hobbies.


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## Jos

Is The strange fruit  durian  king of fruits, smells like old socks dipped in turpentine, but tastes great


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## mememe

Jos said:


> Is The strange fruit  durian  king of fruits, smells like old socks dipped in turpentine, but tastes great



How can anything taste great if it smells awful?!


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## koshergrl

Maybe socks dipped in turpentine taste good, too!


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## Indofred

Jos said:


> Is The strange fruit  durian  king of fruits, smells like old socks dipped in turpentine, but tastes great



No - You'll see durian a little later.

Durian is like a kiss from your favourite lover while she's sitting on the toilet with a bad case of the shits.


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## Indofred

Shops get built wherever someone can.






Bamboo is available free by just popping into the jungle with an axe so off they went.

Sambal is crushed chilli with a few bits and bobs added.
Very popular in Indonesia.






Poverty is pretty common here.
Yes - this is a house.






I used to live here


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## Indofred

Note.
I sort of regret selling that house. The village was a wonderful place to live.


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## Sunni Man

Could a person live there comfortably on $1,000 U.SD per month?


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## Indofred

The police on pre duty parade, Banjarnegara, central Java.






School kids on parade. Each Monday morning sees a flag ceremony in Indonesian national schools.
They raise the flag then salute it and the headmaster.






One very popular dish out here is called Bakso. It's all over the place. It usually comes boiled and is often sold from carts pushed around the place.






Now and again you see bakso bakar or roasted bakso.






(The quality of the photos gets better later)


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## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> Could a person live there comfortably on $1,000 U.SD per month?



That works out at Rp9 million (Ish)
Minimum wage in Jakarta is Rp1.5 million

In Jakarta, you'd be fine but not great - in my village, my spend was around Rp2 million per month.


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## syrenn

Great thread!


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## Indofred

Bakso is as popular as it is rubbish.
Anything and everything goes into the stuff. No way will I eat it.

Fat, entrails and almonds.







then grind it up






After that, it's rolled into little balls and sold as a meat product. Yuk

Chips (fries) are nice


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## Indofred

Over the centuries people have married for many reasons.
Marriage has been used as a tool for diplomacy , for sex and even for love.
In my case it was because I have a bad memory.
I forget things. You name it and I'll forget it so, after 40 odd years I found the perfect wife. OK, she's good looking and, so I found out later, a very good cook (I said COOK) but it was really all down to her birthday.

7/7/77

Even I'm hard pressed to forget that one


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## syrenn

Indofred said:


> Over the centuries people have married for many reasons.
> Marriage has been used as a tool for diplomacy , for sex and even for love.
> In my case it was because I have a bad memory.
> I forget things. You name it and I'll forget it so, after 40 odd years I found the perfect wife. OK, she's good looking and, so I found out later, a very good cook (I said COOK) but it was really all down to her birthday.
> 
> 7/7/77
> 
> Even I'm hard pressed to forget that one





woot... what not to love about a good cook!


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## Indofred

One thing about Java is earthquakes,

My first real one was a while back now and, as luck would have it, I was sitting on the bog so no underwear was damaged on that occasion.

The toilet was literally swaying from side to side and I was hanging on, attempting not to make a mess on the floor.


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## Sunni Man

Is your wife Indonesian?


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## syrenn

Sunni Man said:


> Is your wife Indonesian?




I am sure you two will have a lot to talk about


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## Indofred

Wet and dry season sees big changes.






and then....






Eid is party time for Muslims.
In the villages, everyone goes round to as many houses as possible where they eat little snacks and be nice to everyone.






Kids commonly shake hands with teachers here.






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## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> Is your wife Indonesian?



From Wonosobo in Central Java.


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## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sunni Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is your wife Indonesian?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From Wonosobo in Central Java.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Did you convert to Isalm on order to marry her?
Click to expand...


That's a long story but, no.
I decided to convert a few days before I met her.


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## syrenn

just saying... i am enjoying the views from jave, life and foods.....

Im not to crazy at the turn its had to religious subjects.


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## Indofred

syrenn said:


> just saying... i am enjoying the views from jave, life and foods.....
> 
> Im not to crazy at the turn its had to religious subjects.



More life subjects but I don't want this thread to turn into one of those daft arguments so, if posters would be so kind, PM or another thread in order to keep this one pure.

Cheers.


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## Indofred

Transport can be anything from a large bus to.....






These things are local taxis in Wonosobo, Central Java.

Another taxi


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## Indofred

In bus entertainment.
Buskers work the buses to try to get a bit of cash. They usually manage some but really bug a lot of passengers.






The 'conductor' hangs out of the door trying to get more passengers.






English is a fashion out here. Sad as it may be, a greater understanding is often needed.


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## Indofred

Prambanen temples. Seriously old temple still standing but suffered a lot of damage in a big earthquake.











I had heard of the old train station in the middle of Purwokerto but never seen it.






 I had to have an explore but didn't quite expect what I found.






The old station is half intact down to the tracks and a few carriages.
That much I had heard about. What I did not expect was to find that these had been converted into makeshift homes for people who had no house.

I like walking. You see so much more that most people do or even want to.


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## Indofred

We found a dining table but the price was too high.
That means the painful art of negotiation. As anywhere that means having the price you want to pay + half the price they want you to pay.
The wimp out ot cave in money must not be visible to the seller.
First is the saying you don't much care or have yet to make up your mind to see if they cave in. Next, that failing, is to offer the price you want to pay.
If they don't accept you have to walk out and say you are going to look around town.
Most times that works but not this morning.
I buggered off for an ice lolly and a coke then wandered back past but not into the shop. The boss saw me but just waved rather than waved me in so I knew I was not going to get much discount.
Last was heading back in and telling him Sulis had set the maximum price I could pay. That took a few minutes to sort but we now have a solid wood dining table with six chairs and I don't have 167 quid.

All the stuff is made on site by there own people.











Michelle, my daughter, decided she wanted to sit down elsewhere.


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## Indofred

I think I've mentioned a couple of times before, are nothing like UK schools.
From first starting the kids have to learn how to take part in the Monday morning flag raising. First thing on a Monday morning all government building raise the nation flag, the merah, putih (red and white - see my name bit on the left for a peek at the flag).
As they progress through the school they must all learn to march and take part.
Only the best end up as the main flag group and, the best of the best, as the flag bearer with two escorts.
It's considered a serious honour and all the kids want to be the one who actually raises the flag so they take parade practice very seriously.
This is an SD, infants/junior school.






Anything and everything is sold from bikes (OK - Trikes) out here.

Tea anyone?






Health and safety are a joke.
Would you go up this ladder?






I know there is little here that is of special interest to the boys so I thought I would post this one.


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## Indofred

This is me with two sheep and a nun. Sorry about the wrinkles in the nun's bum but she had just been sat on the washing machine while it was on fast spin.
The carrot was a right mess and we had to throw it away.


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## Indofred

Breakfast. It's a sloppy rice thing called bubur.






Bread delivery






Need a shoe repair?


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## Indofred

FRED&#8217;S GUIDE TO TOILETS IN INDONESIA

One of the most important things a new traveller to Asia has to consider is having a shit. This essential element of any holiday is so often ignored by the major travel writers.
This is a sad omission I will correct now.
The most awkward thing a new visitor has to contend with is the squat bog.







As you can see from this example of a crapper in a petrol station, you don&#8216;t sit down at all.
To use one, I find it best to completely remove your trousers and underwear before squatting down and pooing your funky stuff. New visitors to Asia often find a greater need for being close to a toilet after eating spicy food. Because you will have to remove your trousers, it&#8217;s better not to leave things until the last moment. The laundry services may not be keen on serving you if you leave things late.
These squat toilets sometimes have an arse hose to clean the clingy bits of crap away but most just have a container of water and a scoop. The idea is you splash water on your arse and use your left hand to scrape away any loose offerings. Many westerners find this a bit off putting so I usually suggest having a pack of soft table napkins with you at all times. These napkins are also handy when eating with your hands as the restaurants usually provide just a few very thin tissues and double up very nicely as arse wipes. 
It is not advisable to but really rough, very cheap or thin ones.
Public toilets rarely have soap to wash your hands so it&#8217;s a good idea to have some in your day bag. I usually pinch the small ones from hotel bathrooms.
Almost all expensive hotels have sit down toilets but cheaper hotels and toilet umen (Public toilets) are squats. Newer shopping centers usually have some of both but older places, usually just squats.
The best and cleanest public toilets are in Pertamina petrol stations but many other ones are quite good. Unlike in Malaysia, I have yet to find a shit encrusted, seriously disgusting one but there is time yet.
Finally it&#8217;s worth noting that, unlike in the west, many restaurants don&#8217;t have toilets. If you think you may need an anal evacuation, best to go before you eat.
It&#8217;s very common for western travelers to get themselves invited into homes out here especially if you wander away from tourist traps. A typical Indonesian home or cheap hotel bathroom will be equipped with a squat bog and a large, square water holder. I have heard of westerners trying to take a bath inside the container. The idea is you use the scoop to pour cold water on yourself. Don&#8217;t worry about getting the bathroom wet, it&#8217;s a wet room so no problem.
With that, I hope this will help you when you first come across an Asian toilet and bathroom.


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## Indofred

A radio station in Purwokerto, Central Java.






Another bike.






Next up. Aircraft museum in Yogyakarta.

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## Noomi

Awesome photos, Fred!


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## Indofred

Jogjakarta (or Yogyakarta) has an aircraft museum.
Unlike most museums, you can get up to the aircraft and even in a few.

Aircraft buffs are going to love these photos.


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## Indofred

A tea plantation.


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## Indofred

Anyone been this close to a volcano?






Ruddy warm in that bit of Dieng, near Wonosobo.

A sensible solution when you're on a bike in the rain.






A mushroom stand.






Birds are popular out here. They even have bird markets in the street.


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## Indofred

Fruit is for sale everywhere. As each fruit ripens up and is ready for picking, stands turn up all over the place selling whatever is ready.

It's the turn of duku this month.







Illegal DVD sales are everywhere.






Riding a bike is a fashion hobby out here.


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## Indofred

A specialist Muslim school in Purwokerto, Central Java.











When you visit anywhere, local tradition insists they give you food,






and take you to a restaurant.
This is Padang food; very spicy.


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## Indofred

Things like tread on tyres are optional here. There are loads running round like this.






The people that decide shop names really need to check the English first.






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## Indofred

He chops up the fruit and serves it with a really hot sauce. Very nice.











Road safety is something other people do






A freshly arrested criminal has to take off his shirt for the police photos so the tattoos can be seen.


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## Indofred

At around 13, Muslims boys have the 'chop'. Big family occasion as it's seen as the start of manhood.
(And the end of a bit of his manhood )






A lass who works in the local 'Alfamart' convenience store.






A bread delivery van






Typical Indonesia repair


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Security guards carry a big stick






and a penknife






Some lasses selling things











Buskers at rest


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## Indofred

Scenes from Wonosobo, Central Java.


























Bananas are free in many villages. You simply pick wild ones.


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## Indofred

More Wonosobo area.






Changing the boss of a police sub district.

The old and the new






The wives must wear their uniform and join in






The entertainment






And the bloke who's leaving gets pressies


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## Indofred

A milkman outside a school






Big white water rafting event was 'coming up soon' in Banjarnegara. They were getting ready.


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## Indofred

Muslim wedding in a mosque.

The religious bit.






Then the legal bit.











In Indonesia, you get marriage books instead of certificates.


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## Indofred

Then respect to the parents.











After that it's off home for photos and food.

By way of a note.
Most brides out here are, in the small towns and villages at least, virgins until the wedding night. Same goes for most grooms.


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## Indofred

If you need a new key, it's easy. Stand like this are all over the place.






Micro buses here all over the place.






KFC mobile?






Chicken delivery woman






The 'local council' in my old village.






There were 160 houses in my old village. About 60 were family.
The villages are still as they were many years ago and many people still spend their whole lives within a tiny area.
Some older people who never went to school, still only speak Javanese and have no clue about the national language, Indonesian.


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## Indofred

No benefit system means people work at anything.
This bloke wanders about selling household bits and bobs.






Chess is a street game






Not sure if the junk he's collecting is the bike.






Newspapers are commonly posted on boards in town squares each day.






Rainy season is just that so many buildings are designed with covered walkways.


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## Indofred

Larger police stations have riot gear stored there.
The sticks are are used to make sure stroppy, violent people are better behaved.











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## Indofred

Back to those petrol stations. Most are run by the state oil company called Pertamina.
They are generally clean and mostly safe. They are fixed price for fuel that is set my the government at a subsidy.

Many are pretty well set up.
Fuel of course.







This one has a fish pond.






and a mini market






All have toilets.






A little mini mosque. 86% Muslim country so they all have these.


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## Indofred

A joglo. That's a Javanese building with a tall roof but no walls. Quite common in the hot climate out here.





















122

I'm off to bed. More soon.


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## Indofred

These kids are begging for whatever they can get.
When I first saw these, I thought it was their mother who was taking the money from them as they collected it.
It turns out I was wrong. The women 'hire' the kids and force them to work as slaves.

Evil.






Mosques come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.






Child seat on a bike.


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## MeBelle

Fred #122 third picture, what is the food?


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## Indofred

This lass can arrest me any time she wants.






New recruits, female at least, aren't allowed to get married for at least 24 months after joining the force.
Marriage usually means pregnancy and that means leaving for an extended period.

Pertamini filling stations are sometimes to be seen in villages where a pertamina isn't handy.











Muslims hate the west. Of course that's bollocks.
You would be amazed at the number of US, Australian and UK flags on things out here.
Not a political statement, just what I see.


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## Indofred

MeBelle60 said:


> Fred #122 third picture, what is the food?



Satay chicken served with a peanut sauce.
Most tends to be pretty crap but that restaurant was fantastic.
Satay can also be beef, shrimp. goat and horse.


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## Indofred

A rice paddy.






Industrial safety at work






And especially safe with gas






Mobile veggie stalls are common here.
Cheap and they come to the door.






3 wheels on my wagon.
In a country where earnings are way too low to buy a van but transport is required..


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## Indofred

Bamboo may be cheap but you can still sell it and make more than not selling it.






Moving house?






Shops rent out their car park space to food wagons.


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## Indofred

The house had cockroaches but they all disappeared.
This bugger is about 30cm nose to toe.






1953 Hillman from the UK.
Seems the bloke's grand dad bought it and it has stayed in the family since.






A school open day.






A graveyard


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## Indofred

Anyone want a brush?






A truck






In case anyone wondered what I used to do in the UK.






That has to be a cool job. I made a good few quid as well.

Tourist police in Banjarnegara, Central Java.


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## Indofred

A business can appear pretty much anywhere.






At the time this was taken, there was a terrorist alert. This guy was the escort for the local intel cops.
It was all hush hush at the time but no worries now.






Three people on a bike is normal stuff out here.


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## Indofred

Working a rice paddy.











A fairly typical Javanese style, cheaper end, village house.






A roadside petrol station.
These are very common in villages.


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## Indofred

There are a lot of Chinese temples here.
This one is in Wonosobo, central Java.






There was a good rail system all over central Java but it was all abandoned.
No one bothered with the tracks so they were either just left or tarmac was poured over them to make a road.
If they crossed a road they ended up buried.











Off topic. This was taken in Malaysia. No clue who she is.


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## Indofred

At this point in time, I bought a Nokia with a 5mp camera.
These two lasses sold it to me.











When I went to Malaysia in 2005 I met the Buddha.






Back to the game and newly armed with my 5mp Nokia E72 (at that time - April 2010)


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## Indofred

This heap is still being used as transport.






Another heap of rust but a bus this time.






A brick works


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## Indofred

I went to an international white water rafting event.


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## Indofred

The Indonesian teams were the winners but the Slovakian team, who were taking part non competitively, had the best times.
Proving they are sportsmen and not just competitors the Indonesian team asked the Slovakian team on stage and gave them their medals.






The "scenery" had it's points too.






I'm so naughty.

OK, just for the ladies.


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## Indofred

Road accidents are common out here and are caused by many things.
Often it's simple stupidity or a total lack of knowledge/care about road safety rules.
Sometimes it's caused by saving money.
These were on a ruddy great big articulated truck.


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## Indofred

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A typical village mosque.






A poor, and probably illegally built, village house.






No land is wasted to paddy fields often come right up to the houses.






A tiny village shop.


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## Indofred

These shops are often stocked up by going to the local supermarket or buying from small scale wholesalers. Their profits are tiny.

A delivery.







A walk to kertek, Wonosobo, Central Java.
This is the main road to the North.






This taxi offered me a ride.
No, I'm not taking the piss - This is a taxi.






Kertek town centre.


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## Indofred

Kids on the way to school.











Food sellers outside a school.











School kids have a flag ceremony every Monday.
They salute the flag and the head teacher.


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## Indofred

Schools often invite the army to do drill training.






There are some seriously big insects in Java.






In my old town two people died last year of drinking illegal booze.
The stuff uses medical alcohol and bleach in it's list of ingredients.

A week after the second one pegged it I was at the old dam in the village and found their drinking den.


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## Indofred

I keep saying nothing can surprise me in this country after three years (at that time) and I keep being wrong.

Pedicabs are very common but this one seemed a little small.







I thought there were two passengers but, if you notice the leg sticking out, there were three............






....... or maybe more


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## Indofred

I mentioned the women who send kids to beg at traffic lights.






I was wandering about taking photos of snakes the other day when I noticed this place.






Serious food as long as you have a toilet roll in the fridge.






There are a lot of beggars out here but this is the first time I've seen this lass.
Old, blind and looking seriously ill.
She had no idea I have taken the photo but I paid her for it anyway.






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## Indofred

There is a local police called the Pol PP.
Sort of like council people but with big sticks. Their job includes removing illegal stalls that block the pavements.











Kids on the way to school.
There are vocational schools here known as SMKs. You can find a wide variety of skills at these schools.
Most tend to be admin, computers, motorbike mechanics but this one is for navy/merchant navy.






Sorry about the really poor image but it tells the story.
The normal polite greeting for a teacher or parent is  handshake. That's commonly a kiss to the teacher's hand or the kid will raise the hand to the forehead or cheek.
Very polite.






When you eat at a street stall the place being clean is a very important feature.
Even the dish washing facilities have to be tip top.


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## Indofred

I have found that most stereo types have some truth but are mostly a load of old bollocks.
All Indonesian blokes are small.
This bloke was outside a local gym. Turns out he's the local arm wrestling champ. Bloody nearly ripped my arm out just shaking hands.
If he has a sister remind me not to try to shag her.






