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Jakarta
Entry 31 of 88 | show all | print this entry |
Tue 03 Aug - Day 93
A very pleasant 26hrs sail, sees us entering the very busy port of Jakarta. Each time we speak to any Indonesians, who often come up to you to practice their English, they warn us to be very careful in Jakarta, very dangerous. Angus has also said that the port area can be bedlam, he offers to share a taxi with us as the area we will be staying in is on his route. Angus is also fluent in Bahasa Indonesian which is a huge bonus, he'd avoided a mugging because he understood what two blokes behind him were saying.
The dock at Tanjung Priok is bedlam. With hundreds of people and their belongings streaming off the ship and hundreds more waiting to meet them, including porters, taxi drivers and hawkers.
We follow Angus and his porter and eventually break through the melee. Metered Bluebird taxis are the only rip-off free ride.
Angus has lived 10 years in Jakarta and is full of fascinating stories of riots and corruption. In the half hour ride to Jalan Jaksa he gives us plenty of tips and advice, he also refuses to take any money for the taxi. A gentleman and a scholar.
Jalan Jaksa is a narrow one way road about 500m long that is home to most of the backpacker accomodation, and several bars and small restaurants. It's kind of central, although there is no real centre in the sprawling mass that is Jakarta.
A non fish head sandwich helps with our room search. It's my turn to look and it doesn't take long as there are only 3 places with rooms available, 2 of those are overpriced. The Djody Hostel has a double room, which has a tiled floor, en-suite with cold shower and TV for 110,000 rupiah (6.75) per night, with breakfast included. On the downside there were a lot of mossies in the room.
We dump our bags and take a walk, searching for a Pelni ticketing office, which we eventually find. It's not the mail Pelni office, and to be honest, weren't much help or that iterested. A long hike back through the heat and pollution means we've earnt a happy hour beer.
We're both knackered, so have an early and delicious dinner at Pappa Kafe. By 7.30 we're back in our room (about 1min walk) with newspaper and duct tape blocking off the mosquito entry points, and then flip flopping the remaining ones.
At 9pm, to my absolute horror, we realise I've left our bag at the restaurant. We run back but the bag, unsurprisingly, has gone. Numb nuts. No sign of it, and no one saw a thing.
The irony is we only had the bag with us to put the camera in, which we didn't feel totally safe leaving in our room. All our money and passports is always on us in money belts. The bag contained Rene's leatherman knife and magellite torch, our Lonely Planet Indonesian guidebook and our Canon A80 camera and accessories. The only irreplaceables being the camera memory cards holding pictures from Melaka, Perhentian Islands and Singapore.
The owner of Pappa Kafe isn't about, and it's too late and a little pointless to go to the Police Station tonight, so we trudge disconsolately back to our room.
Expenses Rupiah 16,500 / pound: lunch 33,000, internet 10,000, paper and tape 12,500, accom 110,000, beer 40,000, dinner 67,500.
Wed Aug 04 - Day 94
After a restless night of self incrimination, we spend the day doing all the necessary stuff. We speak to the owner of the cafe and visit the police station to make a statement.
By the time we've completed all we need to (nothing, except bags disappearing, happens quickly in Jakarta) we just make it by Ba-jai (two stroke, sputtering orange three wheelers) to the main Pelni office, where we pick up lots of information and a 2004 timetable.
Later we visit Pappa Kafe again in the vain hope that our cameras been returned, but alas no.
To add to our generally shit day, Rene received an email form work that changes are afoot, it upset her more than I thought it would. She enjoys her job and the people she works with, and now has her figers crossed that things work out as she'd like.
A huge thank you to John Whitfield Moffitt for all your much appreciated help today. (Rene's dad).
Expenses: Taxis to police statin 31,000, internet 5,000, drinks 8,000, Baijai taxi 20,000, fax 34,000, lunch 45,000, beer 16,000, dinner 57,000, internet 18500.
Thursday Aug 05 - Day 95
The next Pelni ferry from Jakarta to Pontianak in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) doesn't depart until Aug 11. We are contemplating travelling across Java by train, island hopping as far as Flores and back, then boarding the Pelni ferry which leaves Surabaya (east Java) on Aug 23 headed for Nunukan in Kalimantan.
today though, the whole day is taken up with shopping for replacement goods.
Expenses: dinner 57,200, lunch 40,000, bus 15,000, juice 45,000, Doxycycline 57,500, internet 7,000, beer 16,000, book and pens 20,100, laundry 20,000, accom 110,000
Insurance claim: Camera 3,900,000 case 90,000 128MB card 331,500 rechargeable batteries 172,000 leatherman 880,000 mag-lite 170,000 rucksack 219,000 lonely planet Indonesia (bible) 284,400.
Where I stayed:
Djody Hostel
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