Joko's Java Journey 3: My Indonesian Family

Being without transport meant
dealing with bajaj drivers

I can be a real inconsiderate, self-centered bastard at times. I mean, I suppose we all can be, to some extent, at certain points in our lives, but I really should try to think more about people other than myself. 

See, my original itinerary, the one I was disappointed wasn't happening, was to get a bike on the first day and get out of Jakarta as soon as I possibly could. I had no plan to reunite with old friends and "family". I was just thinking about my adventure, my journey, my needs. The folks I used to know wouldn't even know I was in town, so it wouldn't hurt them in any way if I didn't contact them.

Explaining life from the back of a Bajaj.

The incredibly warm reaction I got from the people who remembered me from Jakarta in 1986 was really special. It made me feel good to not only be remembered, but to bring happiness to them in that they didn't think they'd ever see me again. 

And that joy was an afterthought, originally. 

Well, in retrospect, I'm really happy it took the extra time to find a scooter in Jakarta. In fact, I wasn't ever able to rent one; I'm borrowing the spare scooter of an old friend from the neighborhood. More importantly, I got to see my old "family", the people who hosted me as their 'child' back when I was

The Delay also meant I got to eat
a lot more siomay Bandung.

16 years old. I wasn't a good kid, either. I was a bit of a rebellious teenager. In any case, all of that is in the past, and I'm looking forward to spending my last night in Indonesia (4 days from the time of me writing this; I'm still on the road) in the family home in Jakarta. 

Enjoy the video...