Back to the roads for a moment.
Anything will be carried on anything if it can or almost can.
There is no Indonesian work for "safety".






Why is this bloke giving money to a van driver?






Because it's a bus.






The army is called the TNI.
They must have had a senior officer at whatever do they had on so there were road blocks and security around.
As you can see it was a precise military operation with an airtight cordon around the base.


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## Indofred

<serious moment>
It does. I love the way people are here. When I first went to Malaysia, I was told Indonesia was crap, full of terrorists and a place not to be.
The terrorist bit was partially true but loads of them, including the leaders, are pretty much finished considering the number of bullets the police put in them.
The rest of the people are pretty much all the same. They almost always have a smile and are willing to give you the last crumb off their plate if you're a guest in their house.
</serious moment>
The girls also tend to have very nice bums.


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## Indofred

There's a law that says they must have daytime headlights. Thought it may have been a good idea to enforce the one about night time lights first but there you go.
Wonder if there is a law about using a bike to walk your dog.






No dole so people do what they can. Loads of little street micro businesses here.






I may have mentioned before, one of the strangest things for a newcomer to Java comes across is the Javanese calendar. There are only 5 days in a week but many things are still planned using it. That means, to a westerner, the days for things float around seemingly at random.
Market days are one of those things. It was Wage and Paign (Not sure if I managed the spelling of the last one) at my old place but there is a Pasar (Market) Wage here.
Bloody big place it is too.

Two levels of total chaos and mess.






That day wasn't a Wage (pron. waggy) so things were quiet but you can still get an assortment of goods and services.


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## Indofred

I went downstairs to the ground floor. Nice to see health and safety in action.


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## Indofred

I could have got transport out and home but I chose to walk to the exit.


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## Indofred

Most people don't have any real understanding of English at all but it's fashion to wear kit with English stuff printed on it.






Another lesson in road safety (1)






(For the girls; that tyre is supposed to have little tracks on it called tread) 

Another lesson in road safety (2)






No special reason for the photo but she's cute. An English teacher.


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## Indofred

My cycling is getting me fit and allowing me to see alls orts of things and meet all sorts of people.

Turns out this lass is/was some sort of road racing champ in Indonesia and came third at the Asean games a couple of years back. 
Sorry the details are rough but that is a result of my Indonesian still being limited. Lessons start again soon.






I had no idea there was a BMX culture out here.






More road safety.
You have to be sure no one will run to you so a well thought out, clearly marked safety barrier is a good idea.






Rubbish collection (Indonesian flavour)











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## Indofred

Today is Eid - sort of Muslim Christmas.
First thing, I had to go to the local mosque and listen to some bloke preach about something I didn't really understand because it was all in Indonesian. I took best shot it was about honesty and not taking part in corruption. Loads of that in Indonesian officialdom (But getting much better).

The big trick with Eid is, get to the mosque early. By the time the actual thing starts, you can't get into the building at all but, if you get there early, you can pick your spot.
The best place is near the door. That way, you get a breeze and never get cramped up in the crowd near the middle.

I'm not really supposed to but I sneaked a piccy with my Samsung galaxy note wonder phone.
Still loads of space when I took these but none at all 10 minutes later.


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## Indofred

Why use a truck when you don't need to?






Another village shop.






When you a police station, there is a little gazebo where you must tell the guard cops who you are, who you will go to see and leave some ID with them.

Here they are.






Bird flu has been a problem in Indonesia. In the west people can't understand why but it's easy to see out here. In every village there are lots of ducks, chickens and even a few geese wandering around the streets. Between that, a lack of knowledge of basic hygiene and the common past time of pigeon handling, you get a problem.


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## Indofred

I had a meeting in Wonosobo. That went all early so I decided to go for a walk.
I wandered around the town I was in then headed out of town. I ended up about 3 km from town before it started raining and I decided to jump on a bus.

The old railway is still in evidence here and there.
The remains of an old village station.











 Every parking area of every town has the bloke who keeps and eye on your motorbike when you park. This place is no exception.






It's more than common for people to do two jobs at once out here.
This bloke drives a pedicab.....






..but also helps run the family street restaurant.
Now what was I saying about basic hygiene? The washing up is just way too close to that crap encrusted drain.


----------



## Indofred

A local Muslim school I got dragged into when I walked by. The lasses did enough smiling for him and the rest of the town put together.











It was getting dark and ready to rain by the time I got to where this old field gun is used as a monument but I quite like the stark outline so I took it anyway.






There is also an old aeroplane there






I assume the machine guns were removed and replaced with a couple of bits of pipe but this is Indonesia so you never know.


----------



## Indofred

The sign says (Roughly) "No dumping your old crap here".











Children begging is common. I think this is the same young kid I snapped once before.






His 'boss' he has to hand the cash over to isn't very much older.


----------



## Indofred

The larger supermarkets are pretty much like any western place .. sort of






They sell loads of dried fish.


----------



## Indofred

And sugar. People here use sugar like it's going out of fashion.
White sugar is common but there are several types of red sugar that they use in cooking.











And crackers. Indonesians love crackers with everything






The river but what's going on in the middle?






Ah, washing the dishes






You may notice the sewer pipes.

150


----------



## MeBelle

Indofred said:


> MeBelle60 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Fred #122 third picture, what is the food?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Satay chicken served with a peanut sauce.
> Most tends to be pretty crap but that restaurant was fantastic.
> Satay can also be beef, shrimp. goat and horse.
Click to expand...


Thanks...it was the sauce I was after. Spicy? The peanut sauce is presented well.


----------



## Indofred

MeBelle60 said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MeBelle60 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Fred #122 third picture, what is the food?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Satay chicken served with a peanut sauce.
> Most tends to be pretty crap but that restaurant was fantastic.
> Satay can also be beef, shrimp. goat and horse.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Thanks...it was the sauce I was after. Spicy? The peanut sauce is presented well.
Click to expand...


That one isn't at all spicy but a lot of food in Indonesia is.


----------



## Indofred

People in the cities are generally better off than in the villages but not everyone.
This house is just outside Purwokerto city centre.







A small snail






What do you mean, there's nowhere we can build a shop?






There is a Javanese building called a Joglo. It's basically a roof without walls. Makes a lot of sense when you consider this is a very hot country where it rains like cats and dogs half of the year






I went to a small Muslim school one morning. They were more than a bit serious.
I'm not all that keen on full face coverings and they are pretty rare here but, whatever floats your boat.


----------



## Indofred

A truck, what do we one of them for?






Imagine this bloke selling those thinks on the street in Manchester.






A local owning a decant car out here is rich. That usually means he has a good job so fair chance he's bright. Being bright does not mean you aren't stupid.

The drunken pillock driving this car......






hit this bike






Two dead and one in prison.

This is fried banana with chocolate bits.






There is a church hall not far away. Chinese Indonesians doing their morning workout.






152


----------



## Grandma

Thank you for sharing these photos!


----------



## Indofred

Grandma said:


> Thank you for sharing these photos!



I just wander around and snap away in the hope of the odd good shot.
About 2,000 more to post.


----------



## Sunni Man

What camera do you use?


----------



## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> What camera do you use?



Several over the time in Indonesia.
The first was a Practika mini I bought for my Asian holidays.
Very small so really handy but it died about six months after I came here.
A few were with an old Nokia mobile. You may notice some are quite poor quality.
Next was a 5mpix Nokia phone that took the ones I'm posting at the moment.
Then a much better Olympus. Nice machine but only lasted a year.
Now I use a Fujifilm S4500. Not top of the range but it's fast to set up so I can get the shots I'd miss with an SLR.
That can be a bit big sometimes so I was using my Samsung note as a back up but I've just bought a little Samsung pocket camera so I always have something handy.
This country always has something new as I found last week on the way home from the conema.


----------



## Indofred

Ciggies are everywhere. They sell them in shops, on the street and even by the single death stick for people too poor to buy a full pack.

Delivery is not what you expect in the west either.






Over the bridge...






takes you to the house....






I wonder if the fish taste nice from that open storm drain that sewage from poor houses runs into.


----------



## Indofred

I finally got a moment to myself where I could wander to the cinema.
Iron man two had just rolled in and I thought I deserved a big screen rather than the easily available pirate DVD,

Super high tech laser display holographic advertising is the norm in small towns here.






Of course no one thought to do anything like build an access to the banners and time boards so they use a ladder. (of sorts)











 I want to have a wander around a village again






Blokes wander round selling all sorts. This one has brooms, mops and the like.
The usually attract a small crowd in the villages.






If you wander around a village after about half past three in the afternoon you will see blokes ready for mosque. That means they dress like this...


----------



## Indofred

There is little or nothing by way of care for the mentally ill here so they tend to walk the streets.






A food stand selling fried rice











One  thing very common in Indonesia is photocopy shops. If you want something here you are pretty much guaranteed to be asked for a photocopy of your ID card. Home computers are getting much more common but most still don;t have any means to print out files so it's computer rental and photocopy shops.
Anyone going here is lucky in that this shop does both but many photocopy shops are just a single machine and that's it.






Want anything sewing?






A temple on a back street


----------



## Indofred

No mental health care -  part two






Like any good mum this lass is protecting her kid from the sun.
Pity she's driving the motorbike one handed to do it.






Every body that needs money out here opens a business. Loads open but never make any money so close quickly. Some put more thought and effort in to get it right and grow.
I'll be giving this one a try. Roast goat, Yummy. (updated - I never did try it)






I only noticed it because it's next door to the barber's shop that I use. Once a month it's a trip here for a hair cut. I'm late going this month so I looked like a bloody hippy. My hair was almost a quarter of an inch long. Thought I'd better get it cut before I voted socialist.






Not all Indonesian are small.


----------



## Indofred

I was taking Michelle for her usual morning walk using the usual route when I noticed this.






Weddings, circumcisions and funerals will see Indonesians but these tents up wherever they can. This time they have covered the walkway that runs between the houses.






They put tables out so they can serve food to their guests






But they have to cook it first






Of course you have to park carefully.
Yes, this is in use on the roads






158


----------



## editec

Strange fruit?

I have little doubt you know what that phase used to mean, right?


----------



## Indofred

I only know it as a song from the film, "Still crazy".
Rather a good film.


----------



## Indofred

Road safety is someone else's problem out here.
A taxi driver using a mobile is pretty common.






A rather nice little restaurant in Purwokerto






 common thing here is lesehan. That's usually just a simple table and no chairs. Off go your shoes and you sit on the floor at a low table.






You end up in a little stable like enclosure. That means it's private so you can eat in peace.






You can wash your hands before and after the meal.






It's especially necessary after as you eat like this.


----------



## Indofred

Ah, fish in a pet shop.











Sorry, did I say pet shop? I mean supermarket. These are food. Told you fresh stuf was easy to find out here.






On the subject of fresh food. A few of these chicken sellers are around every morning.
Killed at 5, plucked by 6 and on the road being sold.


----------



## Indofred

I love bananas. Really easy to find cheap fresh ones out here. Mini plantations are all over the place.






Another street food stall. This one has nasi gila (Crazy rice). That's spicy as it comes.






While wandering around a couple of years ago I noticed this little village. Seriously poor place but they all seem to have a TV. Bamboo and cheap wood construction.
Compressed dirt floors.











I was in a place called Purbalingga.
Nice mosque there.


----------



## Indofred

Cutting the rice crop.











Things get recycled here. It's not so much a green thing as doing it is cheap.
This is a common dustbin. Old tyres have uses.


----------



## Indofred

The police set up road blocks to check motorcycle.

It's called sweeping.






They check people are wearing helmets and have the correct docs for the bike.






They ignore the openly stupid things.






If you don't have the right bits of paper you have the form filling, trip to court and fine.






And say bye bye to your bike.






I'm told that Rp50,000 can buy you an escape from all that pesky paperwork but I don't believe a word of it of course.


----------



## Indofred

A trip to Jakarta.

Starts by a pedicab ride to the bus terminal.







Where the man collects your Rp200 entry fee.






My bus was due to leave at 7am but this is Indonesis so it ended up going at 8.

People just waited around.






Then off we go.

Past a little volcano or few.






and on to the toll road


----------



## Indofred

Road works on one road held us up for a while.
On the better buses the sellers aren't allowed on but they sell to people in cars and on the cheap buses.
A traffic queue is a magnet to the sellers.






The roads are not always up to western standards even in Jakarta.






Breakfast






Last of my Jakarta trip from the time I lived in Purwokerto.

People collecting for various things and beggars are 24/7 out here.






And at the rest stop


----------



## Indofred

Girls from a local Muslim school taking part in a parade.






This bloke sells hot soya milk











Fluffy pic for the girls to go "aaawwwwww" at.






Indonesian safety. This is a kid's play area.


----------



## Indofred

I went up to Wonosobo (My old stomping ground).

Main street.











Alun alun (Town square)


----------



## Indofred

I was late out of bed and very late setting off so no breakfast. I got there about 11am and was well ready for some snap.
In Wonosobo there is a great roast chicken place.


----------



## Indofred

On the road south out of Wonosobo there is a Buddhist temple but I've never noticed this over the road from it.











Ah, what's cooking?






Curried chicken feet






166


----------



## Sunni Man

Have you ever visited Banda Aceh?


----------



## Indofred

Sunni Man said:


> Have you ever visited Banda Aceh?



Not as yet.
Sadly, the local government are nut cases and the local cops, corrupt.
The head of the local Islamic police has just been arrested for possession of ganja because  he crashed his car after a good smoke of the daft stuff.
The local cops are happy to cut up a girl's jeans as unislamic but they rape girls who have been arrested for being with their boyfriend but without parents.

Major Drug Shock Rocks Police in Aceh | The Jakarta Globe


> Banda Aceh. Up to 1,000 of Acehs 13,000 police officers have tested positive for drugs, but their boss says there are no plans to prosecute them.



Not really interested in being anywhere that has such a lousy government.


----------



## freedombecki

Fascinating visual journey, Indofred. Thanks for the tour!


----------



## Indofred

freedombecki said:


> Fascinating visual journey, Indofred. Thanks for the tour!



You're welcome.
I rather like this country and there's a thousand chances to indulge in my little snapshot hobby.
I have no claim to be a photographer, I'm just some dude with a camera.


----------



## Indofred

Up a ladder






And the safety bloke at the bottom.











That looks like a laid back peddling style


----------



## Indofred

I was walking down the main street this morning.

Hello, what's up here?











Bangkok has tuk tuks but jakarta has bajai (forgive the spelling if I got it wrong).











While I was waiting at that roundabout to try and snap a bajai I discovered a great new game of 'bait the taxi driver'.

All you do is stand at a very busy junction looking around. 

What you do is totally ignore any taxis you see. They see the white guy and will cut up all six lanes of traffic and reverse back to you.

You get points but guessing how many people will blow their horns at him but the big points come if you guess the right number of near misses and actual accidents over any one hour period.
Best played in pairs but it can be great fun playing alone.
The look on their faces is great when you politely refuse there service.


----------



## Indofred

All those food carts I have posted photos of must be made somewhere.


----------



## Indofred

Motorcycle test in Indonesia.
First you have to get through the cones then do the fig 8 course






Fun transport






Odd transport.






A local market in a small Indonesian town.
















170


----------



## Indofred

I apologise for the delay in posting more but work is keeping me very busy at the moment.
I have all the reports to write and a load of stuff to sort out for junior high school. When that's finished, I get a break so I can hang around on the internet a little more.
I'll post ASAP.


----------



## Sunshine

Great pics. I particularly like street scenes.  Couldn't get enough pics of the street scenes in China.  

 My coffee, Sumatra Mandheling comes from Indonesia.  I even have some of the Kopi Luwak.  But I save that for company.


----------



## Indofred

Sorry I've been unable to post but I have a little more time for a few days so I'll try to get a few pictures spoted out.

Soldiers at a show in Wonosobo











and the police


----------



## Indofred

Punk never died; it just moved to Indonesia.






A Canadian bloke I met last year turned in. Turns out he had been invited to a local radio station to do a guest slot. I wandered along. I love radio and still want to get back into entertainment in this country.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e294/realindonesia/110720101098.jpg

Nasi gila (crazy rice) is spicy...very spicy.
















171


----------



## Indofred

An Indonesian hands free kit for a mobile phone






Veggie seller with home made trailer






Repairing motorcycle tyres






using a pushbike


----------



## Indofred

On the run up to independence day, loads of flag sellers appear on roadside stalls.






An illegal village on the edge of a Jakarta suburb.






Aussie burger sells from roadside restaurants and some real restaurants. Most burgers here are pretty crap but this was worth a bite.


----------



## Indofred

The next one is odd as this bloke is a Christian vicar.
He wanders around Muslim villages, trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.
He was really eager to show me his KTP (ID card) to prove who he was.







Getting in the rice crop
















174


----------



## Indofred

Odd looking building






Lots of wood about.






Ah, tile making


----------



## Indofred

Traditional Javanese musical instruments


----------



## Indofred

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


----------



## Indofred

Need a taxi?






A road sweeper






Stupidity











Sausages


----------



## Indofred

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.


----------



## Indofred

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.


----------



## Indofred

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











[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P-5QlRrMQfA]traffic jam - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

A train station





















[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ix2ijP_qoAk]Indonesian railway - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

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


----------



## Indofred

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


----------



## Sunshine

Indofred said:


> Food can be interesting out here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Borobudur temple in Java is amazing



This one makes the Ancient Alien shows.  Look at the place now.  Look at it then.  I think there was an advanced civilization the remains of which have been lost except for these massive temples and megaliths. Not Aliens.  I wish modern scholars would admit they don't have ancient history all sewn up.  Did you get any history on this temple when you were there?


----------



## Wake

It almost looks like a durian, or some montrous papaya.

Do you know if that fruit may have had a very powerful scent? Durians are known to be so strong-smelling that they've been banned from some countries.


----------



## Indofred

Wake said:


> It almost looks like a durian, or some montrous papaya.
> 
> Do you know if that fruit may have had a very powerful scent? Durians are known to be so strong-smelling that they've been banned from some countries.



Durian is commonly banned from enclosed areas and vehicles such as taxis or aircraft.
I find the smell disgusting.
Imagine a sweet kiss from your lover whilst they're sitting on the toilet with a really bad dose of the shits.
Now you have durian.


