Jakarta: Slums, Chums and Pushy Parents

It was around 4am by the time we reached the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and it was fair to say we looked like extras from “The Walking Dead”. 42 hours on a durian stained, egg shell ridden coach with ridiculous Bollywood/Eurovision style music videos playing 24/7 had taken its toll and we were desperate to find a place to stay.

The Indonesian women Jono had chatted too was nice enough to share a cab with us and ensure we reached the “Backpacker Street”, Jalan Jaksar in one piece. I have a feeling the taxi driver was a friend of the family as the fare was a little inflated but to be honest we were that drained we couldn’t give a crap about being slightly ripped off. The conversation in the cab started off on a jolly note as it was proposed Jono should visit her home for lunch the following day so he could meet the woman’s daughter.  This seemed like a friendly request and the prospect of free food is something we rarely shy away from but after a little interrogation it turned out her daughter was fourteen years old (probably explains why she was asking questions about the UK benefit system a lot). Now I could at this point make jokes suggesting Garry Glitter picked the wrong country to search for a “partner”, but this proposal did raise some important points. Despite the rapid development of most Asian countries in recent years there are still many people living lives on a knife edge between a basic but happy life and utter poverty. For many parents the best they can hope for is that their children study hard enough to enable them to break through the racial, political and bureaucratic barriers that exist. Alternatively if they feel their child cannot jump these hurdles on their own the only real option is to find them a partner who has financial security. Sure once the penny dropped Jono’s face exhibited a look of horror that I have never seen before but I don’t think you can blame this obviously caring and devoted mothers attempts to ensure her daughter had a better life.

You will be glad to know Jono kindly declined the offer and will not be investigated by Operation Yew Tree on his return to the UK. Although he has almost certainly blown any chance he had of becoming a TV presenter.

Very basic digs

 Once Indonesian Cathy Bates ceased with the wedding planning we were warned that the Lonely Planet’s description of Jalan Jaksar may be a little inaccurate. The friendly, bustling, lively street is actually rumored as the stomping ground of the cities more unsavory characters. According to her many rapists, pickpockets, murderers, gangsters and the way she was going quite possibly cattle rustlers dwell in Jalan Jaksar and the street is developing a notorious reputation amongst locals. It all sounded a bit like Northampton high street on a Saturday night to me but in hindsight her advice was valid (or could have been one final attempt to convince us to stay with her).  

shotgun the bed by the cat flap window

Our first impressions of Jalan Jaksar weren’t great. The dingy, dank road was caked in a layer of waste and shite that reminded me of my old workplace after consistent heavy rainfall and the number of dead rats only added to the memory. We opted for a cheap guesthouse called Wisma Disema which was described as “Spartan accommodation” on Travel fish and they weren’t kidding. It is believed that the Spartans forced their children to leave home at a young age and survive in the wilds with nothing and although we weren’t sleeping rough our room did resemble a set from one of the SAW movies. The five foot by seven foot cell contained no windows, a nice crisp brown and mustard colour scheme with wall rot as an optional extra. The beds looked prime candidates for bed bugs with brown, saggy mattresses and bedding that felt like a sock filled with soil. I’m sure cress was growing through the fabric. We both agreed one night would be enough and in the meantime we should find alternative accommodation.

Sightseeing wasn’t really on the agenda the first day and after a little research we found a hostel with great reviews. A few miles from Jalan Jaksar the “Six Degrees Hostel” is located in a slightly nicer district in the city and has much more to offer. Run by devoted and friendly staff made up of Indonesians and Expats, Six Degrees is a backpacker retreat from the hectic streets of Jakarta. It has a great common room with movies every evening, pool table, gym, kitchen and an awesome roof top bar which proved to be a great place to share stories and make new friends. It not normal for us to rate a hostel so highly especially when we weren’t able to get a room, but the staff were kind enough to allow us to use the facilities and even helped us get a room at a nearby hotel.

The National Monument

The “Batavia Hotel” is a neighbour of “Six Degrees” and acts as overflow for travelers unable to stay at the more popular compatriot. However that doesn’t mean Batavia is lower quality it just offer something a little different. Where Six Degrees is strong at providing a social hub, Batavia offers really clean and comfortable capsule dorm rooms. They also have a more chilled out roof terrace which proved to be a great spot to skype home, kick back or even catch up with your blog. If you do visit Jakarta don’t make our initial mistake and stay at one of these top notch establishments, unless of course you like smelling of musk and becoming flea ridden.

