You?ll be sharing the narrow roads lots of traffic-truck, buses, jeeps, minibuses, cars, motorbikes, pushbikes, soup carts, pedestrians, horses, dogs, pigs, goats, ducks and chickens (remember, there are over 200 Million Indonesians crammed into a relatively small are the size of only Victoria and Queensland!)
The traffic buzzes along at warp-speed, with everyone seemingly hell bent upon overtaking everyone else constantly, often two or three abreast with horns blaring. People casually enter from side streets and blind alleys without so much as even glancing, completely oblivious of the dangerous oncoming traffic who are just expected to give way to anything in front.
It?s not very relaxing to be driving amidst all this chaos, but just remember to keep one foot hard down on the accelerator, the other ready on the brake, and your hand on the horn. Some ?rules? include constantly check your rearview mirror for overtaking trucks, and sound your horn whenever you approach another vehicle or person just to let them know you are there. This is considered very polite behaviour on Indonesian roads.
Motorbike should expect no respect whatsoever from approaching cars who will overtake even if it means forcing you off the fringe of the road into a ditch. Expect this to happen to you every day. The safest rule in to give way to anything bigger than you, and be well insured.
If you intent riding a motorbike regularly bring a full face crash helmet from home. Although when you rent a bike in
For many reasons, it is much better to hire a car with a driver included. Often it is only a few dollars more and you will be free to relax and enjoy the view while the driver?s local knowledge gets you to the surf with a minimum of fuss. Plus it can be more fun traveling with a local who will know the best place to eat, unusual sights and maybe even introduce you to his family.
On the next page are a few words and sentences that may come in hand on your Road to Discovery.
March, 2008:
ON THE ROAD in Indonesia
OGOH-OGOH in Bali
Ogoh – Ogoh is a Giant doll made from bamboo frames which are intricately woven and tied and then covered with paper mache. They are made in form of creatures of the underworld known is Balinese as Butakala ” The demon”. The creature are based on characters taken from traditional myths and legends, but sometimes it also take the form of modern characters including even people in the media or in the government that represent the bad spirit. Ogoh-ogoh parade around the street on the eve of Nyepi, known as Hari Pengrupukan. Most main roads are closed off and thousand of people gather to watch the parade. It may take about 30 people to carry a large ogoh-ogoh and each group has team of musician playing gamelan and sometimes male and female dancers. The gamelan ensemble used to company the ogoh-ogoh is called baleganjur which is made up 15 musician playing gongs, cymbals and drums. The louder the music is better, as their function is to scare off any demons before Nyepi Day, the day of silence. After being parade, ogoh-ogoh is ceremoniously burnt to represent the destruction of the demons on earth