----------



## Indofred

Sunshine said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> Food can be interesting out here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Borobudur temple in Java is amazing
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This one makes the Ancient Alien shows.  Look at the place now.  Look at it then.  I think there was an advanced civilization the remains of which have been lost except for these massive temples and megaliths. Not Aliens.  I wish modern scholars would admit they don't have ancient history all sewn up.  Did you get any history on this temple when you were there?
Click to expand...


That's borobudur temple in Centrsl Java. I used to live very close by.
It's about 1,000 years or so old but eas lost for a very long time.
Raffles uncovered it before he moved to Singapore, after the treaty of London.


----------



## Wake

Indofred said:


> Wake said:
> 
> 
> 
> It almost looks like a durian, or some montrous papaya.
> 
> Do you know if that fruit may have had a very powerful scent? Durians are known to be so strong-smelling that they've been banned from some countries.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Durian is commonly banned from enclosed areas and vehicles such as taxis or aircraft.
> I find the smell disgusting.
> Imagine a sweet kiss from your lover whilst they're sitting on the toilet with a really bad dose of the shits.
> Now you have durian.
Click to expand...


That's a very vivid explanation. I like you now.


----------



## Indofred

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.


----------



## Indofred

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


----------



## Indofred

There are very few classic cars around here but it seems this one has been used in TV soap operas (if the security guard was right).


----------



## Indofred

Yes, Sir night, a joust to the death.


----------



## Indofred

At the end of Ramadan, a traditional food called ketupat is still very popular.
People commonly make it for themselves or to sell.
As an almost Indonesian, I also ate it.


----------



## Indofred

Give a man a fish and he'll feed himself for a day...........






and most of the local cats. I may give this restaurant a miss.






This family are rubbish collectors and, as is very common for people of that trade, live on the street.






Their kids have bunk beds.


----------



## Indofred

Cooking is often something done in the streets. Houses are commonly too small so you do it outside.
Sometimes to sell but many times just for the family.


----------



## Indofred

As I mentioned, houses are commonly very small and have few or any mod cons. A lot have TVs but not all many consist of a single room or maybe two. Most don't have bathrooms/toilets but there are communal toilets just down the road.
















This house is slightly odd as it's built in the middle of the street but is otherwise typical.






Around the back is the way upstairs.






Washing facilities vary.


----------



## Indofred

First things first; I must apologise for the lack of posts.
I been really busy to hardly had time to do much.
The restaurant is open and we've had our first customers so I now have to decide whether do make one of the bedrooms into am informal English course.
I've already had people asking so I may go for it.
Strictly no advertising because, apart from anything else, it's just intended to make pocket money to keep me in technology and the shops in Glodok open.
I think half the electronics shops in Indonesia are only staying open because I spend so much in them.

Right, back to where I should be.

The lady who brings the veggie on her head sells all sorts.






even chicken entrails






Just chillin'
People are people - some are serious and some aren't.
This applied to all countries and all people.






and some are hippies


----------



## Indofred

As you've seen so many times, Jakarta has a lot of rubbish collectors.






They even have guys taking the trash out of the rivers.






but they have been known to toss their old carts into the rivers when they're so old, they become useless.


----------



## Indofred

It's been so long since I posted, I'm trying to remember where I was.
I have to apologise but I seem to have been crazy busy with things so forums have been cut right back. 
However, I still make a point of carrying a camera whenever possible so I keep snapping away.

A while ago, I took a snap of a lady who sells veggie from a basket she carries on her head. These are the contents of the basket.






Including chicken offal for those who can't afford real meat.






Washboards for sale.






You can get one by riding your home made scooter


----------



## Indofred

I noticed these guys whist popping to a mate's house.
Anything and everything is done from motorbikes, including fitting air conditioning.






In most richer countries, very few people bother rewinding motors because the labour costs make it cheaper to buy a new one. This is Indonesia.






Road safety is a major concern out here so a closed road is properly marked with high quality, up to date, reflective signs and well lit so as to avoid night time accidents.


----------



## Indofred

The fair came to town.


----------



## Indofred

A man in a bucket.






Quite high up






Meanwhile, back on the ground, the police are telling off some girls who were riding motorbikes without helmet, licence and so on.






but totally ignoring a load more


----------



## Indofred

One kid did get nabbed.
He would have had a visit to the police station, parents called, maybe a fine for them and sent home but without his bike.
He can forget that.


----------



## Indofred

There are professional estate agents here who'll sell or rent out a house.











The agents tend to work for larger companies but their area is usually quite limited, this one in South BSD.
They also take a cut, as does their office and that doesn't always fit with the owner's plans.

This are just as common.


----------



## Indofred

A guy selling washboards and stools.
There are less and less of these in use, at least in cities, but there are still a good few around.






Home made motorcycles and cars are also to be seen from time to time.






Yet another motorcycle being used as a truck.


----------



## Indofred

The sign explains how rubbish dumping is illegal and even quotes the law.


----------



## Indofred

Other signs are more direct but equally useless as the law applies to everyone except people who don't think it means them.

The second one suggests you're a pig, an evil insult locally, if you sling rubbish there.


----------



## Indofred

Some people collect rubbish, if it can be sold on to make a little money.











That's one big ass LED TV, something he'll never see unless he noticed it through the window as he collected the rubbish.

Life's good?


----------



## Jos

Terima Kasih


----------



## Indofred

Today is a big Muslim holiday and a time when money is given to buy animals.
The meat is donated to the poor.

Sharpening the knife.






The knife has to be extremely sharp and is changed after every few animals to keep the cut as fast as possible.

The next two photo are links only as some my be upset by them.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/10284234135_0a5270887c_z.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/10284236525_4a96fa7cc7_z.jpg

I have video to edit and will, if the internet is fast enough, post it later.

In this thread, I try to show Indonesia as it is.
No sugar coating and no trying to hide anything. You see what I see.


----------



## Indofred

I thought I'd do a quickie about clothing in Indonesia.
Most is pretty much the same as you'd see on a London or New York street (only in summer) but some is not.
These are really unusual and women who dress this way are commonly called, "terrorist's wives" by the locals. A lot of locals won't have anything to do with them.
I think I've seen about 20 or 30 of them in six years.






r

The rest are all pretty much common and you'll see loads of them every day.





















[/url]


----------



## Indofred

A few more.











Then, the dudes.











I'll snap a couple in Islamic styles when I see them. They're quite common so I should get some soon.


----------



## Indofred

Local food comes in many forms but spicy is common and popular.
I'll try to post a video later.






















Pizza is also available.


----------



## Indofred

I've  made two versions of this as I can't upload the hight quality version, I have to let you see the lower quality one.
Sorry about that.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkBU_-JLv5s&feature=youtu.be]Produce - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

*Before I say anything else, DO NOT click on this link if you don't like blood.*

My posts are what I see here, and not designed to be nice, tourist inspired or anything other than reality.
The video shows the halal killing of goats and a cow in a coupl eof local mosques.

The first place took care of the animals and didn't let the others see the one that was being killed; I can't say the same for the second place.
That was a production line and many of the animals were clearly stressed.


This thread is purely to show life over here. I make little comment on the content, just post what I see.
Clearly, this post is potentially controversial but I would prefer, if you want to engage in debate, you start a new thread and leave this one clean to do its intended job.

Thank you.


----------



## Indofred

Bus terminals are unlike such places in the UK.
People tend to sleep all over the place.

This woman was a lot smelly and looked like she was probably homeless.






A bus






And driver






And a passenger


----------



## Indofred

They could have bought pillows.






but breakfast is easy to get






Well, breakfast is easy to get if you have money.
Collecting plastic bottles from waste bins won't pay a lot.


----------



## Indofred

This woman is probably someone who should be under medical care for mental illness.
Her manner suggested she had no idea about the world around her.
There is little care here for the mentally ill (unless you have a fat pile of cash) so they tend to end up on the streets.


----------



## Indofred

A scooter with a sidecar 1







A scooter with a sidecar 2











[/url]






and, yes, that lump of junk is used on the roads.


----------



## Indofred

A few days ago, I posted a picture of an old woman collecting rubbish.
Today I saw what she would probably have looked like when she was about 10 years old.






Trying to find something to read but without cash, someone's rubbish is the only place she'll find it.


----------



## Indofred

In Indonesia, people walk on the left of the road, back to traffic.
This leaves a problem as you pretty much totally rely on drivers and riders avoiding you.






Sadly, the roads are full of idiots.

Yep, he's got full control of his bike.











But the winner of moron of the month goes to this chap.
As I went past, he swung wildly to the right to avoid some kids he hadn't seen, almost bringing me off my gay motorcycle.
The idiot was texting and had no clue where he was riding.

I shouted a few interestingwords in my rapidly improving Indonesian but he was far too moronic to understand he was doing anything wrong.
You may think this level of stupidity wasn't common but you'd be wrong; as demonstrated by my seeing three more such cretins within the next 10 minutes, including one who passed the girls at the top of this post.

When he saw my camera pointing his way, he tried to hide his phone.


----------



## Jos

Please post some Pics of Normal, good looking Indonesian ladies


----------



## Indofred

Jos said:


> Please post some Pics of Normal, good looking Indonesian ladies



I suppose I could snap a few and post them.
Indonesian vary a lot because Indonesia is such a wide sprawling country but, in general, they tend to have rounded, baby faces.
The model/fashion industry goes for tall, skinny, western looking girls but I can't stand the sight of the pseudo western ones. Most are crazy skinny in a starving African sort of way and smoke like chimneys to keep their weight down.


----------



## Indofred

Rat in a mango tree

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOaS5Zt3Fxk&feature=youtu.be]rat mango - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

I love this one.
The last photo that'll be taken with my Samsung pocket camera as I've replaced it with the Fuji compact waterproof.


----------



## Indofred

I'm unsure of the wisdom of advertising cigarettes on a truck carrying gas canisters.






No school for some






Another twit sending SMS messages whist riding a motorbike






This lump of junk was on the main road through Serpong






Captain James Tiberius Kirk went to Vulcan in a spaceship called Enterprise.
I have a small scooter so I can't travel quite so far but I seem to meet some of the same people.


----------



## Indofred

The last one for today.
I have no words...and that's just not usual for me.


----------



## Indofred

Rainy season is with us and that always means floods.

The brolly seems a lot pointless






Kids love it











Bikes can get through as it isn't too deep.


----------



## Indofred

Things that have been tossed out are money to others.
A door on a bike






A school bus


----------



## Indofred

The final photo comes with a story.
A few days ago, I decided I fancied a McD for breakfast.
This guy was outside, collecting plastics and card by rooting through the rubbish.
It seems, he's good enough to collect the crap but has no hope of ever being able to afford the food.
I decided that was a crap situation so I bought him a breakfast.


----------



## Indofred

We have people wandering around, selling plants for your garden.
Sort of portable garden centres.


----------



## Indofred

Village life is simple.
Combing the kids' hair






Feeding the kids with a bit of rice.






both of them






Kids ride their bikes


----------



## Indofred

Flowers







Village life is really cheap but it isn't free so business goes on.
These women are making perfume from dried flowers.


----------



## Indofred

Delivery is the name of the game out here but traffic is horrible so motorbikes are used. One central number gets your order sent to the nearest branch and pizza/burger/whatever is at your door.






Local food vendors walk around so you just wait for your favourite to pass.


----------



## Indofred

The roads here were pretty bad so they were resurfaced by ading a layer of concrete. The minor problem is ........






This is a deeper area so she's really stuck and there is no breakdown club to be had.






but the family will turn up to help.






Just in case you were wondering - she got out.


----------



## Indofred

Punk isn't dead, it just moved to Indonesia.


----------



## Indofred

A couple of posts ago, we saw a woman who had made a boo boo and ended up off road, well, one wheel was.

Men also do this.


----------



## Indofred

Schools, especially small local schools, attract street hawkers.

Some aim at the kids






(SDN is a government run primary school.)

Some, the parents


----------



## Indofred

When there's a building site, there are workers. 






They tend to live where ever the work is and, if that work is long term, their families join them.
The houses tend to be less than luxurious.






The building boom is still massive in Indonesia, seeing an average rise of house prices of around 30% per year.
However, new lending rules are clamping down on a lot of loans so that'll slow things down.
The building firms are making a fortune from the boom so are looking at ways around the rules.
However you look at this, there are thousands of empty properties, probably because they're far too expensive to be worth buying.
Someone is loosing out big style and, sooner or later, the lot has to fall in.


----------



## Indofred

As you may know, a few months ago, I bought a Fujifilm HS50 camera.
I have to tell you, I love the thing.

If anyone is looking for a far better than average, simple to use camera with some serious optical zoom, I strongly suggest you take at a look at the high end semi pros from Fujifilm.

This free ad for Fujifilm was brought to you by an extremely pleased user with no commercial interest or gain of any sort from Fujifilm, outside having the pleasure of using one of their outstanding cameras.


----------



## Indofred

Jakarta has many people and, as you might expect, they vary ..... a lot.
This boy is homeless. He has no shoes, as evidenced by his feet, and probably owns the clothes he sleeps in but nothing else. No sign of anyone else around so he's probably an orphan or been kicked out.






This is an entire family of homeless people. These kids beg for a living but the two adults are probably their mum and dad. The father is a street rubbish collector.






The girl in yellow trousers was messy at best. The trousers were badly ripped at the back.

This guy does what he can to earn some money by selling things to passing motorists. He didn't sell a single thing in the 10 minutes I was watching him.






The more observant will have noticed his leg leg is missing from just below the knee. It's common for accident victims to have to work in this manner as they have little hope of other employment.






The last one, I have no idea but I suspect he isn't all that nice a chap.
His expression was less than friendly. I flattered him to get the photo.


----------



## Indofred

These things actually go to sea but not far off the coast.






The cops don't do a lot about traffic violations, but sometimes they do






This one got a ticket


----------



## Indofred

The FBR are commonly known for more extreme or conservative views.






This rather interesting little mini mosque is run by them.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesian level crossings are fun.
The rules are enforced a little better than they were before the big accident last week but chaos is still the order of the day.
I have some video as well.
I'll try to upload when I've edited it but my internet speeds are a joke so I may not be able to do so.


----------



## Indofred

Bits of Jakarta have car free mornings. The police block the road for a few hours.






I didn't see the police fine anyone but they did offer advice to several motorists who tried to get through.






That left the road clear for walkers and cyclists


----------



## Indofred

I almost forgot.
It was raining so the top quality, high tech waterproofs were in use.


----------



## aris2chat

you have a thread started about a durian that is going on for a year and a half?


----------



## Indofred

aris2chat said:


> you have a thread started about a durian that is going on for a year and a half?



I don't think there are any durian in this thread but there are in the original.
They may well appear at some point in the future.
Very few people post on this thread but the view count raises quite sharply so people must be reading it.
As long as there's interest, I'm happy to keep posting.

As for that even stranger fruit; I generally describe it as a kiss from your favourite lover whilst she's sitting on the toilet with a terrible case of diarrhoea.


----------



## Indofred

The binmen of Guntur are still using Serco shirts.
To Serco, this was nothing but to people who can't but new shirts because they have no money, it's a lovely gift.

They came from this BBC programme.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxl2hIKgLmI]Toughest Place To Be A Bin Man - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

As a  note, the programme is real life.
I've visited this area and there is nothing in it that isn't truthful.
Within a mile or two, there are several large shopping centres where you can but the best of everything.


----------



## aris2chat

durian benggala, soursop or thorny custard apples, that is the funny fruit in the first post of this thread


----------



## Indofred

It looks a little like one but isn't one.
That fruit has no horrible smell and the spines are very different.
I can easily see the error but you'd know if you saw them together.

10 Health Benefits of Soursop « Sandals Lifestyle


----------



## Indofred

Most of Jakarta's rivers are filthy, full of rubbish and raw sewage.
Kids still play in them.


----------



## Indofred

Food stalls are everywhere, including in shopping malls.











I was informed it was killer spicy but, whilst it was hot, it wasn't that hot.
It did taste lovely and I can recommend it to all.
It's in Pasar Festival, Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said, near the big Immigration office.
There's also an Indian food stall in there I fully intend to try next time around.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

I love your photos. Nothing I love as much as traveling and if I'm not actually going, I'll pour over photos for hours.

Thanks very much for taking them and posting them here.


----------



## Indofred

Just around the corner from the binmen, you can wander into a top end mall with top end everything for sale.











Not that a Lamborghini is any use out here.
Potholes, illegal road humps and traffic jams make them a waste of time.


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> I love your photos. Nothing I love as much as traveling and if I'm not actually going, I'll pour over photos for hours.
> 
> Thanks very much for taking them and posting them here.



Thank you for your kind words.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

You can see a similar scene around US fish packing companies - except its eagles. 





Your outdoor cooking scenes remind me of the desert southwest. Native Americans and Mexicans cook the most wonder fry bread with all the fixin's. Its delicious although never to be confused with health food. 





This scene is just fascinating. The sewing machine on the left ... 





Again, the desert southwest. In northern AZ, when electricity finally made it to the Navajo and Hopi reservations, all the homes had TVs. The power of advertising is enormous. In one village that I saw, there was one electrical cord that went to a central spot and individuals then strung cord to each of their homes. The electrical cord entered the home at the center, one light bulb hung from there and then a maze of extension cords like a huge skinny octopus.





Most Americans have no clue what much of the world has to do just to be clean. 

These are very attractive people, btw. 

I could go on and on but wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your ongoing travelogue.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

The third world does our real recycling. I recently read a photo essay about the recycling of our technical refuse. All the computers, cel phones etc we throw away are killing the people who are so poor they have no choice but to work recycling it. Like the leather producers in India using chemicals that cause testicular cancer - if they want to work, if they want to support their families, they do the work.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> *Before I say anything else, DO NOT click on this link if you don't like blood.*
> 
> My posts are what I see here, and not designed to be nice, tourist inspired or anything other than reality.
> The video shows the halal killing of goats and a cow in a coupl eof local mosques.
> 
> The first place took care of the animals and didn't let the others see the one that was being killed; I can't say the same for the second place.
> That was a production line and many of the animals were clearly stressed.
> 
> Produce - YouTube
> 
> This thread is purely to show life over here. I make little comment on the content, just post what I see.
> Clearly, this post is potentially controversial but I would prefer, if you want to engage in debate, you start a new thread and leave this one clean to do its intended job.
> 
> Thank you.



The US is SO much worse.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> Rat in a mango tree
> 
> rat mango - YouTube



In the Caribbean, there were gazillions of tame but loose horses on the island. They had a great way of picking up the mango, biting into only the skin and then bobbing their heads up and down to skin it before very deftly eating the meat down to the large seed. Even a little orphan colt had the technique down. 

