jogja - pangandaran

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our bus ride from jokja to the beautiful beach town of pangandaran was scheduled to take 7-8 hours, but in reality it took 11, on several different local busses with seats that are comically too small for foreigners. we simply do not fit. it was impossible to sit facing forward, because my legs were too long. i had to either put my knees up so i was in this absurd fetal position, or sit diagonally and take up two seats. and i am not outrageously tall at all. i am 5'8", but as i look around, i am at least a full head taller than most people.

i have gotten so accustomed at this point to people trying to separate me from my money, but when it happens, it still frustrates me. mostly i refer to people charging me much more for something like a bus ticket than i know the real price to be. much of the time, when you simply confront them, and say, "no, i know that is not the real price, and i am only giving you the real price and no more" they laugh, talk amongst themselves, maybe try again with a price in the middle (which just makes it more obvious that they are wrong) and finally concede in the end.

this is not to make me sound like a penny-pinching rich westerner. i am happy to spend money, but i wish people would understand that i will spend more if i dont feel like i'm being ripped off.

i got into more travel-related arguments with indonesians in the past day than i have this whole trip. its especially frustrating when the conversation is equally in english and bahasa indonesia, and it is hard to articulate the problem or confusion or concern. as easy as i have felt it is to learn this language, i still dont know much at all.

but for all the trouble, it has been wonderful, of course. on the second bus yesterday, we stopped at a restaurant just at sunset because of ramadan, and all the observing muslims got off and ate, as the nearby mosque blared prayer from its external loudspeakers. some men got on the bus and sat behind me and were talking and laughing, and you can feel it when someone is talking about you. so i decided to be proactive and turned around and started a simple conversation with them.

i am sure it is pretty universal that when a foreigner turns and speaks to you in your language, however simply or badly, you don't feel they are as different or distant from you. these men warmed up immediately, and one showed me in the box he was carrying a mother cat and her 2 week old kittens, and the other man offered me some snacks.

so we are here now in this sweet calm beach town, that was recently ravaged in the tsunami a few years ago. we are staying at the nicest accomadation we've had so far: a big common room and two bedrooms attached with two beds in each room, with fridge, tv, bathroom, all for $10/night total.

unfortunately, its been raining all day. not really much of a beach day. and sadly, since we pushed everything to the end, i only have one day here before i leave for jakarta, and the guys are only staying another day after me.

i'll say again: i love indonesia and i would love to come back here.

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