Millionaire. That's how many people might think they have become when they arrive to Indonesia. Not only because of the currency ratio (with US$ 100 you make 1.000.000 rupiah), but the cost of living and transportation are incredibly cheap as well. Average expense per day = US$ 4 to 5 including a room with 4 beds, bathroom, breakfast, lunch and dinner. This bargain paradise for tourists is the result of 3 combined fatal factors: economic, political and social crisis that emerged since 1997.
Indonesia is a huge archipelago with more than 13.000 islands scattered from Asia mainland to the Pacific Ocean.
Some of its history:
Indonesia was dominated by a couple of European countries according to its heyday period. First by Portugal and mainly by the Netherlands for 350 years (no surprise why many words are written in Dutch there). The natural resources (quinine, pepper, rubber, coconut, tea, sugar, coffee and oil) nourished the Dutch wealth/industrialization and created a powerful company called United East India Company (something like an ancient Microsoft in the spice market), which influenced the Brazilian history as well.
The independence came after a struggling period and was finally recognized by the Dutch government in 1949.
Just like the former Yugoslavia and India, the social differences/gaps started to come out after the unification factor wore out (common enemy or charismatic leader) With its thousands islands, mountainous terrain, many religions (mainly Islam with 90%, Hindu, Buddhism and Catholics) and two main ethnics: Malays and Chinese (which is the wealthiest group) is pretty hard to coexist with each other. Particularly during crisis when someone or ethnic group has to be responsible for the whole mess. Chinese are the people's first choice target, since they are the wealthiest. Remember the Jews in Germany or the Korean community in CA in the very beginning of the 90's?... just like that). Chinese people have a hard time to keep their culture, since the government discriminate it by law. Chinese characters were banned and Chinese schooling was forbidden. (in the immigration form, they make very clear that Chinese magazines, books or anything related to Chinese culture is prohibited as much as drugs)
Follow some impressions about the places that I've been so far.
-=> Medan
It's a big city with more than 2 million people. The first thing that stood up, being the first place in Indonesia was the prices. Very, very cheap, even for South East Asia standards. It's really a give away. Accommodation for US$ 1 or even less, McMeal for US$ 1,5 and so forth.
With the economic nightmare, people are eager to work for cents. Tourists are touted every second to get a taxi, or tuk tuk (modified motorbike) or just answer the greetings: "Hello Mister", "Hello Mister", "Hello Mister",....
-Religion:
--Sumatra Island is mainly Muslim. You can see mosques everywhere with serious sound systems that they use to broadcast the Muslim prays every hour starting at 5 am (lets say that's a more exotic way to wake up than listening to the rooster’s singing).
In a society where religion plays a critical role in shaping people's behavior, being a woman, especially tourist can be a hassle. Men are considered a supreme creation and women in the other hand, merely a "by-product" of the human's reproduction cycle. Indonesia is not a zealot Muslim country, but if you are a woman, expect some annoyances in the islands where Islam is big. (e.g. Sumatra)
--5th of March was a very important religious date. The Idul Adha, a Muslim festival that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. The owner's of the place that we stayed, offered a traditional Idul Adha's day breakfast with rice, fruit salad, chocolate and some other chili food. When we were heading to Bukit Lawang, we saw another typical thing of this date: goats being sacrificed at mosques. Their meat is then distributed. Can be nasty at first, but it's the same meat that we all eat. It just has the outdoor show as an add-on.
-=> Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang is 96km (60 miles) north from Medan. It took more than 4 hours to complete the journey. Stopping everywhere to get more people, I can say that breaking the sound barrier wasn’t our priority. It was fun though. Particularly if you imagine 2 seats with 5 people (fair enough for 30 cents). In Bukit Lawang, they keep a touristy Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, but you can see them in the wild as well. We saw one passing in front of one waterfall, just like in the National Geographic magazine. Very beautiful.
-=> Danau Toba or Lake Toba
Lake Toba is 100 km (62 miles) south from Medan. It's the biggest lake in South East Asia that occupies the place os a collapsed volcano. The first 2 days wasn’t very nice thanks to a massive food poisoning that we all had. Visiting the toilet on regular basis wasn’t, lets say, the best highlight of this place. At least it was "free of charge" :). We survived after all. It's a very relaxing place. Perfect for trekking, cycling, swimming in fresh water (for a change) and reading.
-=> Bali
Bali was nice but it could have been nicer. We (me, Steph and Gina) stayed in Kuta, a very touristy place, paradise for Mastercard and American Express with a wide variety of high end products at cheap prices. A good thing that is worth buying is tailored clothes, shoes and accessories (wallets, hats and etc) and wooden handicraft. Tailors and wood carvers are very gifted. Just come with your idea and they will do it for a fraction of the price you would pay back home. (to be honest, I didn’t order anything special but the girls didn’t resist the temptation… girls and credit cards… explosive combination :) )
Since Kuta is the most touristy place in Bali, expect touting people every 10 sec offering from batiks, sarongs to accommodation, drugs and believe it, stolen mini vans!
Religion:
Besides all that, Kuta in general is very interesting, thanks to its Hindu influence. Temples and especially offerings can be seen everywhere and local people are more easy going comparing to Sumatra (some of them really try hard to scam you though)
After Kuta I split from Gina and Steph. They went to Ubud (better place.. more cultural and less touristy) and I came to Gili Trawangnan.
-=>Gili Trawangan
Gili T. is a very small island in the west coast from Lombok with no traffic at all (just some horse powered coaches). Like Sumatra, it’s Muslim, giving you the opportunity to hear Muslim prays every hour from the mosque’s speakers. Snorkeling is a highlight. Excellent spot. After the first 2 meters or warm cloudy layer, paradise! Cooler, crystal water (30m vis) with loads of fish and soft corals. So beautiful that it pushes you unconsciously to stay longer and longer.
Miscellaneous:
-Monica’s Team: one thing that surprised me in a shopping mall in Sumatra was to see a very traditional Brazilian comic book called "Monica's Team" translated to Indonesian. Monica's Team is a nationwide hit back in Brazil for more than 30 years. It stands out in the comic book scene for showing relationships between parents and their kids and exploring the kid's stereotypes, personalities and the typical situations faced by them. Very far from the "Don’t Touch me Hero" or miniatures of characters and their uncle, aunt, nephew relationship (e.g.: Uncle Donald). OK... enough of comics.
-Driving in Indonesia: be sure to get your license to kill by having your driving license issued in England with a double 0 before the serial number (I’m quite positive that Indonesians do that). Beeping the horns every 10 seconds, dodging trucks, speeding, running over motorbikes... these all make the driving game experience more exciting. In Brazil we used to have a road called the Death Road (much better nowadays), but after Indonesia, it looks like a child's game.
--Talking with some girls that approached me in Sumatra to "practice their english" or just to chit chat (all Catholics and they make sure I was aware of that), makes evident how they "worship the West". For them Western people deserve all the good superlatives. Ironically, Indonesia is a main supplier of goods (using contemporary slavery) that enhances the glamour of the Westerns.
-Petrol price: 1 liter = US$: 0,112 or 1 gallon = US$0,41 (I don’t have any idea how they manage to set this price, since the price of the petrol is set internationally and as far as I know, Indonesia is not big in petrol production)
(update: Indonesia is pretty big in oil & gas)