They would come up to us when we parked but when we didn't have mangoes for them, they would move on.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> Village life is simple.
> Combing the kids' hair
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Feeding the kids with a bit of rice.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> both of them
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kids ride their bikes



Looks liek they love their kids. Same kind of thing I would see in the southwestern US. Mexicans and Native Americans have very close families and adore their kids. You especially see macho looking guys playing with, dandling, cooing, loving their little sibs or their own kids. Very charming.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Oh UGH. 

Sad that its not just cigarettes we're exporting. Garbage "food" too. How long before they're diabetic from crap American food?


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> Most Americans have no clue what much of the world has to do just to be clean.
> 
> These are very attractive people, btw.
> 
> I could go on and on but wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your ongoing travelogue.



So many posts to choose from but this was the one I decided to comment on.

The thread is partially for my fun hobby of messing around with my wonderful Fujifilm HS50 (They didn't pay me for that free ad but they deserve a mention because the camera is so ruddy great at the job I want it for) and partially to inform people about Indonesia.
This place is absolutely nothing like any western country (Except for the shopping malls) and, for all its faults, I love the place.
Apart from the amazing food, the people make this country.
They're friendly and welcoming to strangers and love to talk to the oddball white guy who wanders into places most Indonesians never go.
Out here, white guys have a rep of being very rich (expat wages are very high) so most poor Indonesians never meet us. I wander around rubbish dumps, illegal villages and other really odd places, trying to get a handle on what really makes this country tick.
I post this thread on an Indonesian forum and even locals comment they have never seen many of the things I snap.
That rather makes it worthwhile.

As for attractive, yes, in looks and in outlook.
The people in the photo above probably make in a year what I get in a week but they never ask for a thing (but I often carry a load of sweet to give to local kids).


----------



## Luddly Neddite

> So many posts to choose from but this was the one I decided to comment on.



Hey, if I made a post for every comment I wanted to make about a photo, there would be as many of my posts as of yours. 

Somewhere, I read that Americans expect and demand "happiness". That we feel its owed to us. So, we keep acquiring more and more STUFF and never feel happy.


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> So many posts to choose from but this was the one I decided to comment on.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey, if I made a post for every comment I wanted to make about a photo, there would be as many of my posts as of yours.
> 
> Somewhere, I read that Americans expect and demand "happiness". That we feel its owed to us. So, we keep acquiring more and more STUFF and never feel happy.
Click to expand...


That comment fits a lot more than Americans.
The consumer economy is a massive con job that tells us we need more crap and bank loans to pay for it.
I, as most, was sucked into this when I was in England. 
I had a fantastic stereo, massive TV and all the other crap but still preferred to listen to the little radio and watch a portable DVD player.
I sold the lot about a year before I moved out of England and missed none of it.

The middle classes here do exactly the same as people in western countries.
Their new car sits in the driveway of their new house where they keep their new LED TV and sit on their new sofa, not enjoying life because it's all on credit they can't afford.

The poor can't afford any of that and,much as they have little money, they generally have little debt so tend to be happier.
Of course, poverty brings many other problems but wasting money brings stress and unhappiness.

Life is funny like that.


----------



## Indofred

I'm often asked why I like Indonesia so much so I thought I'd try to explain.
This morning, a veggie seller walked down the road and, as we needed a few things, my wife asked her to come into the drive.
A few women from the street saw her as well so they all congregated and chatted as they bought the veggie.

This country is so friendly, it's hard to imagine unless you visit.


----------



## Indofred

There are many micro businesses out here, selling little bits and making almost no profit.






Towards new year, they expand their business.






As new year gets closer, half the country seems to follow suit.






This line is a common sight on busy roads.


----------



## Indofred

There was a serious accident out here a couple of weeks ago. A train hit a petrol tanker that had tried to beat the train over a level crossing; the tanker lost in a big way.
There was a crackdown, including more security at crossing and closing illegal crossing.
The sign says (paraphrased), don't make a level crossing here and mentions a massive fine or a year in the nick.






But there's an illegal crossing anyway.






It doesn't take long before you see someone cross. Several went over in the ten minutes I was there.


----------



## Indofred

Disability and poverty are common partners.






A lot of people thing we don't bother with Christmas here; they may be wrong.


----------



## Indofred

Warung is a small shop
Net just means internet.

A warnet is an internet cafe and, as much of Indonesia isn't well served and is too expensive for many to have at home, these places are popular.






As there are few land lines in villages; connection is by radio.






Village life is commonly simple.






as are the drains. You'll notice the washing soap is coming out of the drain, directly into the river, as is commonly the case for the toilet waste.


----------



## Indofred

English is a popular language but many don't actually know what their T shirts say.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesian level crossings can be fun.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oe2cPcNB0I&feature=youtu.be]level crossing - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

You see traffic jams a lot in Indonesia. Way too many cars, no driver training  and crap roads will do that.












You know when a stretch of road is always jammed because you see people selling food and drinks in the jams.


----------



## Indofred

A road improvement scheme....but they forgot to sort out the electricity poles.
I think this one has been sipping vodka.






This one isn't quite at the side of the road.






This one looks fine






or maybe not 






Still, they've sorted it out and made it safe.


----------



## Indofred

Most people in Indonesia seem to buy a driving licence, if they have one at all, and the police hardly ever enforce road law.


----------



## Indofred

Another rubbish motorbike. Again, used on the roads.


----------



## Indofred

Look closely, no, closer.









































Yes, he's carrying a tree on his motorbike.


----------



## Indofred

House prices are on the up in Indonesia.
They seem to be rising at about 30%/year in Jakarta and the surrounding areas, making it profitable to build like mad.
Mini estates are everywhere and bigger builders are buying any crap land and reclaiming as much for building as they can.
This field was lower before the builders got to it and always flooded, so they built it up and added walls to the river banks.

I don't think anyone realised exactly how bad the flooding was because it's flooded and, if there's more rain tonight, the lot will be under.
problem is, they can't build it up further as that will flood the three year old estate on the other side and, here's the killer, that may flood anyway because the flood plain has gone and the water has no where to go.
It gets worse.
A lot of building in Indonesia is funded by customers buying before the build starts, commonly using bank loans. The banks have killed that off now but this was before the new rules so I'm guessing a few people will be less than happy this evening.

The wall running along the centre is the flood defence.






There's only one river, the rest is flood water.
















I think I'll skip buying a house there and, if they'd only asked the locals about the flooding, no one would buy one.
I had this conversation with people in the village at the other end of this estate only last month. We'd all seen it badly flooded and we all knew this was about to happen.


----------



## Indofred

Markets are fun places. The modern markets are clean and tidy.






Here's looking at you, babe.
(Sorry about misquoting Casablanca so I can get in a reference to a sheep farming porker.)


----------



## Indofred

This bridge is close to falling into the river.
Note the long crack and the angle of fall to the left.






But that doesn't stop cars from using it.


----------



## Indofred

The bridge.

At least he's empty.






But.....





Yep, a full load of sand.


----------



## Indofred

First - that bridge.
Anyone care to wager as to how long before it falls?






I've seen cocks fighting before but the owners usually pull them apart and chase one away.
This was a cock fight and, although I didn't see any money changing hands, they were shouting far to much to be doing this just for sadistic fun
I didn't hang around until the end.
One man shouted, "watch out, camera", but no one much seemed to care.


----------



## Indofred

A man looks up a tree.






It's rambutan seaon again. Rambutan is a sweet, haity fruit that's as popular as it is common.






I hope to be going into Jakarta tomorrow so, if all works out well, I'll have some interesting snaps to post.


----------



## Indofred

An overused Indonesia phrase is "Tidak apa apa".
It literally means, No what what, but actually means, It doesn't matter, it's OK or, It'll be fine.
No one thinks anything will happen to them so anything goes, regardless of how ruddy obvious the problem is.

Sometimes.....oops.......


----------



## Indofred

A high building being renovated.






and a worker, risking his life because health and safety is a bad joke out here.


----------



## Indofred

A slight aside from my usual stuff so I can tell you a little history.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been over here for quite a while now but, every so often, a little reminder of my old life crops up.
I was hunting through some old files when I found this picture of my disco/karaoke stuff just before I left England.
My disco career started when an alcoholic friend asked me to run his show for him while he was on holiday.
He trained me up for a couple of weeks then left me to it. It proved so popular, I carried on for over 20 years.
I made a lot of cash out of that and had some great fun.
I started using vinyl and a bloody great big pair of cloud 9 decks, eventually moving on to a PC based system.
After a while, I moved on to karaoke, mostly using computer files, so I used a second laptop for that.
I also specialised in Chinese karaoke, a big deal that proved a nice little earner.

My last show, sadly, was ruined by a drunk who caused a fight and ended the night rather early. A bad end to a fun 20 odd years.


----------



## Indofred

Zombies, I'm assured, eat brains.
This daddy has nothing to worry about in the event of the undead attacking Jakarta.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> First - that bridge.
> Anyone care to wager as to how long before it falls?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've seen cocks fighting before but the owners usually pull them apart and chase one away.
> This was a cock fight and, although I didn't see any money changing hands, they were shouting far to much to be doing this just for sadistic fun
> I didn't hang around until the end.
> One man shouted, "watch out, camera", but no one much seemed to care.



Sad to see that just like here, men get chickens to do what they are too chicken to do themselves. 

Still enjoying your travelogue.


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> Sad to see that just like here, men get chickens to do what they are too chicken to do themselves.
> 
> Still enjoying your travelogue.



Thank you.
There is always something new to see here but this one angered me more than a little.
Of course, as you said, cock fighting is natural behaviour, but I usually see some guy come along and separate them.
Betting on this is more than a little distasteful.

There is always a dark side to any country, as I find out from time to time.
Whilst in Glodok (part of Jakarta) the other day, a taxi driver offered me a trip to a brothel.
This isn't unusual in itself as every country has them but that evil little toad offered me an SMA schoolkid.
SMA is senior high school, age range from around 15 to 18.
I wondered how far he would go so I asked about SMP (12 to 15 years old).
He informed me he had a 13 year old from Sulawesi, an island far away from Jakarta.
He was selling her virtues as being very tight and having nice breasts.
I suspect, from the way he was speaking, he'd taken that pleasure.

I was a little slow on that occasion, probably shock because I'd never been offered that before, or I would have recorded the conversation using my mobile phone camera and handed it to the cops.

Every country has evil little toads, Indonesia is no exception.


----------



## Indofred

People hang around in train stations - mostly for begging or busking.






In countries with free health care, birth deformities are operated on and repaired as much as possible - here, you must have cash or you stay disabled for life.






When you get off the train, transport is easy to find.
Motorcycle taxis and Bajai (tuk tuk) are easy to find but you may not get to your destination in good health.
That area of Jakarta has terrible traffic and these guys are as mad as spoons.


----------



## Indofred

Road humps are way too common in Indonesia.
Most are illegal, badly designed and many are far too high, some to the point of cars getting stuck on them.
They are built in the name of child safety.
However, the steaming morons who build them allow little kids to ride motorbikes.
This is a common sight away from main roads.


----------



## editec

Thanks for posting this Indo..its quite interesting to see real life in this country.


----------



## Indofred

It's just my hobby - keeps me out of trouble, but I hope a few people enjoy it.


----------



## Indofred

From time to time, someone with a brain builds a road hump.
These new ones are being built to stop street races using the road but are well designed.
I was informed, weekends see street racers on that road at silly o'clock in the morning. As is common here, the police did not a lot about it so the locals did.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia is a country of deep contrasts.
Tomorrow will see me at a technology show, where many of the latest computer gadgets will be on display for the technogeeks, other people will be working in the fields.






Loads of people will be doing stupid things on motorbikes - that won't be changing any time soon.


----------



## Indofred

I've been in Indonesia for quite a long time now and, in those years, I've only found two things that really bug me.
The first is the internet. It's always been slow, unreliable and expensive but, with the improvements First media have made and the new mobile service from Bolt, that problem has gone away.

The second is the roads.
There are many problems with the roads here but the upshot, regardless of proportion of blame, is they're really dangerous.
Some roads are in a bad way. 
This one, ironically enough, is on the way from the driving licence centre in Tigaraksa.






However, it's not a million miles away in quality from a lot of other roads.
This taxi is trying to avoid a hole in BSD, Tangerang.


----------



## Indofred

Now, back to that road near the driving licence centre.

Some of the pot holes are quite a size and, after a heavy rainfall, you can't always see exactly how deep.
This truck driver didn't.


----------



## Indofred

One of my favourite Indonesian foods is satay, chicken being the best.
This is is in a shopping centre in Alam Sutara, Tangerang.
Basically, it's bit of meat on sticks, BBQed over a charcoal flame and enjoyed, commonly with rice.
The quality varies a lot but this one is excellent.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

You have the makings of a book, you know ...


----------



## Indofred

A few people have said that, but I have no clue how to go about it.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> A few people have said that, but I have no clue how to go about it.



Frankly, I wonder if there would be a very big audience but still - you really do catch "a day in the life of". 

When I was looking for a publisher for a really narrow audience book I wrote, I looked for publishers of similar books. Worth a look, IMO.


----------



## Indofred

Street food stands are everywhere.
This one has set up on the road, using old telephone boxes to tie up to and handy seating.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesian food is varied. Even in the cities, many people are only one or two steps away from their village backgrounds and eating habits.

Chicken heads






Chicken skin


----------



## Mojo2

Indofred said:


> I wondered if anyone will read this crap or if I should devote more time to scratching my balls and farting.
> 
> 61



Are you kidding? This is some of the very few things you've posted which I have taken any interest in or approve of.


----------



## Indofred

Mojo2 said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wondered if anyone will read this crap or if I should devote more time to scratching my balls and farting.
> 
> 61
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Are you kidding? This is some of the very few things you've posted which I have taken any interest in or approve of.
Click to expand...


I'll carry on then.


----------



## Indofred

Discipline is lacking on the roads here.
A bus stopping in the middle of the road is common, regardless of other traffic around it.


----------



## Indofred

Motorbikes are good for a laugh - if they weren't so ruddy dangerous.






From the silly to the stupid.
There was a traffic jam so this idiot went over a footbridge, ruddy close to hitting me.






and there he goes...


----------



## Indofred

This guy sweeps the steps, hoping for passers by to leave him a few coins.
A large group of football supporters passed by and, I'm happy to report, several gave him some money.


----------



## Indofred

Poverty is a problem here.
I've posted similar photos before but a few new ones never hurt.
This has been illegal for some while over here but little things like the law are often ignored.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Too bad we can't outlaw hungry children. 

Actually, all countries could but it will never happen.


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> Too bad we can't outlaw hungry children.
> 
> Actually, all countries could but it will never happen.



Poverty is a massive problem out here.
Corruption is part of the cause but there's much more to to than just that.
Indonesia is quite a new country and has only been a democracy for a decade or so; two dictators have held the country back but, luckily, people are realising this, so elections are held dear.
It's coming up to election time but poverty isn't much of an issue.
The politicians know they can't do much about it so they keep their mouths shut and hope no one mentions it.
Many people are trying to help out but these individuals and organisations can only touch the surface of the problem.
I was rather impressed by a church group I came across last week. They'd set up a one day medical centre, checking local's health and offering free simple medical care and advice.
A fine example of people helping out; one that I've seen a few groups do over the last few years.
Personally, I try to do a little but can't do much.
I give food to a boys' orphanage every month and will be sending a girl to school as of the new school year.
The girl is from a very poor family and has little chance of much except an early marriage and a life of poverty unless she goes to school and gets an education.
That'll cost about US $800/year but it'll probably change her whole life.
Her family have nothing and high school would otherwise be impossible so she's off to boarding school where she'll get lessons and a safe place to live and, most importantly, poverty won't force her into an early marriage.


----------



## Indofred

Home made car first, elections in a moment.


----------



## Indofred

Election rallies require a truck decorated with a bunch of flags.






You must have motorbikes, all trying to hold their flags as dangerously as possible.






Sorry, lots of motorbikes.






and, just to finish off, a microbus or few, all stuffed with people.






Some cynical people suggest they party supporters are paid to run around with the party shirt on and end up collecting a lot of shirts over the campaign.
Of course, I don't believe that for a moment.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> Luddly Neddite said:
> 
> 
> 
> Too bad we can't outlaw hungry children.
> 
> Actually, all countries could but it will never happen.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Poverty is a massive problem out here.
> Corruption is part of the cause but there's much more to to than just that.
> Indonesia is quite a new country and has only been a democracy for a decade or so; two dictators have held the country back but, luckily, people are realising this, so elections are held dear.
> It's coming up to election time but poverty isn't much of an issue.
> The politicians know they can't do much about it so they keep their mouths shut and hope no one mentions it.
> Many people are trying to help out but these individuals and organisations can only touch the surface of the problem.
> I was rather impressed by a church group I came across last week. They'd set up a one day medical centre, checking local's health and offering free simple medical care and advice.
> A fine example of people helping out; one that I've seen a few groups do over the last few years.
> Personally, I try to do a little but can't do much.
> I give food to a boys' orphanage every month and will be sending a girl to school as of the new school year.
> The girl is from a very poor family and has little chance of much except an early marriage and a life of poverty unless she goes to school and gets an education.
> That'll cost about US $800/year but it'll probably change her whole life.
> Her family have nothing and high school would otherwise be impossible so she's off to boarding school where she'll get lessons and a safe place to live and, most importantly, poverty won't force her into an early marriage.
Click to expand...


Its exactly the same in parts of the US. 

Grinding poverty will never change because the poor and middle class protect the 1%. That's the way it is there and its the way it is here.


----------



## Indofred

Another election. These are around at weekends and, if you look carefully, I wouldn't die of shock if your found a few of the same faces from the first lot I posted.


----------



## Indofred

Breakdowns happen in every country.





but jacks are more interesting here.


----------



## Indofred

This little baby wandered past my front door a few mornings ago.






I was very tired.


----------



## Indofred

As I wander, people often ask me why I carry a camera.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9BOeReCTfY&feature=youtu.be]DSCF1451 - YouTube[/ame]


----------



## Indofred

Tomorrow sees election day.
Every Indonesian citizen has the right to go to the polls and vote.
The polling stations are commonly tents, spread around in every locality so as many people as possible can vote without travelling very far.
No election is perfect and I've every confidence there will be some dodgy dealings but Indonesia is still a new democracy and most people take their right to vote very seriously.
I suspect anyone nabbed cheating will face time in gaol.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

Indofred said:


> This little baby wandered past my front door a few mornings ago.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was very tired.