The buildings in the historic district look nice but offer limited attraction

Ross learning English from some kids on a school trip

Sightseeing wise Jakarta is pretty limited. Compared to most capitals cities the historic quarter is pretty uninteresting and lacking in culture and the best you can hope for is a distracting walk along the waste ridden river banks. Which leads to my other pet hate of Jakarta, it’s a tip. It’s almost like Indonesia has looked at the way Malaysia and Singapore do things and gone “yeah they have done a good job, but I can’t be bothered”. A little like saying you’ve done your paper round but in fact you just dumped the newspapers in a secluded ditch. The city sights are really that pathetic and only offer a distraction from the chaos for around 30 minutes maximum.

It's not often you see something stepping into the primordial ooze

Grabbing a much needed pint at Six Degrees

Six Degrees roof terrace bar

Satisfied with our attempts to ride the cultural showboat we focused on using the facilities at Six Degrees to make some friends and that meant getting back on the booze. In fact if there is one positive point to be said about Jakarta it’s that compared to Malaysia and Singapore, you can have a few drinks without requiring an overdraft and that creates a much more open and friendly atmosphere. It worked in Vietnam where a pint was 50p and it works here too. Bizarrely after nine months of meeting people attempting all kinds of crazy trips we bumped into another Englishman attempting to travel to Australia without flying. Tom started his travels five days before us and made his way through Scandinavia, Europe and East across the Caspian Sea with a few friends. After travelling through Kazakhstan into Russia to catch the Trans-Mongolian he continued on a route pretty much identical to ours and now he hopes to find a boat to OZ before he starts his new job in Melbourne. It’s still incredible to think that we may have stayed in the same town, city or guest house and have only just now met. We wish you the best of luck dude at finding a yacht and if they have spare seats give us a call.

The Jakarta skyline from Six Degrees roof terrace

It’s true that Jakarta is often the first or last sight of Indonesia for travels dependent on flights. However it seems few people like to stay and after spending far too long in town we can understand. This city has a knack of keeping hold of people. I mean it took us two days to leave. The first problem with Jakarta is that unlike most huge capital cities its infrastructure is incredibly antiquated and coverage is limited. There is no metro, only a small rail and bus service. This means that unless you’re trying to reach the old town, travel around the city is tough and congestion terrible. Secondly the main means of escaping the cities grip are located miles away on the edge of town. Bus stations, railway, airport are all miles out. This means that you must use taxis to reach these transport hubs.

Unsatisfied with the possibility of getting stuck in traffic and missing our bus (we almost managed that in Bangkok) we reserved a seat on a private minibus service. This was logical as it was cheap, they would pick us up from our hotel and drop us of at the coastal town of Pangandaran. Unfortunately logic does not exist here and after waiting six hours for our 11am bus to arrive we had no choice but to cancel and book an additional night at Batavia. Thankfully with the help of the staff we arranged an early morning taxi and made it to the station and boarded an extremely cheap bus to Pangandaran. It’s time for SUN, SAND & SURF.

Singapore: A fitting end to mainland Eurasia

 

9th - 13th February

easy to feel small amongst the vista of marina bay, Singapore

Another day and unusually for us another capital. The last time we moved from capital to capital we were leaving Vilnius for Riga and coming to the end of our two month stint in Europe. That part of our journey feels a world away now but only in terms of distance.



Marina Sands Hotel from the gardens with the Singapore Flyer in the distance

Singapore Flyer from Gardens by the Bay

 It was fair to say that compared to the rest of Asia, Malaysia certainly felt like home more than anywhere else. They drive on the correct side of the road, its incredibly easy to travel by bus and coach, the population is football mad. But Singapore seems to have takes the ideals of the western world at done one better.



Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay

The stunning Supertree Grove

The border crossing was certainly the most organized we have seen for a while now and it made the Thai-Malay border look as chaotic as wildebeest crossing a crocodile infested river in the Masai Mara. We were through in a matter minutes and that even gave them time for a little interrogation regarding whether we smoke or not?
The city itself is no different. Everything runs like a well oiled machine and despite the population density and tourist hoards you can walk around without suffocation on exhaust fumes and getting crushed trying to get on the metro. The place is so well oiled in fact that many feel this clinical metropolis lacks character. But I beg to differ.

