Getting Around J-City

With it's tentacles streaching inward covering large part of the land the it streches so much further than the little city once considered a big city in a country made of old kingdoms. Jakarta's origin, It's old town still has a lingering colonial feeling about it despite the stampeedes of modern day Jakartans. It clearly cherishes it's history and in many a place there are clear affiliations with the golden age of the film industry. Cafes and restaurants are likely to have designs inspired by icons of fiction or reality like Bogart, Casablaca or maybe Marylyn Monroe. This is the Indonesia I think of from traveling around these volcanic lands as a kid. But Cities evolve and grow. They become something else with time. In my native Sweden there are songs about the concrete Jungle but in reality I'd more compare those environments to concrete tundras. Now Jakarta is a true concrete urban Jungle. Sprawling and bustling in so many ways. It's filled with the unexplored and the dangerous.
Photos by: http://www.flickr.com/people/jantomarzuki/

I'm not sure which of these dangers would be the worst. One comes with certain benefits. The city has protected itself from most of the sun's heat and radiation through a skin of smog and smoke effectively eliminating a lot of potential sun burns and cancers. With air so think with pollution I'd call it something else, has it's own influences on the people of Jakarta. While the well off little chieftains and their corporate minions erect protective shelters using air condition and air purification around their territories (Malls, Villas, Shops, small palaces and dorms). The low class people, as someone here called them just deal with it. Well that or die.

The other great danger and terror of the Jakartians is the macet. It's terrible creature that used to stalk the city mostly during dusk and dawn. As the urbanization grows it has fed the macet to disproportional extents. It now strikes ruthlessly from dawn till late evening while resting during the night. In all of the cities I've visited in all of the countries I've journeyed to, the macet, or "jam" here is the worst. Attempting to travel when it hits is completely futile as you will for certain be stuck for many a hour during these jams.

With a wide range of methods devised to get around this monster of a city only a few are recommended. Your average local way finder will prefer the Ojek or motorcycle taxi. It does have the ability so swiftly navigate even through the worst traffic macet with a skilled guide. This is not without danger though. When luck runs out and Ojek and any other vehicle decide to mate your unfortunate Jakartanese is definitively left in a bit of a pickle or maybe that is a word that might describe their future prospects after that. The other two ways I'd recommend are quite a bit safer. At least the drawbacks are less instead. Riding the bussway might soak you in the odeur of two or three busloads of sweaty J-towners cramped into one small buss from the last millenia. While some genetic advantages can help alleviate some of the discomforts it also has it's disadvantages. If you happen to be unnaturally tall, Say over 175cm. you can easily pop your head up and breathe the less hot air, say under 30 degrees Celsius. Blunt head trauma will follow if you are not careful though. There is always you standard upper class carriage which here is the taxi. It's safe and air-conditioned. Well safe in the context. Most cabs do not have seat belts but will survive small collisions and warm weather, all for a small extra fee. Here you just have to choose the right type of flock for you. The safest is the colored bird company. They come in two prominent colors blue and silver. While the blue bird is actually blue or at least grayish blue depending on how long it has prospered in the Jungle, the silver one is undoubtedly black. While these birds will carry you safely I prefer the white one. It's called an express and will cost you about half your gold compared to the other ones.

From lifeonthego

• Ojek 5min 10.000 RP 30 min 25.000 Rr
• Buss way 3.500 Rp
• Taxi 5 min 10.000 Rp 30 min 30.000 R