Handsome critter. I used to get scorpions in the house in AZ. There are many different kinds there but its the smallest, called the "bark scorpion" that is the most venomous. The biggest, called the giant desert hairy scorpion is exactly that - humongous but he's also the least venomous and a heart stopper to see. 

I was stung once by one of the smaller ones. I don't know if it was a bark scorpion but he was snuggled in my shoe and I wasn't paying attention. Hurt like hell but more scary than anything. 

I always had to catch the little ones to put them outside  but got pretty good at catching the giant hairy by his stinger. It sounds a lot more dangerous than it is but it took all my nerve the first couple of times I did it. 

I have a photo I took of a dead one I found in the cat's cry food dish. I posed him next to a ruler and it shows him at just about exactly 6". I think what happened is one of the cats brought him in from their run through their window, spied the food dish and had to make a decision - scorpion or gnosh, gnosh or scorpion. That's why I found it draped across the cat food. 

This isn't my photo but it gives you an idea of their size. Note that he's sand colored ... harder to see in the desert.


----------



## Luddly Neddite

As always, fascinating photos.

Especially seeing how people make things work for them. Like the huge bunch of tires on a motor bike.


----------



## Indofred

Luddly Neddite said:


> As always, fascinating photos.
> 
> Especially seeing how people make things work for them. Like the huge bunch of tires on a motor bike.



No cash means you do it however you can.
That makes poorer Indonesians, highly adaptable.


----------



## Indofred

In the UK, there are very strict laws regarding knifes, tasers and so on.
These rules tend to be more relaxed in Indonesia.
This was snapped in a supermarket a few days ago.


----------



## Indofred

Back to the election.

As I mentioned, Indonesia is a new democracy so most people take elections very seriously.
Many shops, even bigger ones, opened in the afternoon.

The voting stations were well set up. This station asked me to take photos as they were keen to show the election was being run properly.

You register as you enter the station, using a photo ID to prove who you are.











You sit down and await your turn. The controller reads out your name and you get a voting form.






You must leave your mobile phone on the table. These aren't allowed in the booths.






Fill in your ballot papers






And vote


----------



## Indofred

Double post


----------



## JenCoop202

Very interesting photos Indofred, thank you! I've traveled somewhat myself, so always find it fascinating to learn about other cultures and way of life. The knife photo is intriguing, it seems that Indonesia has no laws to do with knifes and guns? Can anyone by one?


----------



## Indofred

Guns are controlled but knives are easy to buy.
Air guns for hunting are very common, especially in villages.
It's normal to see some dude walking around with an exposed rifle so no one looks twice.
I snap the next one I see.


----------



## Indofred

Back to that election.
For some people, it hardly matters who wins - it'll make not a jot of difference to them.


----------



## Indofred

McD's say, "I'm loving it".
Their burgers are shit but I'm loving this.






Internet out here has been pretty terrible but things are on the up, like a ruddy rocket.


----------



## Indofred

Transport can be fun.
This lot were working just down the road so the work's truck was their transport home.
Seeing a bunch of kids hop onto some random truck is a common sight.






Other transport is even more common. Motorbikes are definitely king of the road out here. Little things like a licence are minor points. This girl said she was 14, 10 looks closer.






Her feet don't reach the floor.


----------



## Indofred

A policeman with two pipes.





















Any large crowd of people/protesters can get out of hand - may day parades are no different so the police set up posts - just in case.


----------



## Indofred

This guy would last about 30 seconds in England before a boat load of cops arrested him for selling these things.
Such hawkers are common here and, so one bats an eyelid.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia is a hot country, except for the cold bits in the mountains.
That means high ceilings are very popular but, as we all know, spiders like to make cobwebs.
High ceilings mean you have a problem ... or a lot of spiders and a mess.
This guy sells the answer to your problem.


----------



## Indofred

The roads are always good for a photo.
Young kids riding a motorbike is pretty much normal here.


----------



## Indofred

Tyre repair shops are common here;they have a good trade for reasons that will become clear before you finish reading this post.






The dude fixes the puncture 






but how come these places get so much trade?
Ah, that explains it.






Lack of cash and lack of any clue as to road safety means tyres are used until it's totally impossible to use them.
I still follow British rules, changing the tyre as the tread gets low, but my old ones get sold on and used.


----------



## Indofred

As you may be aware, I'm the proud owner of a car.
You probably know, I really love my gadgets, preferably things too many other people don't have.
What can I say? I'm a show off.
Anyway, I'd just been looking at in car fridges for my cans of coca cola, but I had to scrap the idea.
I dislike copying other people's ideas.


----------



## Indofred

The roads always give me something to snap.


----------



## Indofred

It's nice to see old cars on the roads.
This Mini Moke would be unusual in England, I was pretty shocked to see it out here.






VW vans are quite common - they even have rallies for old VW stuff.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia is mostly hot so you need a hat when you're outside.
If you're in the sun for a very long time, say whilst painting a fence, you need a really good hat that'll protect your neck.


----------



## Indofred

I've seen several old British bikes, this is one of the best so far.


----------



## Indofred

Something looks broken






Electricity can be fun


----------



## Indofred

Yes.


----------



## Indofred

Students are normally polite to teachers.
This is pretty much average in the schools I've visited.


----------



## Indofred

Many people see Indonesia as a third world country, and some of it probably is, but we also have top quality, bang up to date shopping malls, as good as, or better, than anything in the UK or America.
This one is SMS, South Tangerang; the bottom floor, outside, is all restaurants and bars, so it's become a bit of a hangout for foreigners and better off Indonesians.
It also has a very nice multi screen cinema and, get this, a place on the top floor that does great doner kebabs.


----------



## Indofred

The exit from another, smaller mall can be interesting.
This is BSD plaza, also in South Tangerang, where there is an excellent shop called, Glodok electronics. If you need electronic goodies without going up into Glodok or Mangga dua, take a look in there.
You can buy TVs.






Sorry, only had my mobile phone and very little time to get the shot, so the picture isn't great.


----------



## Indofred

Road safety is extremely important in Indonesia.
You see all sorts on the minor roads, but on main roads such as this very busy junction in Bintaro, things are done by the book, with every point of road law being observed and stuck to like glue.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia has one really big problem - the roads and most of the stuff on them.
One of the biggest of these problems is smashed roads. 
This lovely mess is at the north end of BSD, near Alam Sutera.
Yes, it is a main road, not some mud track.


----------



## Indofred

It's Ramadan, a time when most Muslims fast, but not all.
Some don't because they don't fancy it, some because they aren't allowed to , and some for medical reasons. Christians and other religions also eat as normal.
The vast majority of restaurants remain open as normal, but they put screens up so those following the fast don't feel hungry at the sight of people eating.


----------



## Indofred

I often hang around at roadsides - such interesting places.

A truck (ish)






Going the wrong way, no one cares.






Seatbelts must be worn at all times






Two little boys, sorry, girls (and Rolf song are probably less than popular at the moment)






No comment


----------



## Indofred

It's almost election day in Indonesia, the time that will decide Indonesia's new president - and it's immediate future.
I'll leave aside my political opinion, but there are some concerns in some quarters regarding at least one candidate.

Banners are everywhere.
















For some people, the outcome is unlikely to matter.


----------



## Indofred

Parkir are people that look after your car or motorcycle when you park it and generally help you get back into traffic.
The street ones are usually unofficial but no one complains as they're so useful.






They don't do it for charity, so out goes the hand for some cash, usually 1 or 2 thousand rupiah.


----------



## Indofred

A street family.
These people do what they can to earn a little money and, as I saw last night on my way home, they live in the cart, putting a plastic sheet over the top to protect them from the rain. Sadly, there was no way I could get a photo, but maybe in time.







Where are the little kids going?






Ah, to talk to their big brother.






Who's teaching them to beg from customers leaving a McD






In Indonesia, it's illegal to give them money - would you?


----------



## Indofred

I don't think they intend to be cruel, seriously unhygienic and stupid, just they're uneducated.


----------



## Indofred

A lady, walking






A man, selling






A village shop






Tempe and tofu are popular food. Loads of protein, made in filthy conditions but tastes good. Well, I dislike the tofu, but the tempe is great.






But you don't need to go to a shop to buy things, carts are pushed around every village and estate. We buy most of our veggie from carts like this.


----------



## Indofred

It was the presidential election here on 9 July, 2015.
I visited 10 polling stations in the BSD and Bintaro areas, all seemed totally clean of corruption, all had witnesses from the village/estate and all had witnesses from the election officials.
Before I went too close to each one, I observed from distance, looking to see if any dodgy blokes were hanging around, trying to bribe voters - I saw nothing out of place.
The procedure a all the stations was strict, and in my small experience of the day, followed to the letter. I saw one man turned away from a station because his ID was not in order, but I understand he'd just gone to the wrong station as he'd moved house but had yet to update his ID card.
They all had the correct posters and general information.






Polling stations were ...... Indonesian.


----------



## dilloduck

Indofred said:


> The 21st of September 2008 was a funny date.
> It saw me start a blog of sorts on another forum. It stayed as the written word until page 47 when I started posting photos regularly.
> The photos were taken with an old mobile phone and the camera wasn't that great.
> 
> The first was this strange fruit that I never really remembered the name of.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A lot were way too poor quality to bother with now but I did get the odd interesting snap.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I started to look around for interesting bits and bobs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jogjakarta is a tourist city.
> The road signs are in Indonesian and javanese.



A durian-----cut one open if your party guests refuse to leave.


----------



## Indofred

Oh, forgot the tiny one, just outside a village mosque.


----------



## Indofred

The police had people wandering from station to station, watching out for trouble.
It's highly unlikely there would be problems at these stations, or many others, as the local village head system means the officials and observers know every voter personally.


----------



## Indofred

dilloduck said:


> A durian-----cut one open if your party guests refuse to leave.



Not so. A durian looks a little like that, but not the same and that thing didn't stink.

The durian is a strange fruit in itself; I would describe it as, giving your favourite lover a tender, loving kiss while she'll sat on the toilet with a serious case of the shits.


----------



## dilloduck

Indofred said:


> dilloduck said:
> 
> 
> 
> A durian-----cut one open if your party guests refuse to leave.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not so. A durian looks a little like that, but not the same and that thing didn't stink.
> 
> The durian is a strange fruit in itself; I would describe it as, giving your favourite lover a tender, loving kiss while she'll sat on the toilet with a serious case of the shits.
Click to expand...


must be a close relative---- a guy from Hong Kong introduced me---I really thought it tasted like a vanilla custard but you really have to work thru the smell


----------



## Indofred

Last on the election; the voting process.

The voter enters and has his identity checked with his ID card, and ticked off the list of eligible voters for that station.






Once he's checked off, he's given a voting card, and wanders over to a private booth where he may choose the canditate he wished to vote for.






After this, he pops his card into the ballot box.






Once he's voted, he must dip his little finger in ink so there is no chance he can claim he has yet to vote.











As you may guess from these photos, this gentleman kindly allowed me to follow his voting process, so I'm able to show you.

My thanks for his help, and the help given to me by the people in charge of that polling station.


----------



## Indofred

Elections, presidents, governments - not a lot of good to some people.
No pensions for poor people can be a disaster.


----------



## Indofred

Housing estates are commonly closed and guarded. This isn't just for rich expats, but from the middle classes, upwards.
This estate, near Bintaro, south of Jakarta, is pretty typical.


----------



## Indofred

Labour in Indonesia is cheap, so people are used to make what would otherwise be expensive.
These are the steal re-enforcing frames for concrete supports.






All hand made.


----------



## Indofred

These guys look like they're freeing a line or something.






Safety lines and such are minor considerations.


----------



## Indofred

Today I risked life and limb, all in the cause of free bananas.
OK, I lied, the banana plant could be reached from the upstairs window, but there were free.






Pushbikes - Push bikes

If you look at the little kid's foot, the one in the red shirt, driving the motorbike, you'll notice he's pushing the long bike.






Another kid pushing a bike.
Working from a young age, probably until he's too old to carry on, then he will have to hope family look after him.


----------



## Indofred

Lots of people have gone 'home' for the holidays, leaving Jakarta very quiet.
There's still traffic about, but nothing compared to the usual mess.
Businesses are still running.






Even the ones next to railway tracks.


----------



## Pogo

This thread just frickin' rocks.  I came back to give it a 5-star rating.  

Thanks again, Fred, really enjoying it.  Like being there.


----------



## Indofred

Pogo said:


> This thread just frickin' rocks.  I came back to give it a 5-star rating.
> 
> Thanks again, Fred, really enjoying it.  Like being there.



Thank you for your kind comments.
I just wander around with my camera, just a hobby really.


----------



## MaryL

You went slumming in Indonesia. This smacks of rich white trust fund kid indulging themselves.  OK, nice pic(s) though, can't take that away from you.


----------



## Indofred

MaryL said:


> You went slumming in Indonesia. This smacks of rich white trust fund kid indulging themselves.  OK, nice pic(s) though, can't take that away from you.



Not at all, I'm just some dude with a camera.
I've been here for seven years now, and I love the place.
I'd hate to leave, so hope the political situation remains stable. Hopefully, it will.
I live in an estate, pretty much as many middle class Indonesians do, and live and work in the same manner as so many other local people.
There are some differences, mostly in salary.
Expat salaries, especially when you can offer a hard to find skill, are much higher than most locals could even dream of getting.
However, I don't flash cash about, nor do I mention money or tell people how much I earn (well, get paid).
I rarely pay the subjects of my photos, but I do from time to time; one of those times was today, you'll understand why when you see the first photo of the next lot.

This thread is not intended to be political, just to show people the reality of Indonesia, sometimes with a bit of limey humour, or comment.
However, some people take it as political, mostly because I show a lot of street life, depicting the poorest in society.


----------



## Indofred

A new life, very likely to be not much of a life.
Mostly because the baby's chances of an education and an escape from poverty are almost zero.


----------



## Indofred

Cars can be fun out here. This thing would be rejected by most scrap yards in England, but is still on the road here.


----------



## Indofred

In small villages, families tend to marry out of their home area these days, but, even a very few years ago, it was very common for villages not to travel much.
I know people in my old village that have never travelled more than 15KM from their home, thus they tend to marry locally, and that means within extended family.
Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is a nasty disease that requires the victim to have 2 abnormal EV genes (one from each parent). This would be seriously unlucky in an out of area marriage.
Various European royals had haemophilia for the same reasons.
With careful treatment, the growths can be removed as they appear, and before they turn into cancers that will probably kill the victim.
That requires cash, something that people from villages are less likely to have.
If you have a deformity, you have very little chance of a real job, so directing traffic for whatever drivers give you is one of your few options.


----------



## Indofred

I like messing about, so I got my smaller camera and fitted it to my helmet, then rode from McD, Bintaro to McD BSD.

I edited a little before I uploaded.


----------



## Indofred

I went for a wander into Jakarta on Tuesday, going in by train...






But went home by taxi. Other people were working.






Other people use the bus. A while ago, the local government decided to import a few London double decker buses.


----------



## Indofred

Seatbelts should be worn at all times.






OK,not this time. Collecting rubbish is a serious business.


----------



## Indofred

Last week in Jakarta - a demo in support of Prabowo.
TV crews a plenty were coving the non event, including Bloomberg.






The lady with the autocue






The cameraman






How they set up against the sun






and we can't forget the talent ...






These were taken whilst the team were doing a live broadcast to Hong Kong.
I found it most interesting to see the way they set up the kit and the clear professionalism they displayed in their work.


----------



## Indofred

Back to those seat belts.






Recycling is hardly government policy here, more a means of the very poor making a little money, but they're making a start.






No seat belts are required for chilling out with a newspaper.


----------



## Indofred

17 August is independence day in Indonesia, so locals tend to celebrate their kicking out of the Dutch.
The Indonesians did an amazing thing against a foreign army, far bigger and far better equipped than theirs, so I have to take my hat off to them.
The new channels all show the big events, with a bunch of important people all saluting the merah putih (The red and white - the Indonesian flag)
The villages also have their version, along with games and fun.

One little event was climbing a pole, a greased up pole, to get prizes. I didn't stay long enough as my wife would shout at me if I was out too long, but I managed a snap of the pole.


----------



## Indofred

The kids had a bike decorating contest.






The men had a tug o war






Come to think of it, the kids had one of those.






With the parents cheering them on.


----------



## Indofred

Oh, yes.
I almost forgot the ladies' contest.


----------



## Indofred

A man started stringing balloons to a bamboo pole.






Women were blindfolded






and given sharp sticks






They had to find and burst the flour filled balloons.


----------



## Indofred

Everyone was having a really good time.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/14921449376_44e3e535d7.jpg[/img]


----------



## Indofred

A couple of snaps from the roads.

My wife went mad when she saw this, asking why I didn't buy them






Early model BMWs are still on the road here.






I wonder what would happen if the white car caught up with the bamboo.


----------



## Indofred

Accidents are very common out here, most caused by gross stupidity.
In turn, much of that is caused by the system where you buy a driving licence, never seeing the inside of a test room in many places.
In this one, the motorcyclist overtook the microbus, ramming the van that was coming the other way.
He went sliding and, as I understand it, the new looking Daihatsu van he hit, slammed his anchors on.
A microbus behind the van swerved to avoid that accident, only to hit the microbus the motorbike had overtaken in the first place.
The only serious injury was the biker, who had a broken leg in the form of an open fracture - the bone sticking out of the skin.
Nasty and very expensive; probably enough to put him in debt for a lot of years.
No idea who will end up paying for the rest of the damage.

One microbus, the least damaged one.






The second suffered a lot more, losing a bit of the front and the windscreen.






The bike was stuffed inside the microbus; I assume it will end up in the police station,probably with both buses. No clue about the van.


----------



## Indofred

Mmmm, I wonder if this is the same woman as a few weeks ago.
Each time she's been with an able bodied person.
I smell a scam beggar.


----------



## Indofred

Dogs need a walk, but men don't always like to walk.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesian food comes in many types, but I like most of the spicy stuff best.
There are literally millions of restaurants but my favourite is still a chain called, SS, or super sambal.
Sambal is a spicy sauce common in Indonesia and Malaysia, and it's lovely.
There must be thousands of varieties, but my absolute favourite is a sweet sambal made at the restaurant above.

The food.