 

Gardens by the bay also showcases a great range of wood sculptures

Singapore is an ultra modern, international trading giant and financial hub. Its also incredibly small and this means unlike any other city in the world it can manage things a little differently. If you have ever been to other parts of Asia the first three things you will think is "Hmmm how come nobody is gozzing (spitting for those who aren't English) and there isn't a bonfire in the road and litter in the river". If you think about it that is what gives the place a unique feel.

indoor waterfall ....check

I'd watch out for the cactus mate

The first tourist attraction we visited in Singapore was "Gardens by the Bay". This 101 hectare garden is an amazing feat of horticulture, eco-architecture and sustainability. It's like the Eden Project after ten Red Bull's. The park contains a plethora of habitats thanks to two huge dome conservatories. The park is dominated by the amazing treelike structures in "Supertree Grove". These verticle gardens perform many functions such as harness the suns rays for energy, collect rainwaters and act as an exhaust filter to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now I'm sorry if all this sounds quite boring but as an Environmental Manager I spent a lot of time trying to reduce carbon footprints and know one thing that is very hard to do is get a population thinking from the same page. In the UK most of the time the only way you will get anyone involved is with cash incentives. In Singapore they use this too but alongside projects like Gardens by the Bay which educate new minds. Oh yeah and with some good old fashioned fines thrown in for good measure. It what every city should strive for but I feel Singapore will remain an anomaly as its uniquely small and affluent.


Chinatown

Right green rant over its important to remember what getting to Singapore meant to us. The country lies on the Southern tip of the Malay Peninsula so in many ways it represents the last country before we have to set sail again. The last time we sailed the seas we were leaving Harwich, England for the Hook of Holland as we made landfall in mainland Europe. Therefore as a symbol of the lengths we have travelled Singapore represented a true milestone. In eight and a half months Bruvs with Blisters had made it across mainland Eurasia, from Amsterdam in the North-East to Singapore in the South-West so there was cause to celebrate.


Future destination maybe

Grab a granny day at Universal Studios

That wouldn't normally be a problem for us but there are a few things you need to note when visiting Singapore. There seems to be an unwritten rule in Chinatown that you can only purchase a pint if your also going to have food. Strange I know but it took three attempts before we found an establishment kind enough to accept customers looking for a laugh and a few pints without having to navigate their way through a plate of noodles. The cost is another factor and if you think the price of a pint in London is steep your wallets going to hurt feel as empty as a Chelsea fans head on the Paris metro (see I can still keep up with the news back home). Despite this we decided to forget about our dwindling pot of travel cash and celebrate.
After hitting a few cheapish local bars in Chinatown we moved towards Little India stopping in for a pint on the way and soon discovered the watering holes here are very different to the Fox & Hounds back home. Firstly there full of balding, middle aged men (I know your thinking that sounds exactly like an English pub but bear with me). Secondly, there are lots of women wearing not a lot and Thirdly, the windows are generally blacked out and fourthly everyone seems to want to shake hands.....all the time. I'm still not quite sure what was happening but all I know is that many guys were going upstairs and not coming back and one of the girls seemed interested in me until she found out I'm technically unemployed and homeless.   

pterodactyl's eye view

The next day we carried our hangovers and headed towards Sentosa Island and Universal Studios. Both of us had been looking forward to this theme park for a while now after deciding it would be a good way to treat ourselves for making it all this way. Sadly despite enjoying aspects of the park the day went like a lead balloon.
Universal Studios Singapore is a relatively new and therefore small theme park and really if you want to make the most of Sentosa Island you need a couple of days to visit the waterpark as well. Most of the rides are rides incorporating 4D (Shrek and Transformers). The real annoying thing for us was that on the day we visited the two scariest and therefore best rides (Return of the Mummy and Battlestar Galactica Rollercoasters) were closed for maintenance. This left the Jurassic Park zone (which is always good), Shrek kingdom (ok), Madagascar (would be good if we were 7) and Sesame Street and they never reduced the entrance fee.
I'm sure when all the rides are open there would be enough to distract visitors for a full day but the only memories we could take with us were getting soaked on the awesome river rapids in Jurassic Park and being pressganged into dancing with Cookie Monster and Grover because we stood out like sore thumbs in a room full of Korean tourists (I still think some people thought we were a relation of Big Bird).

