Wheels on the Bus

Spent 5 hours riding around on the public bus system yesterday! Quite an interesting experience. However, we did manage to meet an english speaking Javanese on about each leg of the trip. They were very friendly and seemed eager to practice their english with us two bulees (white girls). So we managed to make it around ok.

It's quite an efficient system, with a bus leaving it seems every 15 minutes. It is a 2 person operation: the driver (with a Redbull closeby) and the money guy. The money guy hangs out one of the 2 doors shouting out the destination. "Jogja! Jogja!" People board and take a seat if there is one. Then he comes around and asks where your stop is...there are at least 20 stops from Yogjakarta to Borobudur which is only a 30 mile drive. You pay him your rupiahs and look for your drop off zone. The fare was 10,000 rps (current exchange rate is 9,000 to $1) for one way. Cheap compared to the 170,000 taxi ride we bulees took getting there. The driver manages to dodge 25 motorbikes and a big trailor that are coming at us in lightning speed. We try not to watch.

In addition to an efficient means of transport, it is one of the best ways to people watch! So many people getting on and getting off, each with their own story. We got in on a few of them. We met a 71 year old man that teaches english in Jakarta. He told us about his 9 kids and 15 grand kids. He expressed how much he loves America and appreciates all of the help our country gives them. Hmmm... He also explained his government's new way of population control. Each family can only have 3 kids, otherwise they are severely fined. Also, they recently attempted to keep birth rates down by offering Indonesian men a motorbike if they received a vasectomy. Ouch! Hope they don't have to ride their new bikes home from the hospital!

Another benefit of traveling by public bus is the ambience. At about every 4th stop, a new guitar player boards the bus and sings. Of course he immediately comes over to us and begins his jam session. We get that uncomfortable mariachi feel and pretend not to notice at first. Ha! Our futile attempt makes the artist sing Elvis even more loudly, "Put on those blue, blue shoes!" After a couple of stops, he comes around with an empty chip bag. We've learned that it's easier to drop some coins and go with it, rather than not. One of the first times, neither of us had any change, so we both shook our heads when he came round with the bag. "Stupid, stupid," he sneered. Needless to say, now we make it a point to carry change before getting on the bus.