----------



## Indofred

Pertamina is the Indonesian national fuel supplier. There are other types about, but they're hardly playing on a level field, so don't get very much trade.
If you see a petrol station (Gas station), fair chance it will be a Pertamina.

But maybe not this one. 
Yes, they are soft drink bottles.


----------



## Indofred

Bakso (Also baso) is a very common food here.
It's meatballs, made of mostly fat, slop, brains, intestines, flour, almonds and a few other things, all boiled until they reach a nice dead looking grey colour.
They are then served in a soup with a bit of veg and a lot of chilli, the latter being to hide the taste.
















I almost forgot, they add noodles as well.


----------



## Indofred

There are many celebrations, but independence day is one the people take seriously.
Many events are planned and, if two are too close tgether, hold one the following weekend so the kids can have two lots of fun.
That happened not too far from me.

















There were a lot of really good entries for the bike decorating contest, but this helicopter was my favourite.


----------



## Indofred

Honda, what are these dudes up to?






Ah, selling motorbike by the side of the street. 






I wonder if anyone will stop and take a closer look.

Hang on, they don't need to, he's hoping they'll stop and take leaflet.






No - he's passing them to the motorcyclists whilst they're still moving.











He runs into traffic, gives the people a leaflet, and hopes to get back to the side before anther one comes by, knocks him down and kills him.


----------



## Indofred

Poverty can be a real bugger, especially when you grow old.
This lady hangs around alone, hoping to collect enough money to live for another day.

So many people in cars, commonly BMWs or Mercs, just drive past, totally ignoring her.


----------



## Indofred

Selling motorbikes is big business out here, so the various shops really push for their slice of the cake.
Mini events are common.











Oh, and they hand out leaflets to passing motorcyclists.


----------



## Indofred

There's just been a big holiday here, most people off work and the usual slaughter of loads of animals, much of the meat going to charities.
Some bits were left over.






or were they?


----------



## Indofred

In the UK, if this man was in the street with these things, the cops would pull him like a shot.
These were taken about 150 meters from a girl's boarding school.






Now, back to those heads and possible leftovers





















The bits are all washed in the nice, clean river.






On a totally separate note, soto is a traditional Indonesian soup, containing veggie and beef.
I wonder what these guys were going to make with this beef.


----------



## Indofred

One has to wonder, do they know or is this a monster sized cock up?


----------



## Indofred

I buy chickens for my wife's satay business, so many I get a very reasonable price.
All animals have one thing in common, there are bits no one will eat ... but the fish will.

This guy is cutting up chicken's entrails to use as bait.


----------



## Indofred

Many of my photos show village, small town and the low end of city life in Indonesia.
I don't want you to get the idea the place is all third world; in fact, Jakarta is a big modern city (Pity they haven't got the idea of sidewalks yet)


----------



## Indofred

This is why there are loads of minor accidents in Indonesia.






This is a small farm between BSD and Bintaro, two reasonably rich areas, south of Jakarta.


----------



## Indofred

A week or so ago, I posted a picture of a man riding a motorcycle, but leading a dog.
There's always someone who has to go one up.


----------



## Indofred

Everyone with just about enough money has a mobile phone.
You can buy phones and SIM cards in shopping centres, small shops, tiny shops, little street stalls and from the back of a motorbike.


----------



## Indofred

I don't know who to thank, but thank you to whoever it was.


----------



## Indofred

A couple of weeks ago I visited a local university, Universitas Trisakti, in Jakarta.
When the 1998 uprisings took place, the university was stormed by the military, killing four students.
They made a small memorial, and left the original window, including the bullet hole.


----------



## Indofred

Irrigation is a fine art, commonly solved by the Archimedean screw in poor countries.
Other people use a bucket.


----------



## irosie91

Indofred said:


> Irrigation is a fine art, commonly solved by the Archimedean screw in poor countries.
> Other people use a bucket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ישראל היא כמו סקס עם חזיר; אין אנשים הגיוניים רוצים את זה



For the few who may not know------Freddie is trying to impress us with
his use of the term  "Archimedean screw"-------its stuff from the grammar school
general science texts    -----three basis tools-----lever   ("given a place to stand
I could move the world",  quoth Archimedes),   pulley,   and screw------basically
they are all the same------they replace distance with force-------Long ago
I was asked to  "sub"   in the science classes of the school my kid attended

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----------



## Indofred

He's loading a gun






With a dart and line - what for?






Ahhhh, sorted.






Rod and line, nets, blocking rivers, now an airgun with a dart.
These people try every possible way to get the fish.


----------



## Indofred

Delivery services are pretty much normal out here.
Essentials such as water and gas are sold all over the place, and most will bring it to your house.






Begging is also common.
This little kid hangs around outside a set of local shops, hoping to extract cash from motorists leaving the car park.
This is illegal in Indonesia, and using the baby is seriously immoral, but no one does a lot about it.


----------



## Indofred

I'm playing with my small windows tablet, but have a very large screen because I'm playing with the projector.
Hang on, I'll take a  couple of photos with the phone, upload, and pop them in this post.
Hang on .......






The  projector






The kit, including loads of wires






Just playing, so I didn't tidy the wires.


----------



## Indofred

Picture the scene.
There I am, in a supermarket, my wife just wandered up an isle to get some biscuits my daughter likes.
A woman walks up to me and says, "Do you want a good time?".

Luckily, she was promoting biscuits.






Sales promotion girls (SPG) have a poor reputation, commonly thought of as whores because they tend to wear skirts as tight as they are short.
Of course, some are easily bedded (So I'm informed), but stereotypes are commonly wrong.
The girls tend to work for many companies as the manufacturer requires staff.

This one is promoting yogurt.


----------



## Indofred

Ouch - is this woman about to get murdered?







No, they're friends.






The chicken, happily for my sweet and sour this evening, didn't escape the ruddy big knife.


----------



## Indofred

Micro business.
The lady in the hat is selling veggie and bits to earn a little money. These tiny businesses are very common here.






Another is bread delivery. These guys buy bread from a baker, selling it by wandering round the villages and estates.






These girls are a few of the senior year at a Muslim girls' school just outside BSD, Tangerang.


----------



## Indofred

Pay for water to wash my bike? Not when I can get it for free.
This guy must come from Yorkshire.


----------



## Indofred

Hungry? No worries - KFC is here .... sort of.


----------



## Indofred

Out shopping, so I bought another camera.
I did buy a very nice little Fujifilm waterproof camera, but the new Samsung S5 is better, so I hardly use it now.
Time to sell.
The big Fujifilm HS50 is a really sexy toy, and does a fantastic job, but I can't always carry it because of the size.
In fact, I've been having a lot of problems finding an alternative, until now.
I came across a little Olympus SZ31MR, with 16megapixals to play with, and a 24 times optical zoom.
It won't do what the big one will do, but it's a nice bridge between the two, and it's small enough to carry most of the time.
Hopefully, I can get the shots I've been missing of late.


----------



## Indofred

Woman in front, son carries eggs











Selling






I just like the shot - so did the dude.






r


----------



## Indofred

Twelve years old, riding a motorbike without licence, helmet, insurance or anything else slightly legal.
If/when he gets squashed by a truck, the parents will say it was all the driver's fault.


----------



## toastman

Did you take all these pics ?


----------



## toastman

Indofred said:


> Hungry? No worries - KFC is here .... sort of.



Who's that guy on the logo of the food cart? Colonel Sander's illegitimate Indonesian son??


----------



## Indofred

The fuel subsidy has been cut, so the cheapest fuel is now Rp8,500/l (50p or so).
This pump has the more expensive fuel, and a queue.











This pump has the cheap stuff....






....and an attendant sitting down with nothing to do.






I have to admit, I haven't kept up with the news on this one, but I do know some people are being given money t compensate for the increase.
I'm wondering if that might be in the form of vouchers, redeemable for the more expensive fuel.

One other note.
Last time fuel went up, there were signs everywhere, all explaining how the price of whatever was going up because of the fuel price rise - not a one so far this time.


----------



## Indofred

toastman said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hungry? No worries - KFC is here .... sort of.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Who's that guy on the logo of the food cart? Colonel Sander's illegitimate Indonesian son??
Click to expand...


Can't be - no silly beard. 
There are loads of stands like this here, all using KFC to sell their stuff, but burgers are far less popular as street food, so McD is safe at the moment.


----------



## Indofred

toastman said:


> Did you take all these pics ?



Yes - it's a hobby.
I use three cameras:
My Samsung S5 smartphone is really handy as I carry it all the time.
The new one (noted above) has a lot of useful features, and is easy to carry as it slots in a belt pouch.
The Fujifilm HS50 is big, bit it's fantastic for 'street bashing'. That long 42X optical zoom is great for candid shots.

It all started some years ago when someone asked me to post a photo of my new house. They were so interested in the village, they asked me to post more ... it went on from there.
Time I did something with this, so I'm looking at doing some freelance work for a newspaper. Press credentials came last week, so I'm hunting for interesting stories.


----------



## toastman

Indofred said:


> toastman said:
> 
> 
> 
> Did you take all these pics ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes - it's a hobby.
> I use three cameras:
> My Samsung S5 smartphone is really handy as I carry it all the time.
> The new one (noted above) has a lot of useful features, and is easy to carry as it slots in a belt pouch.
> The Fujifilm HS50 is big, bit it's fantastic for 'street bashing'. That long 42X optical zoom is great for candid shots.
> 
> It all started some years ago when someone asked me to post a photo of my new house. They were so interested in the village, they asked me to post more ... it went on from there.
> Time I did something with this, so I'm looking at doing some freelance work for a newspaper. Press credentials came last week, so I'm hunting for interesting stories.
Click to expand...


Cool. Keep it up. I always enjoy seeing how people on the other side of the continent live their lives.


----------



## Indofred

toastman said:


> Cool. Keep it up. I always enjoy seeing how people on the other side of the continent live their lives.



Thanks.
I enjoy talking the snaps, meeting the people, and trying to get the hang of how different groups of Indonesians think.
I've just managed to get a weak link into the thoughts of the Prabowo camp; it's on and off, and information is sketchy at best, but I'm slowly getting the idea.
I tend to wander where foreigners (and most Indonesians) never go, so I manage shots of things the world hardly ever sees.
I don't edit, and I never try to gloss over anything - only depicting real life matters to me, regardless of any other consideration.
I'm trying to get a line into a couple of more interesting stories, but I'll have to wait and see if I can get anywhere with those.


----------



## Indofred

Burgers aren't as popular as many foods, but a few make a living from selling them.
















Eating properly is very important, and meals should not be missed, regardless of what you're doing.


----------



## Grandma

I love this thread.


----------



## Indofred

Thank you for your kind comment.


----------



## toastman

Hows the tourism in Indonesia at the moment ?


----------



## Indofred

toastman said:


> Hows the tourism in Indonesia at the moment ?



Most tourists to Indonesia end up in Bali, but Lombok is getting a little more popular because it lacks the millions of bars that Bali has.
That's not anti alcohol, it just means tourists that want a nice quiet relax can do so without loads of drunks about.
Pretty much all the hotels on Lombok serve booze, just it isn't popular.
I went last summer - it's great.

Java sees a lot of tourist, many going to Jogjakarta and the temples as far as Wonosobo. I used to live in Wonosobo, very nice place.

Sadly, and with a level of truth, Indonesia has a bad rep with the tourists.
Most of the actual problems are related to people ripping tourists off, a sad truth, but it's not even close to as bad as the stories in the tourist bars in Chinatown, KL.
Jakarta is worth a few days, but no more, and it has to be planned ahead in order to get the venues right.

The government has just removed the visa on arrival fee for some countries, including Australia, so that should bring a few extra people.
The ASEAN agreement will also bring a lot, as freedom of travel (EU style) will make life easy for tourists.

As for tourist numbers, I'd have to google.


----------



## Indofred

Health and safety - not


----------



## Indofred

I wanted to give the gopro a run, so I set it on time lapse, and went to a supermarket, after a little wander first


----------



## Indofred

Discipline on the roads is something other people do.
Because the norm is to buy your driving licence from a corrupt cop, no one knows how to drive properly, or what is reasonable.

These posts are there to stop  motorcycles using the pavement in an attempt to 
get past the jam.


----------



## Indofred

I'm Fred, and I'm clever.

I fixed the gopro on top of my motorbike helmet, but set it on time lapse, taking a snap ever 0.5 of a second.
Most are not a lot worth bothering about, but I'm getting shots I normally miss as I can't get a camera out in time.

Here's one of two guys on bike with guns, one talking on his mobile phone.






And this is a moron in a microbus, pulling though a red light, almost hitting me and a bunch of other people.


----------



## Indofred

I'm humbled, and I must renounce all I've ever said about health and safety in Indonesia.

I was wrong.

A man taking his shot on a driving range,






A man collecting rubbish on a driving range.


----------



## Indofred

The rainy season is with us, and that means floods.
The floods generally destroy a lot of personal property, disrupt a lot of lives, and there are usually a few deaths as people get trapped.
This year, there is an attempt to stop, or at least reduce, the problems.

Rubbish in rivers blocks them, so someone has set a rubbish trap in order to make it easier to clean up. They'll very probably sell the plastic as well.






Clearing rubbish from the drains, all by hand


----------



## Indofred

Of course, this is Indonesia,so thhey didn't get around to putting the covers back.


----------



## Indofred

This area, near McD in Bintaro 9 is known for bad flooding, along with the housing estates in the area.

They're dredging the rivers, in the hope of getting water away as quickly as possible.


----------



## Indofred

As you get towards Christmas, the schools start advertising for new students, so banners appear all over the place.


----------



## Indofred

This guy walks around all day, trying to sell his aluminium clothes hangers,
He'll walk for miles until he sells them, or it gets dark.






That guy walks because he can't carry his stuff on a motorbike, if he can afford one.

These guys walk because they reject pretty much everything in modern society, including money, the internal combustion engine and shoes.
They wander around, without women because females aren't allowed to leave the village, bartering honey and semi precious stones for food.


----------



## Indofred

I'm sometimes asked how I get unusual photos, and photos of the unusual.
Easy, people see a river; I see a photo shoot.






When I see something, I look closely, just to see what else is there.
In small villages, washing clothes in the river is normal.











Of course, the terrific optical zoom helps a lot.


----------



## Indofred

The road system out here is a mess, as are the pavements (Sidewalks).
In many towns, the drains have been covered over with heavy concrete, providing pedestrians with a fairly safe place to walk.
Sadly, truck drivers don't always realise these slabs have a limited load bearing capacity, especially when their truck is overloaded with concrete blocks.

The less than slim bloke in blue is the boss, a man who I have to take my hat off to as he remained calm and even managed a happy smile for me.
In that situation, I'd be really grumpy, and would probably have hacked the driver to death.


----------



## Indofred

Many Indonesians are less than well off, but can manage a small, comfortable house.
Lots of villagers and migrant workers live in places like this.

From the outside.






The living room.
At the front of he house, and where guests usual sit when they visit you.






The bedroom.
Small, just enough for a bed and bits and bobs.
It's commonly divided from the living room by a curtain.






The kitchen.
No gas, and the electricity supply is commonly limited to 400 watts, so you use bottle available from the local shop.
That's about enough to run a fridge and a small TV.






After all that food, you'll need to know about the toilet.
Most village houses (Not the posh ones) have squat toilets.
The whole room is a wet room, so no need for a shower cubicle. Washing is commonly done by scooping water from a bucket, and pouring it over you as required.






r


----------



## Indofred

The UK has very strict rules on downloads and pirate movies (and software).
Indonesia also has rules, but strict isn't usually mentioned.
This is the basement section of a large shopping mall in Tangerang.
Not a single legal copy of a DVD or software package in sight.


----------



## Indofred

You may have notice my mention of buying a gopro camera, a wonderful tool.
When I'm out and about, I leave it on my rucksack strap, ready for action if I see anything crazy on the roads.
This being Indonesia, I don't have to wait long.


----------



## Indofred

Most people produce a level of rubbish, and that has to be dumped.
Most small villages don't have anyone to collect their waste, so they dump it at the edge of he village and, every so often, the local authority send a truck to remove it.











A lot of people burn it, so terrible smells of burning plastics are often in the air.


----------



## Indofred

Village people make a living in many ways, but many don't do very well at all.
This house is run on the profits from a pedicab service.
The guy will probably work all day, every day, and still never have enough to feed his family properly.






Fishing can either feed your family, or produce cash by selling the fish.
He'll never be able to buy a boat, so this has to do.











Be a little careful when buying fish from village people, you don't always know where they got it from.


----------



## Indofred

Yorkshire saying - Where there's muck, there's brass.
Indonesian version. Where there's rubbish, I won't starve to death.
This guy will work until he can no longer walk, not far away looking at the way he was stumbling along, then he will die.






A family business.


----------



## Grandma

bump


----------



## Indofred

Sorry, been really busy. Only been using the small tab for forums and news - all the photos are on here, and I haven't been out all that much, so not many new ones.
I'll try to carry on ASAP.


----------



## featherlite

Indofred said:


> Sorry, been really busy. Only been using the small tab for forums and news - all the photos are on here, and I haven't been out all that much, so not many new ones.
> I'll try to carry on ASAP.



Here I am feeling all inconvenienced because the garbage disposal isn't working and then I see these. The one of the man stooped over carrying that huge load, and the fishing "boat" one. Intense.
They are all great pics btw. =)


----------



## Indofred

featherlite said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, been really busy. Only been using the small tab for forums and news - all the photos are on here, and I haven't been out all that much, so not many new ones.
> I'll try to carry on ASAP.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here I am feeling all inconvenienced because the garbage disposal isn't working and then I see these. The one of the man stooped over carrying that huge load, and the fishing "boat" one. Intense.
> They are all great pics btw. =)
Click to expand...


Thank you for your kind comments.
I try to show real life in Indonesia, the good and the bad, but the bad commonly makes for more interesting photos.

The passenger was totally smashed out of his brain on whisky. I can't comment on the drive - but I can take a guess.


----------



## Indofred

Birthdays can be wild.
Flour is common at birthday parties.


----------



## Indofred

There are many little roadside food stalls, but this is the first time I've noticed this one.











As I'm unsure of the contents, I probably won't be a customer.

I buy fresh chickens from a place I know all health and hygiene regulations are strictly enforced.


----------



## Indofred

This is a pretty typical village street (The type you get within towns and cities).






A bidan is a midwife - poorer women go there to have their babies, or anti/post natal care. You can also get KB (Contraception) and immunisations there.


----------



## Indofred

Yesterday's hot political topic is today's sun shade.


