Java Impressions

The original plan for our Indonesia trip was to fly in from Jakarta and make our way West by land until crossing over to Bali by ferry, then flying out of Dempasar two months later. After nearly a month in East and Central Java, we had a big decision to make. On the one hand, we wanted to visit Mount Bromo in West Java, the stunning volcano which is on most backpacker’s itinerary. The majority of people do a day tour to Bromo from any big city in Central Java, which involves overnight sleep on a mini bus to reach the famous mountain in the morning, then the dreadful journey back. We were determined to go towards Bromo ourselves and make it a part of our journey West rather than booking a tour. Unfortunately, despite researching and asking around, it didn’t seem like there are a lot of interesting towns or sights in West Java. Travelling had already been difficult and we read warnings of thefts on buses in the West. Furthermore, the town we were currently in, Semarang, has an airport! We saw this as a sign and decided to cut our losses and booked an internal flight to Bali. The tickets were really affordable and it seemed like a great luxury to skip all the hassle of the buses, trains and boats. Although feeling a bit sad to miss out on Bromo, it seemed like the right decision.

Travelling in Java over the Ramadan didn’t cause a problem for us. Most restaurants in Central Java were kept opened as usual and even smaller towns had one or two eating options in the daytime. The problems arose after the Ramadan, during Idul Fitri. I suppose it was our mistake to not have been informed or even aware of the local holidays. Every family travels during Idul Fitri so buses and trains are full. Hotels are also fully booked and well overpriced. Entrance fees to every attraction are at least double the normal rates. Roads are absolutely chaotic. In and around every town, the cars are bumper to bumper and barely move at all. This is what real traffic looks like: 2 hour journeys took more than 6.

Locals don’t have a clue about environmental protection and don’t seem to realise they are ruining their own country by throwing trash everywhere. Streets are full of litter, rivers and rice fields near towns are drowned in rubbish. Everything is thrown on the ground, from the plastic wrapper of a water bottle, to an empty pack of cigarette, to a can of coke or plastic bag. This is especially shocking on a beautiful beach and disgusting on a bus where an hour ride will turn a nice looking coach into a dump, the floor covered in garbage with leftover snacks from the passengers whose windows were closed so they couldn’t throw it outside!

 

Any river near a town will look like this in Java

Given that most Javanese haven’t seen westerners before, especially during Idul Fitri when they travel from their remote villages to towns to visit relatives, we became quite an attraction. This will bring anyone to go through different emotions. It can be amusing at times, when children stare at your with their huge eyes; embarrassing when it’s a conservatively dressed Muslim family looking you up and down; frustrating when it’s a busy town and everyone turns around to gaze at you; exasperating when a group of teenagers calls out at you and laughs. How unthinkable would it be in Canada for a whole family to point and call out ‘Muslim!’ if a Javanese family was walking around town! I think curiosity is normal and I did enjoy it when people politely said ‘Hello Mister!’ to us and giggled when we replied, but it did get overwhelming sometimes when long queues were forming after we had agreed to a picture with one family.

 

Line up for a picture girls!

Muslim life is very present so being woken by the call to prayer at 4:30 in the morning every day also got tiresome. I remember enjoying the prayers in other countries like Turkey, finding them quite peaceful, but in Java the speakers are all over town and really loud. We had a discussion with a local, as the prayers are supposed to be at sunrise, but apparently the sun rises early in Indonesia!

So we overcame a few hurdles in Java, but not enough for us to regret experiencing it. That’s what’s fantastic about travelling, you learn so much about other ways of life and going through obstacles makes the rewards even sweeter! My highlights were the rice fields leading to the sea in Cimaja and our quaint bungalow, and the incredible richness of Dieng Plateau. Let’s see what Bali brings. It will definitely be less remote which should make things both easier and less exciting at the same time!

Sunset and Bintang beer... what else can you ask for?