All you need to know about Jakarta.
A friend told me repeatedly to read the online Wikitravel guide to Jakarta. It's... quite a painfully honest guide to how to travel in Jakarta. In a sarcastic-but-honest kind of way.
My favorites:
"Keep in mind that rules and regulations are very rarely enforced in all aspects of life in Jakarta. This is not so much an encouragement for you, but an explanation on why many of its citizens act so haphazardly, particularly on the road."
"Riding the ekonomi class is not advisable: crime and sexual harrasment are known to happen inside packed trains. During the non-rush hours, though, economy train travel is quite an interesting experience. It is a tour of Jakarta's darker side, with peddlers offering any imaginable article (from safety pins to cell-phone starter kits), various sorts of entertainment, ranging from one-person orchestras to full-sized bands, and a chance to sample real poverty; you are riding slums on wheels."
....I miss that place and all its ugliness, I really do. After all, you can't appreciate good things if you've never experienced the bad....
My favorites:
"Keep in mind that rules and regulations are very rarely enforced in all aspects of life in Jakarta. This is not so much an encouragement for you, but an explanation on why many of its citizens act so haphazardly, particularly on the road."
"Riding the ekonomi class is not advisable: crime and sexual harrasment are known to happen inside packed trains. During the non-rush hours, though, economy train travel is quite an interesting experience. It is a tour of Jakarta's darker side, with peddlers offering any imaginable article (from safety pins to cell-phone starter kits), various sorts of entertainment, ranging from one-person orchestras to full-sized bands, and a chance to sample real poverty; you are riding slums on wheels."
....I miss that place and all its ugliness, I really do. After all, you can't appreciate good things if you've never experienced the bad....