----------



## Indofred

This lady is unlikely to require a bidan's services.
I'm unsure if she/he/????? is transgender, a ladyboy, or what, but these are common here, often seen dancing in shop doorways for whatever people will give them.
The majority of shop owners seem to pay them to go away, and men around tend to make fun of them, but no one physically attacks them.


----------



## Indofred

People have all sorts of pets.


----------



## Indofred

Mr Tatung is a 51 year old rubbish collector.
He lives here.
The building to the right is his house.






Inside his house.






The bed is raised as the house floods in the rainy season.


----------



## Indofred

A portable peddle powered candy floss machine.


----------



## Indofred

A village scene .... but what's that in the background?






Ah, that's how they paint tall buildings.






I got sunburnt, these rather delicious young ladies are clearly more intelligent than me.


----------



## toastman

Weird question for you. Are there a lot of stray dogs in Indonesia and how do the public treat them?


----------



## Indofred

There are some, but not all that many that I've seen.
Many Chinese, and some Christians, keep dogs, but they're nothing like as popular a pet as they are in western countries.
There are several pet shops and dog grooming parlours near my house.
Many Muslims, mostly the lesser educated ones, are scared of dogs as they have very little contact with them.
All that being the case, strays are uncommon, so I haven't seen one for several years.
I gather there's a problem on Bali, but there are also dog hunters that kill them for food (strays and pets).
I'm told they're very inhumane in their treatment of the animals.
I did hear a story about a group that actively hunt strays, intending to exterminate as many as possible, but I have no idea of the truth of that story.
If it were to be true, it would either be more extreme and poorly educated Muslims, or fear of rabies.
The former, I would oppose, the latter would be less of an issue, as long as the dogs were humanely destroyed.

I'm sorry I can't be accurate, but it's something I've seen so little of here.


----------



## toastman

Actually your response was more than I expected. Thanks.


----------



## Indofred

Where there are people, there's always someone trying to sell something.






This type of business is very common here.

So is carrying silly things in as dangerous a manner as possible on motorbikes.


----------



## Indofred

I like Indonesia - people are relaxed


----------



## Indofred

I'm not sure, but I think this bike might be overloaded.






This one is fine - Twin tub washing machines don't weigh all that much.


----------



## Indofred

To suggest chocolate is popular in Indonesia is one of those, "is the Pope a Catholic" sort of things.
It's really popular, but this is a little silly all the same.
And, yes, it is real.


----------



## Indofred

You can always tell when it's hairy fruit season out here, and all without looking up at the trees.
People sit at the side of the road selling them


----------



## Indofred

The Aston hotel at Anyer beach was quite nice.
Close to the sea and the swimming pools were a reasonable size.






Breakfast was a very nice buffet with lots to choose from.






I'm working on editing the video, but time is short at the moment.


----------



## Indofred

Ah, fixing street lighting - safety is very important ....






.. hang on......what's that?

Ah, they've bunged a ruddy great stone in the road to protect them from traffic. I'm less then sure of their ability to join MENSA.


----------



## Indofred

Staying with important road safety measures.
After heave rain, it's common for small sinkholes to appear, and it's very important to mark them in order to protect motorists.
As you can see from this well lit, highly reflective warning table, safety is taken very seriously out here.


----------



## Indofred

The Aston at Anyer had a few very minor niggles, but it's not even officially open yet, and it's pretty great.
I'll be visiting again.
I will now shut up about my lovely holiday ... until I make the video.


----------



## Indofred

Guys sell semi precious stones all over the place here - even setting up outside police stations.
I'm not really into bling bling, but they do a reasonable trade.


----------



## Indofred

To repair a road.

Toss a load of stones into a hole.






Leave them there as a danger to passing motorcycles, but only untll you get around to the next bit.






Get tarnac and a shovel






Dump the tarmac onto the stones.


----------



## Indofred

When you've done all that, smooth off the tarmac






Then jump up and down on it ...... ner, use this thing.






[/url]

Then move on to the next lot of holes - loads to go at after rainy season.


----------



## Indofred

People often ask me why I want to stay here, rather than a much more developed western country.
One of the many reasons is crime - or the very low level of it.
I'm not claiming Indonesia is free of crime, but it's nothing compared to the UK.
Try leaving this lot hung on a motorbike whilst you go shopping in any English city; it won't be there when you get back, but it's very common to see this here.


----------



## Indofred

No unemployment benefits means people work - or starve.
No need for debate, but people will and do have a go at anything to make money.

Delivering newspapers.






Selling plastic stuff.






or open a market stall. Many towns have markets - the roads remain open, if you can get through.


----------



## Indofred

Lots of people selling petrol, usually out of bottles, but this one is really post - they even have a pump.


----------



## Indofred

The conversation went ........

Right lads, we need to make this road wider.

Great idea, we'll get on with it.

Hang on, have we worked out all the details?


----------



## Indofred

Another local council meeting went like this.......

Lads, we have a problem with big trucks breaking the road up - got to stop them.
I know, put big, black and yellow striped iron height restriction bars over the roads - that'll stop them.

Better make them really strong - drivers around here are blind and stupid.
Right, heavy gauge bars, and bright as we can make them - no one will hit them.






OK, maybe one, but the rest will see the damage and think twice.
Maybe not....






Seriously, I watched this dude try three times before he gave up. I think he thought the bar would get higher if he hit it a few times.

Another, lighter bar didn't survive.






OK lads, epic fail, we'll have to think of something new.
Hang on, if they're high, they're usually wide as well.






Last night I noticed some had been replaced with massive concrete blocks.


----------



## Indofred

Sorry I haven't posted much lately - I've been really tyred


----------



## Indofred

Apart from the motorbike going the wrong way and that truck's lousy parking, there doesn't seem much wrong here.






until you look closely and realise that microbus has stopped in the middle of a junction to pick up passengers.






These drivers have to be amongst the most dangerous in the world.


----------



## Indofred

I went for a minor wander today, mostly to get my new ID card.
That done, I took the chance to a little jaunt in no special direction, until I saw a subject worth a snapshot.

This guy will have been working all day for not a lot of money, but still managed to raise a smile when I pointed the camera his way.
He was digging holes for new electricity cables.


----------



## Indofred

No idea how long it takes him to make up, but here's the dude strutting his funky stuff


----------



## Indofred

After last years election, I visited a demo. It was interesting to see how the press did their work.


----------



## Indofred

Last Sunday was car free day in BSD, South Tangerang. This normally busy road is cut off once a month, all in an attempt to promote the non use of anything with an engine, then push health and fitness.
They have a lot of success as we'll see, but perhaps they should consider leaving a couple of stalls out next time.











I'm unsure these promote a healthy lifestyle.


----------



## Indofred

Anyway, the road was closed off to traffic






but pushbikes were allowed






Yes, it's a bendybike - the bloke had amazing balance.

The mobile blood donor wagon was there, encouraging people to give blood - I saw quite a few do so






and a company decided it would be a good time to promote their mobile phones. The kids loved the robots, so no one minded them being there.


----------



## Indofred

Those guys were promoting Ranadam, and how to behave during the Islamic holy month. Quite a few people stopped, chatted and passed the time of day with them, no one minded and they bothered no one.






But the main theme was heath, so the martial arts guys were out doing a demonstration 






as were the dance fitness lot. I think there were five stages spread up the street.






The ladies on stage tend to wear tight clothes, not leaving a lot to guess at.






even the firemen were enjoying a dance with them


----------



## Indofred

One thing I thought was really nice was the mobile library, and their kids' activities.


----------



## Indofred

Ramadan is the Muslim holy month. Loads of stuff happening, but the big one is the fasting. The daytime sees minimal activity pretty much everywhere, and all the food shops closed. Early evening sees the preparation start, then people buying food to take home. 
Fruit juices are extremely popular, as are small snacks. The pizza delivery people are rushed to crazy, as are all but the worst street vendors.


----------



## Indofred

I've posted part of this video before, but I've added to it.
And, before you ask, the ducks are alive. I've seen this a couple of times, and I'm not happy about it.


----------



## Indofred

Mt Gopro with video light is proving to be really handy as more than an action cam. Its small size means I can get shots I'd have no hope of with a larger camera.

Fried noodles are very popular in Indonesia.
This video shows a typical street stall and the cooking process.


----------



## Indofred

In a country with no social welfare system, you do whatever you can to earn money.







Some are more organised than others.


----------



## Indofred

Gemstones are getting really popular here.

They start out as rough stones.






They get cut and polished down to the required shapes.






ending up like this






You decide on the mount and the stone, and they'll put them together for you, or you can just buy a finished one.


----------



## Indofred

A very popular dish out here is known as Bakso.
It consists of meatballs (I'm unsure how much actual meat goes into them), veg, and a load of other stuff. Bakso stands and small stalls are very common, often several in one food court.
I don't eat it, but my wife loves the stuff.


----------



## Moonglow

Indofred said:


> I'll post a few more later.
> Oh go on - one more now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 63


All they can afford is one wheel for a bicycle?


----------



## Indofred

Another extremely popular Indonesian dish is Nasi goreng, or 'fried rice'.
There are thousands of street stands in the Jakarta area, many doing their own special version of this dish.
This one is in South Tangerang.


----------



## Indofred

Moonglow said:


> Indofred said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'll post a few more later.
> Oh go on - one more now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 63
> 
> 
> 
> All they can afford is one wheel for a bicycle?
Click to expand...


That guy, and a couple of his mates, run a bicycle shop in a small town called Sapuran, near Wonosobo in Central Java.
They manufacture all kinds of weird and wonderful bikes, as well as service and sell normal ones.


----------



## Indofred

I hate the roads because of the mess, the lack of driving skills, and the massive number of total nut jobs on them.

I love the roads because of the mess, the lack of driving skills, and the massive number of total nut jobs on them; it makes for fun photos.


----------



## Indofred

I don't do much tourist stuff, but I just had to.
This is the Indonesian national monument, known as Monas, in Jakarta.
The video shows you the top observation platform, and the views of Jakarta from there.

The music is the Indonesian national anthem.


----------



## Indofred

The road into Central Java is long, so you might need to relax.
No problem.


----------



## Indofred

When you go to Blackpool, you take a stick of rock back for your mates.
It's about the same here, but you take oleh oleh

You go to a shop like this






And buy stuff like this






I bought dried tempe kimul, a product unique to Wonosobo


----------



## Indofred

Sate ayam is BBQ chicken, and very common in Indonesia.
There are many kaki lima (5 feet) stands wandering the streets in every town.
The '5 feet' refers to the two on the owner, + the three wheels on the cart.


----------



## Indofred

Time marches on, my son has just taken his first steps at ten months old, I've decided my car is too small for four of us, a baby seat and a pram, so I'm thinking about a Daihatsu Luxio mini bus. They're about the size of a transit van, but can seat 8 people, all with loads of leg room, and there's still room for the pram in the back.
I think I just have enough under the mattress to buy it cash, but I want another few quid off the price - well, I am from Yorkshire.
Driving here is interesting, and many people are shocked at the state of the roads, but many expats out here hire drivers, and they rarely to never venture down the small side roads. The tiny road are known as 'jalan tikus' or rat roads. Fine for small motorbikes (I've sold mine), but can be a bit narrow if two larger cars meet up. Lots of minor bumps to be had unless you're really careful.
The video is running fast so the 20 minute trip takes 2 minutes to watch.


----------



## Indofred

Shopping centres are many and varied in Indonesia, so they're always looking for attractions. This one is hosting a Tai Chi event.


----------



## Indofred

People smile a lot here, so dentists are very important people.
Hygiene is taken seriously, as you can see with the lady sweeping the place out.


----------



## Indofred

Microbus drivers tend to park wherever they fancy, even in the middle of a junction.
Safety first - they always make sure the parking brake is on.


----------



## Indofred

Safety is always first out here, as we see with this hand cart belonging to a gas delivery service.






Parking it outside a fire station could well prove handy.


----------



## Indofred

This guy sells newspapers for a living - His English was surprisingly good, unusually so for a street seller.






These guys could speak no English at all, but they knew how to pose for a camera.






These guys couldn't speak English either, but they also knew how to pose.






They looked very happy, probably because the food tastes as nice as it smells


----------



## Indofred

You get off the train at Tanah Abang, walk a hundred yards or so, and come to a road and a bridge.
Millions of people have driven over it, but few will ever realise people sleep under it.
These guys are rubbish collectors, amongst the poorest people in Jakarta, and  homeless save for the bridge.


----------



## Indofred

The minions would love this guy.
He walks about with his hand cart all day, selling bananas and other fruits.
His profits are tiny, so he'll probably do it until he can no longer manage to wheel the cart.







As you see with this guy, using a mobile phone whilst riding a motorbike os seen as acceptable. He stopped at the junction, but rode off a few moments later, phone still stuck to his ear.


----------



## Indofred

I can't remember uploading and posting this video but, if I have already done so, please forgive me and my bad memory.


----------



## Indofred

The UK has a lot of rules when it comes to roadworks.
There has to be a whole bunch of safety rubbish in place, traffic lights, and who knows what else.
Indonesia is exactly the same - but without any of the above.

Here, local guys after a bit of cash try their best to control the traffic flow, and hope motorists toss a little bit of cash into their boxes.

As prostitution is illegal here, no one throws cash into their boxers.











Motorbike riders don't hang around, preferring any way around the roadworks, even if it isn't even close to safe.






The guy selling food did his best to get past on the side of the road, but it was hard work for him.






Sadly, there was a massive traffic jam caused by the roadworks - you'll see that when I edit the Gopro video.


----------



## Searcher44

Indofred said:


> The UK has a lot of rules when it comes to roadworks.
> There has to be a whole bunch of safety rubbish in place, traffic lights, and who knows what else.
> Indonesia is exactly the same - but without any of the above.
> 
> Here, local guys after a bit of cash try their best to control the traffic flow, and hope motorists toss a little bit of cash into their boxes.
> 
> As prostitution is illegal here, no one throws cash into their boxers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Motorbike riders don't hang around, preferring any way around the roadworks, even if it isn't even close to safe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The guy selling food did his best to get past on the side of the road, but it was hard work for him.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sadly, there was a massive traffic jam caused by the roadworks - you'll see that when I edit the Gopro video.



Thanks for the pics. I think you've got a good eye.


----------



## Indofred

The traffic here undisciplined at best, total chaos at worst.
What rules there are get ignored by everyone, even the police.
The road works I showed earlier caused a traffic jam, but atrocious driving made it far worse.


----------



## Indofred

Sorry about the low video quality.
The Gopro does a really nice job of taking them, producing very high quality results, but I have to edit down and save at far lower quality in order to upload them in a reasonable time.


----------



## Indofred

Searcher44 said:


> Thanks for the pics. I think you've got a good eye.



I just get lucky from time to time, and my camera does much of the hard work for me.
I just snap at things, hoping for the odd reasonable shot.


----------



## Indofred

Preman (gangsters) are feared by many who assume they're out for blood, will rob you if they get half a chance, and only have teeth so they can bite you.
Stereotypes are commonly wrong as we see with them using their teeth to smile when I took this.


----------



## Indofred

We went to the beach last week.
Indonesian beaches have lots of people who try to make a little money from the tourists.

Breakfast?






Water sports equipment hire






The lady looks shocked at the price






Yummy


----------



## Indofred

More food






Clothes (Handy if you need and extra shirt)






and a nice collection of hawkers together






But, after lots of hard work, these dudes need a rest.


----------



## Indofred

What an odd little building






Let's take a closer look






Is it over water?






It sure is. This type of toilet is still common in poor villages.
I thank Fujifilm for the long 42 times zoom they fitted to this camera.


----------



## Indofred

Supermarkets are very much like UK places, save they sell live fish for food and some stuff you'd probably find really weird.
The fish, just as a note, are remove from the tank when you pick one, then smashed over the head until dead. They wrap it up and off you go.
They also like to sing.


----------



## ESay

Thanks for the photos. Very interesting!


----------



## Indofred

My eyes are old .... but they still see what other eyes miss.
An example.

People look out of a shopping centre window and see a river.






I see a man fishing


----------



## Indofred

Back to that toilet, and the village it serves.











You might well have noticed the sack, they're filled with these.






filled up by these, and others






then sent away to be sold to a middleman who then sells them on to a plastics factory.


----------



## Indofred

A pole ... with notices.






This is telling everyone about a missing 10 year old child


----------



## Indofred

This lady works her stall in a market, probably earning enough to live, but not a lot more.
She seems to be trying to sell anything that's easy to carry to the market.






I went up there by train.  Note the platform isn't the right height, so they made steps.


----------



## Indofred

Several petrol stations have closed down in the area for a variety of reasons.






Indonesians are known for their ability to see and exploit an opportunity to make a little money, but some go as far as their small investment capital allows.






You just have to respect these people.


----------



## Indofred

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round ... or you could jump on a truck.


----------



## Indofred

Come on, give the electricians a bit of credit.
They got the duff street light working without having to dig up the grass.


----------



## Indofred

Remember this?







I wonder
A lot of yellow paint in this scratches.


----------



## Indofred

Savile Row is known for its bespoke tailors, as are many small back roads in Indonesia.
I can Image James Bond in duds from these dudes.
I have to be fair, many of these guys produce pretty good stuff, and I've used them more than once for tailored shirts.


----------



## Indofred

Coconuts - a lot of coconuts






a very lot of coconuts






What can you do with so many of the things?

They seem to be burning them...






Ah, coconut charcoal for cooking - It gives the food a very nice flavour.


----------



## Indofred

They sieve it down to get rid of the dust, then scoop it into sacks for sale to street food vendors.


----------



## Indofred

Next up - A Javanese wedding - Watch this space


----------



## Grandma

I love this thread.


----------



## Indofred

I don't much bother with the big malls unless I'm taking my wife shopping, but I'm glad I popped in this place for a kebab.
They've taken Star wars advertising to a whole new level as epic as the film is likely to be.


----------



## Indofred

BSD city is putting up its Christmas decorations.
Most malls and better off areas have a notable Christmas display, including Christmas music playing just as much as in western malls


----------



## Indofred

Big crime is something we don't see all that much of out here, but it does happen.
I understand the police have solved this one and arrested the thieves.






The machine stands in local minimart; they broke in at night and smashed their way into the ATM.


----------



## Indofred

When you settle down in bed this evening, think what it would be like to sleep in this bedroom, that's also their kitchen and living room.


