Every 3 months, a doctor comes round and makes health checks, paid for the by the community living in the warehouse. In that respect they are better off than those living in the slums and by the river and under the bridge.

At Sunda Kelapa we saw traditional schooner ships, over 100 years old, and still in use. They ply the trade routes between Indonesia and Sumatra, and some even further afield to Irian Jaya, collecting cargoes of timber, rice and food etc. They still use huge sails, and every ship is made of the same design. The ship we visited was carrying timber, and as the locals unloaded it by carrying it down a foot-wide gangplank, the deck teemed with cockroaches, some 2-3 inches long! Ughh!!
The living conditions were very cramped, with an open fire to cook from. The bridge consisted of a ships wheel! That was it! The navigation equipment was in a room behind. The toilet was a hole cut in the floor....dropping straight into the sea!
Jeff also told me about the police; they apparently can stop you, especially if you are on a motorbike, and fine you for no apparent reason. Obviously, they’ll make something up, but it is in this way that they make some extra cash.

Here in Indonesia, if you are a business man and are Muslim, then the tax you pay is only 8%. For non-Muslims, it is upto 63%....( don’t forget this is according to Jeff...)
UNESCO gave the Indonesian Govt. over 100 million Dollars to use on education, housing, family planning, sanitation etc...but the Govt. here used it for their own purposes, building banks, hotels and Govt. Offices. If there is ever an uprising against the Govt., then the police and Army quickly arrest the leaders....sometime never to be heard of again. As the TV and all news media are Govt. censored, they only let the people know what they want them to.

Jeff was an absolutely fascinating man, so intelligent and having to live his life like a criminal.....it seemed so wrong.

I said my farewells to Jeff, and went for a spot of refreshment. After ordering a Sprite, a man came and sat next to me and we started chatting. After about 10 minutes, I realized that he was talking about prostitutes, but he kept calling them “ Virgin Fruit” ! He was really rambling on and on and I really had no idea as to what he was talking about, so I smiled and nodded and was never opinionated when an yes or no answer was a required, a simple ‘ I don’t know’ sufficed!!!! I made my good-byes and left.

Upon arriving at Pachangs, Ratna came round as Mrs Chang was in Bandung! However after my shower, I found that Mrs Chang had returned! And they were having a ding-dong! I don’t know, Chang Ding Dong, it’s a wonder I can think straight! I couldn’t understand what was being said, but an argument in any language is pretty unmistakable! Well the plan was that Ratna had come round to take me out to dinner, and after about 20 mins, Mrs Chang seemed placated!
Ratna told me that Pachang was always asking her out and stuff, but she always said NO! On our way to the warung, she asked me whether or she should still study English at Pachangs! I said not to, and to finish anything before it started!! I am off to bed now, another early rise tomorrow, I need to get up early to beat the traffic. I am getting quite confident with the Jakarta Public Transport System now, and having said that, I am going to take a cab tomorrow!!! I am not sure if Yans Mum and dad have gone to bed, they never say goodnight....just seem to vanish! I hope my friend Rachel is still on board!!

After having been woken by the good old reliable ‘Ramadan Loud Speaker’ announcements at 5 am, I dozed until 6.15 and got ready to goto Tanjung Priok. Pachang asked me how many eggs would I like, I replied ‘oh just one” When I returned from the Mandi, there was, yes, good old boiled potatoes and a 1/2 boiled egg, yum nice and watery!!!! Anyway, after washing it down with a hot chocolate(!), I made to leave, and Pachang said that he would take e to the bus station, and tell the driver to let me know when to get off
Well, on I got, with what seemed like the entire population of school children and off we went, and went, and went!! The bus stopped and every one got off, leaving me looking very lost and bemused, thinking that ah, we must be here! So off I jumped, and asked the driver, in Indonesian, for the hospital, as the gate that I wanted was just nearby. The man informed me that it was way back down the road! Thanks a lot Buddy!! I managed to cross the very busy main road without getting mown down by what it seemed like at least a million cars, bikes, trucks and general road vehicles! And so off I trotted in the general direction of the hospital and main gate of the Port, when I heard a little ‘Beep’ behind me and up drew a little man on a motorbike!!! So after agreeing on a price, off we went!! He took me right into the port, and I saw the ship just coming in to dock, and so I tapped him on the shoulder and we were soon there!