"Come to Singapore, it's the pits" 



Beat him by a whisker

In dead last it's Dick Dastedly

On our fourth and final full day Jono decided we should head back to Marina Bay one last time and have a closer look at the F1 track. Part of this was for ourselves but mostly it was for our friends Tom and Katy back home who run a very successful F1 blog could WTF1. Back in September we were in Vietnam at met quite a few people who had visited Singapore during the GP and said it was an awesome spectacle with the city backdrop, parties and firework displays. It's fair to say that February is definitely the tracks down seasons with nothing really happening but it did provide a great contrast to our friends blog who normally follow the events of the F1 calendar and rarely see the flipside. It turned out that you don't even need to pay to check out the pits, you can just follow the road around the Singapore Flier along the bay towards the permanent grandstand. Despite the minor preparation works for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations none of the workers seemed to bothered about two lanky foreigners dicking about and trying to replicate a photo finish. Its true when they say that the best things in life our free. Jono experienced a similar thing in LA when he snuck into the old and mostly unknown (when he asked for directions most people hadn't a clue what he was on about) Olympic Stadium


If you would like to see the results of our antics check out WTF1 at:
http://wtf1.co.uk/marina-bay-circuit-off-season/


It was a mixed visit in Singapore. On one hand some of the attractions we planned to visit turned out to be a little overrated but the sights we happened to pass by were fantastic. It was certainly nice to experience the height of civilization for a few days at least. But anyway after an endless list of bus, coach and rail travel it was time to grab our second ocean ferry to our penultimate country before the finish line INDONESIA!!!.

Innercity Life in KL

20th January - 9th February 2015

PETRONAS Towers from KLCC Park

 This may sound weird to some people but the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur was a very memorable stop for us. For the first time in eight months we decided to step away from the tourist trail and put our energy towards doing some actual work. Jono and I had been chatting for a few moths about taking on some voluntary work and give something back to an area other than our pennies and queens heads.

 Many fellow travellers recommended using HelpX to find volunteer placements and sure enough after registering and a little research we found a perfect match, an up-cycling enterprise operating in a suburb in Kuala Lumpur.



Biji-Biji HQ in Taman Rainbow in Northern KL

Biji-Biji is the brainchild of a small multicultural group of friends who wanted to advertise sustainable living across Malaysia. Since coming onto the scene two years ago they have tried their hands at any project opportunity within grasp. Art installations, business fairs, concerts, training courses, furniture manufacture they do it all and with mainly recovered waste materials. With backgrounds in environmental management and cabinet making biji-biji was the perfect volunteer vocation for Jono and I. In two and a half weeks we worked on creating Chinese lanterns from water bottles for the New Year exhibition at a shopping centre and Jono assisted in a transforming an office space with wall panels made from recycled pallets.
The best thing about biji-biji was meeting  many interesting people. Some local, some from various corners of the world, some creators, some grafters, some entertainers but all were friendly, welcoming and unique. Its still early days for this small enterprise but if anyone can make an impact on changing the lifestyle and mind set of the Malay people to see value in waste its Rashvin and the gang. If your visiting KL and are interested in volunteer work Biji-Biji are always looking for extra helping hands. Contact them direct through the Biji-Biji Facebook page or search for them on HelpX if you have an account.



KLCC Mall inside the PETRONAS Towers

 The guys at biji-biji were pretty laid back and were always willing to allow us time at weekends and some weekdays for sightseeing. Kuala Lumpur is a large city but unlike other Asian capitals you don't really feel the population density. Sure its busy some times on the metro but you rarely feel claustrophobic. The place is noticeable more clinical and modern than the rest of the country especially around our first tourist stop, the Petronas Towers.
This international architectural icon is a beacon of wealth, success and progress. The affluence of the business district is immediately obvious with the grand array of designer stores, hotels and restaurants catering for the hoards of cash rich entrepreneurs who are now the mainstay of the cities elite upper class.

Although most of the areas activities are limited to shopping, eating and drinking, there are a few spots to drag visitors away from such tedium who may not need the latest Ralph Lauren polo shirt or look at the price on a Louis Vuitton belt and think "I can live for a month on that cash in Laos".   