----------



## Indofred

I mentioned a Javanese (Muslim) wedding.
It all starts with a party, get together of family and friends, and praying session at the house.
There's always a fat pile of food, and lots of people to eat it.






After a day or two of that, it's off to the local mosque, presents and traditional offerings in hand.
















The mosque is filled, so the job can start.

The wedding is split into religious bits and official bits.






Better off families tend to video and photograph the whole thing. This is the daughter of a higher ranking local policeman, so things were done well.






Gifts are quite what they are in most western weddings, more like a dowry but presented in a very nice way.






You don't get a marriage certificate as such, you get marriage books.











Respect for parents is especially important in Javanese culture, so the last part of the wedding is to show that and acceptance of the new family.


----------



## Geaux4it

Thanks

Java Surf report?


----------



## Indofred

First, you should watch the accident.


Then see the aftermath.

The pick up






The bike 






The people











They were both moving a little, but both were a mess, one having some red stuff coming out of his head.
There were dumped into the back of the pick up and taken to hospital.
The local police were informed, but I don't know what happened after that.
I'll make a call to a friend and try to find out if they survived.


----------



## Indofred

Sunday was car free day in Jakarta.
I've never really bothered looking, but I gave it a blast.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia used many military aircraft since the 1945 independence declaration, including a lot of home made gliders and aircraft from a wide variety of countries.
Some of the first were surrendered Japanese aircraft, but these were quickly replaced with units from Russia and America.
Old aeroplanes are commonly used as gatekeepers in towns throughout the country.
We see that here with this Bronco.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia has had a varied past, much of which involved Buddhism and Hinduism.
The most famous example of the Borobudur temple, but there are many more smaller building around Java. This is one of a cluster in the Dieng area near Wonosobo in Central Java.


----------



## Indofred

A trip to Jakarta always lets you see something different, but you sometimes have to wander off the beaten track to do it, but usually not too far.

Car free days see a lot of activities, including baseball.






A police patrol in their green vehicle; one of the very few things allowed on the closed sections of the roads.
A few people may tag along - saves all the peddling. 






Walk 20 metres off the road and you see other things.






Another thing you see is street artists.
Some are a bit lousy, other amazing.


----------



## Indofred

I don't usually post tourist stuff, but Taman safari is a bit special, so I will on this occasion.
I made this video a couple of years ago.


----------



## Indofred

Music is human - if you don't have an instrument, make one


----------



## Indofred

Microbus drivers are pretty much universally hated by other road users, mostly because they do stupid things like park on a junction to pick up and drop off passengers.


----------



## Indofred

What are they up to?







Ah, clearing rubbish from a river






but with special effort for the things they can sell


----------



## Indofred

People take holiday snaps when they go to the beach, most people, but not me.
My wife snaps away with her phone whilst I look for other things.

I took several photos of this guy but I chose this one because he's almost faceless here, and that's a truth in this country.
The guy is old, but still having to earn money by collecting plastic rubbish from the beach and food areas.
Faceless in the photo, and faceless to most who see him.


----------



## Indofred

Bin men out here tend to get paid very little, but they have to work like donkeys to get their cash.
This guys are better off than many because they have a truck, but many still use hand carts.

They take the rubbish from the bins






load it onto the truck






Then clean up the street. If they don't, there are plenty of other people who will, so they'd get sacked.


----------



## Indofred

A lot of things cause traffic jams here, but not to waste a chance for business, Indonesians tend to exploit the opportunity


----------



## Indofred

I don't do wildlife stuff, but I happened across this as I was strolling along.


----------



## Indofred

I don't do wildlife stuff, but I happened across this as I was strolling along.


----------



## Indofred

Road traffic laws aren't exactly enforced much of the time, but there is a movement to get things into some sort of order.

Free emissions test






Everything in Indonesia starts with a quick meeting and a prayer (All things like this are multi faith)






Paperwork first - What would we do without the paperwork?






Then to the testing


----------



## Indofred

It rains here in a spectacular way, meaning big drains are needed to get rid of the water.
They've started to cover the drains with concrete slabs making pavements, but lorry drivers like to park on them ... oops.
Safety first in Indonesia, so the broken cover is immediately and very clearly marked in order to avoid accidents.


----------



## Indofred

An umbrella is a very British thing, but at least one Indonesian has come up with a way of getting rid of all that messing about carrying it.


----------



## Indofred

Beggars and buskers come in all types, even violin players hanging around in the traffic jams as you try to get onto the toll road.


----------



## Indofred

Some people living in poverty next to a train station






Another shack






but this one is on a bridge.
The people saw a chance of a place where they were out of the way and could use the pipes to hold their roof up.


----------



## I amso IR

Looks like my hootch, back in the day.


----------



## Indofred

Indonesia has "red days", these being public holidays, and all the main religions have their turn, including the Hindus.
Today is their day of silence, so Bali has gone quiet, even the airport is closed.
It's a school holiday, and a holiday for banks, offices and so on.

Some people might very well be a little bit more silent than they'd planned, notably the driver of this car on the toll road who has a large metal barrier through his car about where his head would normally be.
Whilst one hopes he survived it, his chances have to be slim as the barrier entered through the windscreen on the driver's side, and exited through the rear right passenger door.


----------



## Indofred

Street food is very popular here, and commonly lovely, 






but the trick is seeing where they wash the dishes before you eat there.


----------



## Indofred

Hotels vary a lot here, starting from the very simple through to places that compete with the best in the world.
I like good food and a clean room, my wife likes the clean room and whatever the eldest kid wants, and the eldest wants a nice sandy beach and a reasonable swimming pool.
That left this place a winner as the price was reasonable, the place was clean, if a little jaded in places, and the food wasn't bad at all.
No one could claim the place was great, but it was reasonable for the price.
The staff were very good, very quickly correcting anything we mentioned before it became a moan.
Overall, I'll book again next time we fancy a few days in that area.


----------



## Indofred

Building things is expensive, so using whatever is available is always good.
Take note of the traffic lights pole






It also works with trees


----------



## Indofred

Many see the Indonesian police as bad news, claiming they're all unfriendly, dangerous and/or corrupt.
Whilst I wouldn't be so blind as to say there are no problems, I firmly believe the vast majority of coppers are fine.
These two guys were a case in point - I only asked them for directions, but they kept me talking for ages, both asking me about my home country and explaining their work in Jakarta. They were a credit both to Indonesia and the Indonesian police, as the vast majority of coppers I've met out here are.






As for their work, this is where they keep any bombs they find until they get the chance to get rid of them.






Indonesian police helping to keep us all safe. Well done lads.


----------



## Indofred

A bridge, well it would be in most western countries. 
In Indonesia, it's a business opportunity.






Hang on ... why waste all the unwanted space underneath it? We could park motorbikes there and charge for the parking space.






Hang on ... If all those bikes are there, we can sell food and make more money.






Hang on ... Most of those people are Muslims, so they'll need a mosque.


----------



## Indofred

V doesn't mean what it means in the UK, and the shirt aren't a nice new design.
When senior high school students finish their last day of exams, the spray paint comes out.


----------



## Indofred

Seatbelts are compulsory when driving a car, but lorries are exempt.


----------



## Indofred

The Thai call them Tuk tuks, Indonesians know them as Bajai, but they get used as heavy goods vehicles regardless of the name you prefer.


----------



## Indofred

Alfamart is a chain of 'corner shops', very popular around Indonesia.
From time to time they've been known to wander around local villages with special offers.


----------



## Indofred

We went for a little jaunt to the cinema this afternoon, then my eldest decided she fancied a curry in ITC, BSD. As the curry place is clean, tidy, cheap and the food tastes good, I didn't argue.

Whilst waiting for my delicious curry, I took a look at a couple of other stalls.

Here's one






This place can't be described as I did the curry place, and there's little chance of me ever trying the food.
The filth was bad, and I'm sure ITC operate a no smoking policy.
Still, I could be wrong.


----------



## Indofred

Seat belts are not required for truck passengers (Part II)


----------



## Indofred

A truck down a hole.
The drains are covered, but they aren't even close to strong enough to hold a fully laden truck, so sights like this are common.











In fairness, the hole is always clearly marked with reflective signs and all normal safety measures so no one else falls victim to it.


----------



## Indofred

16 May 2016

A truck with a crane smashed into a footbridge, causing to to collapse in a spectacular fashion, blocking both lanes of a busy toll road.
The driver needs a very good lawyer and a change of underwear.
I'm taking a guess the crane was partially raised as it should have easily passed under the bridge.
However, that's only a guess.

The press were out in force, probably more of them than there were coppers, and there were a lot of plod.


----------



## Indofred




----------



## jon_berzerk

Indofred said:


> I wondered if anyone will read this crap or if I should devote more time to scratching my balls and farting.
> 
> 61




good stuff


----------



## Indofred

The bridge has now been removed and traffic is flowing, leaving only the smashed ends, a few police road markings, the damage to the side of the road, and a dent in the central reservation to mark the accident's position.


----------



## Indofred

This is Indonesia, so the utmost must be done to make the area safe, totally blocking the path so no one can accidentally pass and drop.
I have to wonder if anyone realised ....


----------



## Indofred

Indonesian roads are commonly pretty bad, but there is a big push towards making them better.
Sadly, cash and lazy often make for a crap or half finished job, as we see in this case where the contractors haven't bothered filling in the drop between the rebuilt road and the side road.
The driver found some bricks to stuff under his tyre, and off he went.


----------



## Indofred

I've been photographing an old building for some months now, mostly because I expected an accident or few.
I thought it would be a worker or few get crushed or fall in a spectacular way, but a bigger bang was to be had.
It was started in 1995, but finally abandoned in 1998, partially due to the financial crisis, and partially because of crap building techniques that made it unsafe - more than anyone thought.

This was the building in October 2015.






and in January 2016.






As you can see, they've removed a few floors, and it was all by hand.

Workers in November






Here they are in January dropping a concrete beam by hand.






You can see by the lack of safety gear and the reckless work techniques why I thought there was going to be a problem ........


----------



## Indofred

Forgive me posting someone else's picture, but I didn't get one of the collapse

Old high-rise building in Bintaro collapses



> Some parts of an old skyscraper in Bintaro, South Tangerang, Banten, collapsed on Thursday afternoon causing clouds of dust in the surrounding area.



(Note - I like the Jakarta post)






OOPS!

I wandered over the following day

The road was closed






and this is what the building looked like


----------



## Indofred

As you'd expect, the press were there in force.
I noticed a crew looking for a good place to film, so I gave them a shout to suggest my position would work well - It did, and I got to watch the live broadcast. Their equipment was interesting, especially the live streaming box. 






Looks good, but zooming out shows how they got the camera angle






I had a little chat with a dude I met on the top floor of Bintaro trade centre, him telling me how all the workers were on their lunch break at the bottom of the building, but one guy was still up top.
Seems he was on the part that remained up, so he had a very lucky escape. I wonder if he was wearing brown trousers.


----------



## Indofred

A truck fallen down drains is a common sight here.






I probably see one a week, so we have to ask why it happens.

Here's another one.






I'll make it easy to see






and the hole it left.






The drivers either don't see the drains, or just don't realise the covers can't take the weight of their lorries.


----------



## Indofred

Gorengan, or fried things, can be found all over Indonesia.
They all share being deep fried in batter, but the contents vary wildly from tofu to bananas and pretty much anything else you can think of.


----------



## Indofred

Lack of education is still a major problem in Indonesia.
It isn't really anyone's fault, more a combination of factors, but the upshot remains the same; a lot of people have no clue how much damage they're doing to their country when they throw rubbish away.
A few weeks ago I accepted an invitation to Trisakti university, an excellent establishment on Jakarta's inner ring road. As I was a little early, I took the opportunity for a mini wander with the smaller of my cameras, a lovely Olympus compact with 24X optical zoom.



> i·ro·ny1
> ˈīrənē/
> noun
> the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
> "“Don't go overboard with the gratitude,” he rejoined with heavy irony"
> synonyms:    sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, sardonicism
> "that note of irony in her voice"
> a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
> plural noun: ironies
> "the irony is that I thought he could help me"
> synonyms:    paradox, incongruity, incongruousness
> "the irony of the situation"



I could also be defined as a pile of anti flood sandbags piled up against a save the planet sign.


----------



## Indofred

Small restaurants are very common here so a wide variety of foods are available on pretty much every street.






Oh, food and motorcycles






The UK health and hygiene people would go crackers at this, but it's nothing odd here. 
As a note - the food is pretty good there.


----------



## Indofred

I wanted a smaller camera with USB charging and better low light performance, but still with a big zoom.

I decided a Samsung was probably best so I bought one.
Please forgive any errors until I learn to drive it.


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## Indofred

My first attempt with the new camera was this. People selling all sorts from motorbikes is pretty common, but even local standards see this is overloaded.
Note the clever patented rain protection - I've heard a whisper Honda have eyes on buying that in a bid to knock Yamaha out of the market.


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## Indofred

This is a tree, a basic, common and ordinary tree, but with bamboo learning against it.
Bamboo is cheap or free here, so it's very common to see the stuff being used for building work.







This tree has more hanging around in its branches.
















Flying chickens aren't the norm here, but they're not that unusual either.
They can fly up to the branches, probably about 3 meters, and can manage short flights of 10 or 20 meters.
and they're pretty big.


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## Indofred

These have been around for a while now, but they've expanded to sell all the types of petrol available in Indonesia.


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## Indofred

It's holiday season here, and that means traffic jammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmms ~ less, that long.

In turn that means misery, overheating cars, overheating people and business opportunities.


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## Indofred

Many of the street vendors are extremely poor, meaning their shack is commonly their home as well.
An early morning jaunt allows you to see things most people never do.


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## Indofred

Bread is surprisingly popular here, so it's sold in all supermarkets, most mini markets and by many street street sellers who run about in/on everything from a pushbike to a van.


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## Indofred

Many shopping centres have food courts with a wide variety of what many consider junk food, but we also have to admit it's delicious.
One of my favourites is Doner kebab. Seriously, I don't often get the chance to buy one but I leave the big places alone if I know there is one around.






If they aren't to your taste, there's a wide variety of other stuff available or you can dine at one of the many 'sit down' restaurants in the malls.


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## Indofred

I finally got around to trying the bus from Bintaro to Ratu plaza in Jakarta.
It's cheap at Rp14,000 (Less than a quid or a bit over a Dollar), and it's fast, but, and there's always a big but, it was really bumpy to the point where even I felt travel sick


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## Indofred

I saw my first lady motorcycle taxi driver today.


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## Indofred

Indonesia is a country of extremes. 
Here's a guy trying to earn an honest buck by making brooms to sell at the side of the road.






The owner of this old car probably doesn't make brooms for a living.


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## Indofred

The local government in Jakarta is seriously worried about the terrible traffic jams, as is pretty much everyone who gets stuck in them.
I'm guessing the free bus service is an attempt to get people out of their cars, but I'm open to correction.











The buses are 'functional' but clean and tidy ... and free


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## Indofred

Kelapa muda (Young coconut) is a popular drink here, and mostly profit for many as the vendors just harvest wild coconuts for free.






Here's how they prepare it (Watch your fingers)


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## Indofred

Seafood is quite common in Indonesia, but there are restaurants every couple of hundred meters as you go down the roads near holiday resorts.
They vary wildly in quality, but I have yet to visit any that were better than 'acceptable'. Some are brick buildings but many are bamboo structures. The food is usually cooked to order so is generally fresh.
This one in in Anyer, and could be said to be pretty typical of the sort of thing you'll find there.


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## Indofred

The big holiday season has come and gone, and so have all the tourists from the major resorts, but they left their rubbish.
This scene was pretty much the same at every rest stop and a good few of the beach side parking areas and markets.
There's little by way of local habit here as far as throwing rubbish in bins is concerned, and very few bins anyway.


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## Indofred

Many people have no access to piped water, so wells are very common here.


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## Indofred

The same goes for toilets, many people have no proper sanitation.

A house ... sort of






The toilet






Some are even worse.
The drain is the river.


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## Indofred

The lady of the well was outside a house who's owners have a little cottage industry going.
People here who are unable to find work or feel they can do better by starting a micro business conduct a variety of trades, this one making fish food.











This attitude to work and their determination to look after their families strengthens my admiration for the Indonesian people.


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## Indofred

Another very interesting cottage industry is this one. I discovered this place the same day as the fish food.
The old way of calling Muslims to prayer was a drum as well as the vocal call. The drums were louder than the voice so would attract more attention over a greater distance. Many mosques still use the drum, and many more keep one as a nod to the past

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Goat skins are used as the cover






and old oil drums as the soundbox


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## waltky

Granny says handlin' a toad'll give ya warts...




*Bangladesh treats first case of 'tree girl' syndrome*
_January 31, 2017 - A young Bangladeshi girl with bark-like warts growing on her face could be the first female ever afflicted by so-called "tree man syndrome", doctors studying the rare condition said Tuesday._


> Ten-year-old Sahana Khatun has the tell-tale gnarled growths sprouting from her chin, ear and nose, but doctors at Dhaka's Medical College Hospital are still conducting tests to establish if she has the unusual skin disorder.  Less than half a dozen people worldwide have epidermodysplasia verruciformis but none so far have been women, said Samanta Lal Sen, the head of the hospital's burn and plastic surgery unit.  "We believe she is the first woman," Sen told AFP.
> 
> Her father, a poor labourer from Bangladesh's rural north, said he didn't worry too much when the first warts appeared on his daughter's face about four months ago.  But as the growths spread rapidly he grew concerned and brought Khatun from their village to the capital Dhaka for treatment.  "We are very poor. My daughter lost her mother when she was only six. I really hope that the doctors will remove the barks from my beautiful daughter's face," her father Mohammad Shahjahan told AFP.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sahana Khatun, 10, poses for a photograph at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital​
> Another of Khatun's doctors said the young patient was displaying a milder form of the disease, and it was hoped she would make a quicker recovery than those in the more advanced stages.  The hospital has been treating one man with a serious case of the disease for the better part of a year, conducting 16 surgical procedures to remove giant warts from his hands and legs.
> 
> Huge growths weighing five kilogrammes (11 pounds) each had consumed the hands of 27-year-old Abul Bajandar, the first recorded Bangladeshi to be suffering from the disease.  His plight has captured national attention and the interest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who promised the patient would receive treatment free of charge.  Doctors told AFP last month that for the first time in a decade, Bajandar had been able to touch his wife and daughter, and was almost ready to leave the ward.
> 
> Bangladesh treats first case of 'tree girl' syndrome


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