I waited at the quayside, and as the ship got closer, there waving was Rachel!!! After a very long time, the ship was finally cleared and I went on board. It was so nice to see Rachel again, and we spent the whole day chatting and drinking!! I had a good go on the toilet too, and took home a loo-roll as a souvenir!!!! Matt was there aswell ( another old friend) and we all had such a laugh!!! I plan on seeing the ship in Semarang, and travelling on it to Surabaya! Marvelous! So no the plan is a few days in Bandung, then Cirebon, then Semarang, ship to Surabaya, look up Supeno (another friend from the ship that lives here) spend some time with him, and then onto Bali!! But it could all change!! I will go to Pangandaran ( a nature reserve) on the way back ( as my dad would say!!). Left the ship and waved good-bye to Rachel and Matt,, and then it took me 2 bloody hours to get home with a stress factor of at least 6 out of 10 - I should have taken a cab instead of the motorbike, mikrolet, bus, mikrolet combo that I did! The last mikrolet went all through the backstreets, and kept doubling back and I was nearly having a paddy, when we arrived at somewhere I knew!! Phewwwww!!!
I am now watching what I suppose in Indo Top of the Pops!! They are showing people lip-synching ( very badly I hasten to add) to music, with dancers in the background trying to copy Michael Jackson or Hammer or someone, and the whole thing is just so totally BAD it’s unbelievable!! Clive James would love it!!!

I had planned on meeting Stefano tomorrow and going to Taman Mini, but he has just phoned and it too busy - so I’ve no idea what I’m going to do - I was originally going to Bandung on Thursday, who knows now eh? I’ve had a really excellent day, and just wish I didn’t have quite so many insect bites on my feet!!!!

Spent the morning washing my laundry, reading up on Indo history from my book (lonely planet) and trying to learn a bit of Indonesian. Went out and bought some flip-flops and some cream for my bites! Got my washing in, and Pachaen ( thats how you spell it- at last!!) came back and told me I was going to Taman Mini to see the Imax film with Ratna! So I jumped on the back of his bike and off we went!! We arrived at the hospital, and Pachaen informed me that Ratna would take me to Taman Mini on the motorbike!!
After a very near death experience on the pot hole ridden roads of Jakarta, we arrived and made our way to the Imax theatre - the film we were going to see was called ‘Beavers’ ! Nice Beaver!!!!! We went in the theatre and the screen was just huge!!! The film started and it was just amazing; the sound was all around you and the screen so big that you really thought you were there!!!
Coming back, the traffic was horrendous, and all the traffic fumes....Ughhh!!! My exposed parts (!) ie arms, hands, face are black with all the crap thrown out of the exhausts, and I’ve got black bogies! I think we are going to Bogar tomorrow. Oh incidentally, I nearly forgot to keep up on the breakfast saga- well, I woke up this morning at about 7.45am ( after being woken at 5am again by your favorite and mine ,yes, it’s Ramadan time!!) and rolled over and there on the table was my breakfast....rice and fried egg!!! Not a sodding boiled spud to be seen!! Oh joy, oh heaven, oh rapture!! It was really scrummy!!!!!