1) On the upper floor of KLCC Mall you will find Galeri Petronas which showcases a collection of contemporary and modern creations from Malaysian and international artists acquired by the company over the years. For a private collection its a good sidetrack for half an hour and it's Free Admission.

2) Another Free area just outside KLCC mall is the adjacent KLCC Park. Don't let the imaginative name fall you this green space is a nice oasis amongst the modern steel-clad infrastructure. Bring your swimming trunks along as the park features a small shallow pool which is a great way to escape the midday heat. Grab some takeout grub from the mall food court and people watch from a shady bench for an hour whilst enjoying the vista of towering sentinel structures.



KLCC Park: Great place to chill out, cool down from the midday heat and people watch

3) On the far side of KLCC Park lies another popular attraction. Aquaria is renowned locally as Malaysia best aquarium and although the last such places we've visited were at SeaWorld, Florida ten years ago and a Sealife centre  in Hunstaunton, Norfolk in 1996 (I think) this place is certainly no washout (sorry about the pun).
We visited Aquaria with our Malaysian friend Mikhail and it was a great day out. If your a fan of the series river monsters the amazon section will make you think twice about having a swim in Brazil. The attractions showcase is a 90m travelator tunnel walk beneath a tank containing many tiger sharks and huge rays.

mangrove tank three floors high at Aquaria

4) Ok its another park walk but the Lake Gardens a little outside KL centre are a great escape from the city hustle and bustle. The
91 hectare space incorporates the cities impressive National Monument with an awesome view of the city, deer park, orchid garden, butterfly park, national museum, planetarium and more. Its a full day exploration on its own. 


KL will hold a lasting memory with us not just because we had work to do for a change. We met up with Mikhail who we last saw in Penang whilst he was on holiday.
Makhail was kind enough to meet us in the centre on one occasion to guide us around a few sights and introduce our taste buds to some new cuisine.

ABC and Cendol Desserts

After spending much time trying local curries it was a nice change to try two popular Malay desserts. Ais kacang (known as ABC) and Cendol are sweet dishes often seen as unusual to western eyes due to the presence of ingredients like red (kidney) beans and sweetcorn but don't be put of by the description as both really work well with the ice cream, crushed ice, grass jelly and coconut milk.
Sure it looks like the outcome of leaving lit fireworks in a refrigerator but I like it. 




Thaipusam at Batu Caves 

For the first time on our travels we actually managed to time our stay with a local festival and in early February the Hindu festival of Thaipusam is a big deal.

Kuala Lumpur is actually one of the only places left outside India where this event takes place and the temple at Batu Caves on the city outskirts provides the perfect setting. 
 Thaipusam coincides with the full moon on the month of Tamil (January/February) and is famous worldwide due to the actions of the devotees involved in the pilgrimage.

Thaipusam is a huge event for all Hindu's in Malaysia

The devotees must fast, live a life of celibacy and only eat pure Satvik food once a day for 48 days before the big day.
On the day their heads are shaved and they must complete a pilgrimage to Batu Caves from the city centre whilst undertaking burdens (kavadi).
These burdens range from carrying pots of milk to piercing the skin, tongue and cheeks with hooks or skewers. We saw one guy who had that many hooks in his back he resembled a fishing tackle shop.
The most popular kavadi is a decoraded wooden frame (although many we saw contained metal rods to strengthen the structure) which the devotees carry on their shoulders along the entire route. Needless to say the days events takes its toll on someone who has fasted for so long and many participants seem to wonder aimlessly to their goal in a trance like state with friends and family making sure they don't collapse under the intense heat.

The festival was a complete crush of people and colours with music playing and devotees chanting but one of the most spectacular gatherings you can possibly see. If you in KL in late January early February grit your teeth, bear the claustrophobic conditions and get your camera ready because you wont be disappointed.

Many backpackers underestimate KL labelling it up as "just another expensive capital city" but if you scratch beneath the surface and throw yourself out of the clinical epicenter and perhaps say with locals you will see a multicultural metropolis full of character and charm. Sure the cost of a pint is a rip off but a little detox never hurt anyone.

Oh yeah I forgot one thing. For those who read the last post here is the promised picture of a cat courtesy of Mikhails's family. Enjoy and thanks for reading.