I decided to burn some frequent flyer points on a short trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
So therefore, last Wednesday 16 December, we (I and Caecil) flew to HCMC, was picked up at the airport, and stayed at this pre-booked place in the Pham Ngu Lao area of the city. We returned to Jakarta [...]
I observed this colorful VW Beetle in the parking lot of Plaza Senayan last Friday. Cool.
A freaky Beetle.
Last week I went to the local immigration office here in East Jakarta to complete the paperwork of my visa extension. The office is located in a dirty and depressing area of the city, next to a huge high-security prison surrounded by high walls, double fences and razor wire. Drug convicts are held here (Jakarta [...]
I’m rather bored sitting countless hours inside a car in the Jakarta traffic jams, and here is a rather pointless picture I took right now, on the way from the city to Cibubur. At least I can play with my internet connected computer to make time pass by, including posting this!
Jakarta traffic.
It suddenly started to rain, and I decided to take this totally meaningless video while sitting at a place called Pappa Cafe in jl. Jaksa, where they got cheap beer (but ice cold!). A hippie type is entering. Moments after I took the video, a girl entered, fell on the slippery floor, head down, and [...]
I was near the Sarinah building the other day while having my lunch on the street, and took these pictures of bajaj passing by.
Jakarta is full of these Indian two-stroke engine powered vehicles, especially on the smaller roads. Fare determination is by bargaining.
Bajaj.
Bajaj.
First time I see one of these in Jogja, or in all of Java for that matter. Normally the becaks are pedalled, but this one has an engine. There’s an integrated sound system too. Cool. I made a ride in this one from Mall Malioboro to my hotel yesterday.
And after 12 days in Jogja, I [...]
When I was at Mall Malioboro yesterday, some sort of parade was suddenly passing by along jl Malioboro. I went out to take a few pictures.
Oh yeah, and when I came back to the hotel last night, the Muslim guy (his name is Anton) in the reception was drinking vodka with a friend. I saw [...]
I went to the beach at Parangtritis yesterday afternoon. It’s less than an hour drive south of Yogya. I haven’t been there in about 7 years, but it looks the same today. Very quiet since on a Monday. The huge waves make it impossible to swim though. Black volcanic sand. Windy.
Parangtritis beach.
Parangtritis beach.
Parangtritis beach.
In lack of something better to post, here’s a video clip taken yesterday during a becak ride from Mercury Guest House to Mall Malioboro. It’s a distance of 3 km.
Deepavali is a Hindu festival, and in connection to this event, on Sunday (18 Oct), we visited our Indian friend Sanjay at his family’s residence near Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta.
I ate too much of the delicious lamb curry, while Caecil said it was too spicy… The Indian snacks was great too.
Sanjay and cousins.
The train arrived in Yogyakarta at 17:50 yesterday, 9 hours after leaving Jakarta.
I took a becak for Rp 15k to Mercury guest house (as usual), and checked into room number 12 upstairs, which I had reserved in advance. Rp 110k room price. The best rooms (in my point of view) are number 12, 14 and [...]
I left Gambir train station, Jakarta, this morning at 08:52 (37 minutes behind schedule), on board the airconditioned Taksaka train (Rp 210k) bound for Yogyakarta.
Hopefully I will be in Yogya around 8 hours later. In the mean time I’m enjoying the view of Java here from my train seat number 10D. It is sunny, almost [...]
I am in downtown Jakarta, at the Sarinah building, and took a couple of pictures from the bridge crossing jl. Thamrin, one of the main Jakarta streets.
Of all places in Jakarta, this area is possibly the most familiar to me.
Indonesia’s first McDonald’s recently changed name to Toni Jack’s, also a junk food joint.
Beggar on the [...]
We moved out from Aston Rasuna apartment today, and in to the Cibubur residence, on the edge of Jakarta.
My bicycle also arrived today. It was sent by cargo ship from Balikpapan last month.
I will probably make a trip to Yogyakarta soon, to my “oasis” Mercury guesthouse. A great place to just hang out and do [...]
I took a taxi to the East Jakarta immigration office this morning to have a visa extension. I went here last Thursday too, but in vain, since they demanded the signature on the sponsor letter to be written across a stamp duty (Rp 6000 tax stamp).
The immigration office is located next to the large Cipinang [...]
Yesterday we drove to the Cibubur residence, East Jakarta, for the Idul Fitri holiday, and will be staying here until Wednesday.
Here’s a video clip of one of the birds in the garden. I found the bird to be quite funny, look at the way it’s waving its head.
This is the last day of Tour Europe 2009 for the Gang of Four.
The Laughing Taxi Driver, still laughing, picked us up around 04:00, and drove us to the airport, terminal 3.
We took a Mandala flight (Rp 500k) at 06:00 to Balikpapan, arriving in Balikpapan around 09:00.
Saras took a taxi to her residence, while I, [...]
After a long and exhausting flight (the Gang of Four was unfortunately not upgraded this time), the Gang finally touched Indonesian soil again at 17:40, when the Luftwaffe plane landed in Jakarta (after a short stop-over in Singapore).
We collected our baggage, and I was responsible for finding a taxi for the Gang. So I did, [...]
The Gang of Four left rainy and cold Oslo this Saturday morning at 07:30, bound for Paris, aboard a Norwegian plane. It can be noted that it is exactly two years ago since I also left Oslo.
Arrived at Orly airport at 10:00. Taxi from Orly to CDG airport.
Checked-in on our Luftwaffe flights from Paris to [...]
After saying goodbye to Siri, Atle, Theodor, and Ellen, the Gang of Four left Bogen around noon (again in Uno’s borrowed car), in rain. We had planned to stay the last night in Norway at Ellen’s residence in Oslo. The original plan was to leave for Paris the day before, but we decided to extend [...]
The Gang of Four was now comfortably installed at Gallery Bogenloftet, the building next to Siri & Atle’s residence, which is a 250-year-old wooden building. The Gallery itself was not quite as old, however.
Day 16 was a foggy and rainy day, so the Gang decided to just hang around the immediate vicinity of the residence, [...]
It was time for the Gang of Four to relocate again, and again we found ourselves comfortable in Uno’s borrowed car, before venturing eastwards. That is, after I finally was able to locate Boya’s office and deliver the keys to his residence. So we weren’t able to leave Bergen until 11:20.
We made a stop at [...]
On Day 14, the Gang of Four was in no need of any motor powered vehicle, and we covered all distances by using our own feet (except the funicular trip). We just roamed around Bergen downtown anyway.
We visited some of the usual tourist places, such as Bryggen wharf, the fish market, a trip on Fløibanen [...]
The Gang of Four drove from the cabin at 11:30, with me as the driver. Destination today was Bergen, 350 km to the southwest. Ellen left the cabin at the same time, returning to Bogen near Sandefjord (to the southeast).
We made several stops en route, including at the 800-year-old, wooden, Borgund stave church. And crossing [...]