Noodles and egg with hot chocky was breakfast today!! Really delicious!!
Went to hospital with Ba Chaen ( this changes every time I write it - I think this is right now!) met Ratna and went to Bogor on the bus. Bogor previously known as "Buitenzorg" (Sans soucis or Without Worries) , during Dutch colonial era. Appropriately named by Dutch as a town "without worries", they chose Bogor to be the site for constructing the first palace of the Dutch Governor General way back in 1745. Later restored in 1832, the palace still stands solid and elegant today with its streched out gardens where deer roam freely on the green grass under majesticly tall old trees. However, Bogor is famous because of its Botanical Garden which borders the Palace Grounds. The Botanical Garden has thousands of species of plants from all over the word, including towering age old trees and rarest kind of orchids. Established in 1817 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the world renowned Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya) is one of the world's largest reserves of tropical plants. Covering an area of 111 hectares, it exhibits about 20,000 species of plants from Indonesia and abroad. The garden features pathways through centuries old trees, lakes and fountains with water lilies (lotus) as well as a miniature tropical rainforest. There we can see the original Havea Braziliensis rubber tree formerly imported from Brazil; the world's largest flower Rafflesia Arnoldi and the tall flower Amorpopphallus Titanum, which also called as "Bunga Bangkai" (Carcass Flower) because of its bad smell. It was extremely hot!!!! Managed to find the entrance gate after passing through an extremely lively market. They had lots and lots of small bunnies for sale...I thought ‘How cute’, but they were for food!!! They were really sweet (not in taste!!)
We walked around the gardens, and they were beautiful. There was a replica of The Little Mermaid like the one in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wondering around we saw a dead bat! It was fairly large, especially in comparison to British bats, and it was lying on its back, you could see quite clearly that it was male! And quite a popular male I should think! When we took a rest, I noticed a few new lumps on my arms- different from the myriad of bites on my feet!! These were bigger and hurt a lot more!! My arm looks like a relief map of Indonesia! Anyway, we had some Gado Gado for lunch - Yum and made our way back. After going to the hospital, we went to the movies to see ‘Cape Fear’.
There has just been a knock at the door, and someone wants to meet me!! Ha celebrity status or what!!!!! He is coming round tomorrow at 5am, and together we will goto Bandung. His name is Avis....I don’t think he rents cars!! That’s handy, I was wondering about the train station- that would be a new experience with a possibility of a very high stress factor!! I think Robert ( Yans brother) will meet me in Bandung, and I will stay at Ba Chaengs sisters house, which is apparently very big with many rooms!!!!! OOOeerrr I wonder if it has western flushing toilets!....no flushing problems since my first experience thankfully!!!!

And now Bandung....!!!!
Went to the station with Bu Chan, (this is how it is spelt, after one week I have finally got it!!) and she got me my ticket. sat in her office for a while, chatting and joking with her co-workers. She led me along the train tracks to the the station and shortly the train arrived - my seat was K2 10D!!
The train was really comfy, with waiters walking up and down the aisle taking orders for food and drinks, and it was so clean!! British Rail could learn a thing or two!! The views were spectacular en route; from high hilly peaks to plunging valleys with small rivers at the bottom of them. We passed scores of padi fields in various stages of growth and dense jungle too!!
When I arrived, I met Robert and we went to his house via motorbike, and met some of his friends. We then went to some motorbike shop thing come garage,.....more hellos and introductions, and then finally, after taking shelter from the rain in a bamboo hut, we arrived at Haitys House (sounds like a kids program!!)
It is very big, lots of rooms and nooks and crannys!! Her Gran is here, and Haity also has 2 daughters, age 3 and about 7 months. Both are really cute!!! It is so much cooler here than in Jakarta, really pleasant. There are certainly no loud fire-crackers, motorbikes, or kids shouting or indeed any noise whatsoever here! Except that I suspect that I will hear Ramadan in the morning!!! Haity’s husband seems to be Mr MUSLIM 1992, and he reads from the Koran for two hours every Sunday! Very strict Muslim beliefs! In the morning he goes for a walk, at 5.30 am, with his daughter and so I’m going too!! I think that it will be very good, sunrise over the mist-shrouded fields and all that!!! My little camera will accompany me!!
I have noticed that family life is very male-orientated. The women do all the cooking, washing, ironing, cleaning etc. This evening, Haity and her baby sitter didn’t eat with us. It was just me, Mr Haity (!) and his buddy. After we ate, she cleaned up! I spent the rest of the evening chatting to Mr Haity ( I will try and find his name!) about this and that!! Now at 10.10 p.m. I am off to bed!!!

