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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Getting Around Jakarta



Today we learned how to get around Jakarta. We were given two hours to take as many forms of public transportation that the city of Jakarta had to offer. This proved to be a fun and challenging experience.

We started off on the back of scooters which is how many people who live here in the city choose to get around. The traffic here is unlike anything I have ever seen. Crazy doesn't begin to describe it. If you ride a motorcycle in the United States and you feel restricted by all the traffic laws, you need to take your next vacation in Jakarta.

After the motorcycles we took a variety of buses, taxis, covered flat bed pickups, trains, and a little three wheeled covered motorcycle called a bajai. For those who are used to using public transportation in a foreign country, you already know that personal space is defined a little different than what it might be in the U.S. The smells, the pickpocketing, the backfiring bajais can not be fully expressed in words. In actuality, we had a lot of fun. This might be attributed to the fact that it was only a game today and it hasn't become daily life yet. We have a little adjusting to do and today we got to have a little fun in the process.

5 comments:

Sarah LeighAnn said...

Hi Josh and Amber! I'm glad to hear you've made it there safely! I'm praying for you both. Love and miss you, God bless!

Sarah

Chiefsfan said...

Where are your helmets? Just kidding!! Good to see your having fun. The pics are great.

Shelly

Jenni said...

Wow you guys! I love your pictures! Your blog is already so much fun to read. I'll be checking it daily to hear about your latest adventure. :)

Anonymous said...

i want a motorbike! I would kill myself in the traffic though. public transportation is always an adventure! your concept of personal space will forever be changed!

Unknown said...

We finished VBS a couple of days ago. I missed you soooo much. You have no idea. I'm glad you're acclimating to your new home. KK

 
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