Eid ul Fitr Greetings

Dear all, wishing you all to have blessed Eid ul Fitr celebration with your family and friends. To others, may you have a wonderful holiday.

Crowded Places In Jakarta During Ramadhan Holiday

If you are happen to stay in Jakarta during Idul Fitri's holiday, then you have better watch out to the following places as they are going to be so very crowded with people...

1. Amusement parks
People who stays in Jakarta are surely going to avoid these two places: Ragunan Zoo and Ancol. There are so many people during this festive holiday and if you hate crowded places, well... it will not going to be a wonderful experience.

2. Museums and other historical places.
Most people probably not really into museum, but old museums such as Fatahillah in old city of Jakarta and National Monument (MoNas) have parks and large area for people to hang around together. If you want to visit museums, they are probably close but there are other entertainment that you can enjoy. While at National Monument I can assure you, it will take ages for you before finally able to enter the monument and going up to see Jakarta from there.

Taken in front of Museum Fatahillah, located at Old City Jakarta

Taken in front of National Monument 

Empty Street

Don't you just love Jakarta during Lebaran's holiday? :)

Before Idul Fitri Holiday

I know I haven't been in this blog for ages and tell you the truth I was sort of out of ideas what to write. I mean, everyday I face the same thing over again and again. Crowded angry passengers, few buses only that it seems only the driver and God knows exactly about their schedule. I was afraid you might get bored with it because there is nothing new rather than my daily experiences. But anyway, let me try to write a summary what happened to me from January until recently, near Idul Fitri holiday.

Tips During Homecoming For Idul Fitri

Though I have posted this topic over and over again, I think there is nothing wrong to post it again as a reminder to all of us.

Another Reminder

Life, when we think about it is a repetition of same things all over again. It's called routine. Every morning we all race to reach our destination. an office or school. Wake up so early just to find someone else has beat us again. Street full with cars in the wee early of the morning. So, there we are getting stuck with other passengers on public transportation because we woke up late. Other reason, we do get up early but the public transportation didn't arrive on time. So the result is the same. We stuck together with others like baggage inside the warehouse.

Free Ride

Yesterday, I was about to go out with my friend and planning on using busway. However, from outside the bus stop I saw there were so many people there waiting for busway. Based on my experience whenever I saw crowded bus stop it can only means one thing. The busway takes forever to pass and take all those waiting passenger. So, I decided to use another public transportation to avoid waiting for a long time and didn't make it to see my friend. A few hours later I found out that there was this FREE RIDE ALL DAY WITH BUSWAY. Oh dear! No wonder there were so many people there waiting for busway. It's a good thing I follow my busway survival instinct and choose to use other public transportation. Otherwise, I would be in one of those bad moods.

Why on earth I wouldn't want to use busway while they gave free ride? Well, I can imagine on regular days when people have to pay the fare...they are all vicious (I won't lie, me included). I will shove, push, protect myself from other mad passenger driven by their needs to go home. So, when they have a chance to use public transportation for free that we can be sure they would be nastier than ever. There were so many people want to use the chance it created long queue all the way. Especially those who wish to go to amusement parks or to the zoo. Not to mention, the last two days were last days for holiday before children went back to school.

I was trying to remember whether any announcement for busway free ride on one day before? I didn't think so. I think people would at least be prepare for the worst if they have known. My sympathy for those who brought their little children to enjoy holiday. But I hardly think they would be able to enjoy the ride in the middle of so many people inside the bus. But then again, when you have good intention to have fun then everything will be considered okay.

I would say, if you saw many people queuing inside the bus stop then it is a sign for you to take another public transportation. But then again, it's all up to you as a passenger. Naturally, I would prefer to avoid the crowds and choose other transportation.

HOLIDAY

Hi all,
this buzzer is going to take holiday so I won't be here up to 3 May 2011...

So, until that time...have lovely moments and bye for now:)

Not a match...

Busway and public holiday? Definitely not a match made in heaven…

Previously I heard a promotion that we can traveling around Jakarta using busway and you only need to pay once. The promotion is not a hoax. THAT if you are the only person in Jakarta who wants to ride around the town using busway.

Two years ago my cousin from out of town visited me and my parents here in Jakarta. Since my parents both just have been released from the hospital due to their illness we hardly take him to go anywhere… So, thinking to make it fun for his staying here in Jakarta, it crossed my mind to take him ride around the town using busway. During that time my niece and my nephew were also staying with us during their school's holiday. I thought, well this would be a good chance to bring them traveling around Jakarta. And surely we would not bumping to office workers. It would be fun to take them all using busway. That was my consideration.

On the first day of Lebaran’s holiday I asked my cousin and niece and nephew to go to the nearest bus stop for busway. They were obviously excited as they have never used a busway before. However when we arrived at the bus stop I stunned to see that there were so many people there. And when we finally got on the busway, it was totally crowded with people. Not only that we have to stand all the way our journey but also we have to sneak up here and there just to find a spot to stand. Oh nooo, I was worried. Perhaps because we were late?

And when we arrived at the bus stop for transit between busways there were more passengers there… Most of them were heading to places like beaches, fun park and zoo. Yeah, it is holiday now and children were enjoying their free days. This would meant that my plan to take them to those places surely going to be ruined. Finally I decided to change the destination spot and continue our journey. We stop at the next transit bus stop. And there, crowded passengers scattered around the place. My plan totally blown away. First of all, I was a bit scare that I would get separated with my niece and nephew. Second, what's the fun of waiting the busway for ages, not to mention the heat, and risk to get stomped by other people when trying to get on the busway? Probably if there were only me and my cousin I would get on with the plan. So, at the least he would learn how is the situation when people trying to get on the bus beating the crowd.

Later I learned that yeah many Jakartan escape the city to another city or even countries during the public holiday. But that does not mean make Jakarta automatically abandon and quiet. As many people who live in another city but still near Jakarta are starting to come during the holiday. Obviously most of them have the same intention as mine to travel around Jakarta with only pay the fare once. Though for that they have to be ready to queuing for the longest time ever. Sweating all over the place. Having risk to get mug by pickpockets. Or get stomped when trying to get on the busway in the middle of crowded passengers. My intention was definitely not as strong as them.

So for you all my friends who wants to try have a go to travel around Jakarta using busway during national public holiday…good luck. All I can say, get ready for everything. As Jakarta is not going to be as empty as we think it will be. Regular buses may not being occupied by many passengers. Unfortunately not with busways.

Suck it up...