Well here I am, in Bandung. Bandung is situated on high plateau at an altitude of 768 metres surrounded on all sides by broading volcanoes and lofty mountain ridges. It is 187 km southeast of Jakarta in the midst of the lovely Priangan highlands.
Besides being the major industrial city, dominating the production of textiles in Indonesia, it is also the home of the nation's mascent hightech industries, including computer assembly factories and aircraft manufacturing plant.
It is the capital city of West Java, besides the centre of Sundanese culture, i.e., Wayang Golek - a three dimensional wooden puppet play and bamboo musical instruments, angklung.
Had a very interesting day. Went with Robert to his house, after a breakfast of last nights leftovers, and met his 2 friends, whom I met yesterday. we then took a minibus to some caves, that were occupied by the Dutch and the Japanese in World War II. Next stop was the zoo!
It was the sort of zoo you would expect to be closed down! The poor animals cages were so small, all concrete, no space for them to play, and all the animals looked so bloody fed up, poor things! They had alligators, orangutans, monkeys, exotic birds, elephants, lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) turtles deer....all the usual....but in really disgusting enclosures.
After the zoo, we went downtown, I bought some washing powder, and then back to the lads place, which was just around the corner from Roberts. Chatted to 2 of their friends, for a while, and then it was back to Roberts. watched a bit of TV, and then Robert and I came back to the Muslim Mansion!!! Luckily I have my own room here, and the bathroom is a fair size, also in the bathroom is a roll of loo-paper!! Oh bliss!! So I utilized it and no flushing problems, thankfully!!!
When I was showering, I opened the medicine cabinet for a nose ( as you do..!!!) and there, in the top right-hand corner, were 2 unrolled condoms!! Now whether they use them and wash them out is anyones guess but.....!!!! Anyway, no-one has really spoken to me much this evening- Bu and Pa Chan are here, so is Robert, it is quite full!! I get the impression from Haity, well, she just seems a bit cold , Mr Haity, although being quite pleasant, is a tad weird!! He is very thin and small, wiry and looks like he would snap if he farted!!! His hands are like a child’s!!! And he makes a lot of noise when eating!! I did not go for my 5.30am walk this morning, although I was woken by the call to the Mosque ( 5am). On the TV last night, all that was on was the Muslim Channel!! If I never hear that wailing again it will be too soon!!! It gets quite chilly here in the evening, so I will have to ask for a blanket!!

I am writing this feeling a tad sore around the neck area, and my arms and face are a little red too!! I took the bus into town with Robert, and met his friends at his place, and we then made our way to TANGKUBAN PRAHU, which is a volcano where the center has collapsed under the weight of built up ash and, instead of the usual conical shape, it has a flat, elongated summit with a huge caldera more than 7km across! We got dropped off and made our way up the hill. The first part was so knackering ( tiring!), I thought that my little old heart was going to burst! Constant uphill climb through jungle and forest, for the first few Km’s!! The path was very slippery, and you really had to watch your step! And the humidity!! After a while ( an eternity it seemed) it started to level out a bit, and we had to dodge streams and babbling brooks!! Finally after an 8 Km hike through the jungle, we made it to the........car park area!! Yes, this is one of the only volcanoes that you can reach by car and we walked!! Anyway, the view was spectacular! Down below was a huge crater, with an almost phosphorescent lake in the middle of it. The smell of sulfur clung to your nostrils and everywhere smelled of eggs!! We walked around the crater rim to get a view of the smaller crater, and from there we could see sulfur rising from the summit!! After a few minutes taking in the view, we made our way back to the car-park, and thankfully took the road back down to ground level! The summit was 1830 meters high, and we climbed it !!! By the time we managed to flag down a bus, I was shattered, and I had had a drink of water, so the guys with me must have been parched. Ramadan forbids them taking any food or drink during the day....I was gasping!!!!