The Road To Puncak

Two months ago, I spent the weekend in the Javanese Highlands in an area called Puncak (pronounced pun-CHAK).I was getting my Jamaican grove on with the small Jamaican contingent I know in Jakarta. It was DJ P's birthday and he wanted to celebrate out of the city and enjoy the lushness and calm plus building some irie vibes with his friends.

Puncak is situated around the peak of Mount Gede – Pangerango in West Java and is about a two hour drive south of Jakarta. With its lush greenery, low level of pollution and all around chill out factor, it is no wonder why it is so popular with Jakartans especially on weekends so driving there should be a breeze, right? Eh, no!

In what was supposed to be a two hour journey, took over FIVE HOURS! To say I was not a happy camper from leaving Jakarta to getting stuck in about hundred miles traffic on the highway to Puncak had put me and my travel companions in a foul mood. Not to mention that some people turned back to Jakarta including my ride home There was a solution to this whole ordeal and that is to take an alternative route. How to find one is the question, therefore we got a little help on the way.

While we were stuck in traffic thinking out loud on how to get to Puncak. It was already dark at 7:30 and we were getting antsy. Our Indonesian driver spotted this young lad walking along the traffic queues saying he knows an alternative route. The driver and JP (South African who speaks fluent Bahasa) pricked up their ears and spoke to the young boy. The polite enquiring then turned turned into a heated negotiation about how much it would cost them for the information he's given.

So we agreed RP70,000 plus he gets to ride with us for assurance.

With the ride being fraught with dark and narrow back roads up a mountain, our little helper giving us football banter (he's a Chelsea fan) and getting a little lost on the way. It took us over a further 2 hours to get to the villa. So we got there at 9:30, a little pissed off and busting for the loo but all those ill feelings were set aside when I saw the food and liquor on offer. With lovely Jamaican food in my belly and building up some good vibes. We all danced the night away and had some great conversation. Our good time was halted by an Indonesian who was clearly not a fan of Dancehall music (kill joy), I went to bed and slept in one of the many beds available at the villa.

 

We left a few hours later at 9:30am to avoid the traffic back to Jakarta but alas the traffic gods that be just cannot let it be. We were stuck in the hills of Puncak in miles of traffic facepalm. I was not impressed again we took a dangerous alternative route thanks to an ojek. We got back to Jakarta around 1:00pm. So if you calculate it, we spent more time in the car than in Puncak. This made me frown. I already griped about Jakarta traffic in a previous post, but this by far was the most unpleasant journey I've had since I've been here.

Despite this I took some pictures of the lovely setting and I would love to give Puncak a second shot:

Living room in the villa

Lakeside of the villa

Rice and Peas and Oxtail

I stayed at Puncak Bukit Danou.

The Day I took an Ojek

Ojeks or motorcycle taxis are the easiest way of getting around Jakarta. They weave in and around traffic like no one's business, get where you need to go in quick time and can drop you right at your door. Seriously ojeks risk their life and limbs for a fare!

You also have to haggle the price with the drivers as they always suggest overinflated prices. For 20,000rph that covers a single trip from home to work and vice versa so a total of 40,000rph for a day's journey! On the other hand, the local bus costs a total of 4000rph for a day's journey, yes a whole tenth of the price! So why would I want to take an ojek when it is SO dear and the chances of injuring myself in an accident are high?! My house mates take ojeks wherever they go and have encouraged me to do so. But I resisted with vigour because I'm a coward like that but what to do when you have no choice?

I decided to take the plunge and take one. That day was Wednesday night about two weeks ago. I was tired and hungry and wanted to get home quickly from work. However, my usual bus was nowhere to be seen. I walked along the road checking every few seconds to make sure that my bus was not going to drive past but to no avail. But then salvation came.

I was walking along my road when I heard 'Ojek Miss?'. I looked up and saw this small dude pointing to his bike. I thought about for all of thirty seconds and thought 'why the hell not?'

I walked over and I asked in my best Indonesian 'How much to Plaza Indonesia?' He quoted a price of 50,000. I stood my ground and said (in English) 'I am not going anywhere for more than 20,000!' He then said 'OK, 25,000?' I started walking away before he relented and agreed that he will drop me off for 20,000.

He gave me the passenger helmet and hopped on behind him. I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with my hands. I see local women on ojeks with their hands on their thighs or gripping onto the driver's waist (come to think of it they are probably not ojek drivers). I decided to hold onto the back of the seat and took of onto the road. I gripped the seat for dear life and silently praying that I do not fall off. My fears were subsided as I took in the night air and the cool breeze blowing on my face. It was so blissful that I had my hands outstretched and let out a loud yelp exclaiming my exhilaration which my driver thought was funny. He dropped me off and I handed over my 20000 rph and thanked my driver. I walked away becoming a fan of the ojek and learnt lesson in not being a chickenshit and just do it.

I have now taken ojeks 10 times since but only when the situation is really necessary (traffic, protests, late coming home from work and the like). But I can honestly say, I enjoy taking ojeks as they are best way to get around the city.