Abstract
Indonesia is a very large country population-wise, the fifth largest in the world. It is made up of more than 13,000 islands, the larger being Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), Irian Jaya (the western half of New Guinea), Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi (Celebes), Maluku (Moluccas), and the Lesser Sundas. This country stretches from east to west over 3,200 miles, separating the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This is greater than the distance between our Pacific and Atlantic coasts. It is an extremely complex country being made up of .some three hundred ethnic groups with two hundred-fifty languages and multiple dialects of most of those. There are more than three hundred dialects in IrianJaya alone.
The Indonesian population is approximately 175 million with about 60% of these jammed onto the island of Java which is only 51,000 square miles or about six percent of the country's total land mass. This is equivalent to putting the entire combined populations of California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas into an area about the size of Louisiana. This is more than six times the entire population of Australia. There is pervasive reason for this.
Java is made up of a string of still active volcanos throughout its entire length. The activity is a result of this island lying just to the north of the deep Java Trench where the IndoAustralian plate pushes under the Eurasian plate resulting in much geothermal action. These volcanos are continually spewing ash with periodic violent eruptions. This ash and lava breaks down into exceptionally fertile soil. Consequently, the rice, fruit and vegetable farming of Java (and Bali which is effectively an easterly extension of Java) is one of the world's most highly productive. The Balinese rice farmers are considered to be the world's best even with their primitive tools.
The soil over most of the remainder of Indonesia is very fragile and shallow and does not accept cultivation kindly. Its fertility level is low and short-lived. When cleared, it is marginally productive, soon becomes non-productive and erodes very quickly. So goes beautiful prime wildlife habitat!
Being an individual with a lifelong high level interest in all aspects of natural science, I enthusiastically took advantage of an opportunity to spend a couple of weeks in Indonesia.
Of course, anyone could visit Indonesia or most other countries as long as they have the health, the time and the money to spare. For me, the first two were no problem but the latter is, unfortunately, a perennial problem.
Indonesia has one of the world's lowest costs of living if you are willing to live in the native style including native food. It is probably one of the world's most expensive places if you choose to live in the western manner, even modestly, as you are accustomed to here.
One of my sons and his family were living in Jakarta (at the west end of the Island of Java). His company had provided them with very palacial accommodations, a western-style, completely furnished home of upward of 5,000 square feet, the rear yard of which was enclosed by a ten foot high concrete and masonry wall. Growing in the backyard was a red plumeria about twenty feet high with a twenty foot spread in addition to a mango. Also provided was a car and driver, a house girl and a house boy. My daughter-in-law found these latter three very easy to get used to. The house girl, with her husband and children, lived in an apartment attached to the rear of the main house and garage and was available 24 hours a day as was the house boy, and driver. Between the house girl and boy they did all of the grocery shopping (which required about U.S. $25 to $30 per week), prepared all meals, did all house and yard work and the laundry was done daily. The lawns were mowed weekly with a pair of hand clippers. My son and daughterin-law, having two small children, found this arrangement very acceptable and easy to get used to, and rather traumatic to leave behind.
This all provided me with a very convenient and economical ''base of operation:'
Bicycles and mopeds are the most commonly used forms of private transportation with becaks (pedicabs) a frequently used public form. They quite jam the streets within the cities as well as being abundant even in the rural areas. It is common to see two adults on a moped and frequently two adults with a child and occasionally two adults with two children all on one little moped and no one wearing helmets.
In the center of Jakarta at a major intersection is the National Monument which is a marble pillar in excess of 400 feet high with a sculptured crowning flame reportedly covered with 77 pounds of pure gold.
Indonesia is the home of beautiful, intricately dyed and tediously woven ikat fabrics as well as the delicate and beautiful batik process. These fabrics are used for clothing, draperies, bed sheets and spreads, upholstery, tablecloths, wall hangings, etc. Each area of Indonesia has its own traditional styles and patterns for these fabrics.
As in Mexico and most third world countries, it is not safe for caucasians (or less specifically, Americans and Europeans) to drink the local water, even in hotels and good restaurants. You must likewise be careful not to use ice unless you know with certainty it is made from a reputable bottled water. Sealed container, brand name bottled water is available in most restaurants, grocery stores and many soft drink vendor stands. It costs a little but is well worth the investment. U.S. brands of soft drinks are readily available but are normally served at ambient air temperature (warm) since ice is not available to the general populace and is too risky for Americans to use.
Slum shacks overhang the banks of the rivers around certain areas of Jakarta. Here you will see people bathing and brushing their teeth in the river where clothes are being washed and at the same time people are defecating into the same water from bamboo scaffolds.
Something I had trouble getting used to was having to pay a fee to an attendant in order to park our vehicle on the street by the curb in the vicinity of shops or stores and even in the parking lots of food markets. This requirement may well only apply to caucasians.
Of particular interest to me were the birds, at liberty, in the bird parks, bird markets and even in the restaurants.
All of Indonesia, with the exception of its highest mountains, is very tropical since the country straddles the equator.
As we drove into the mountains we passed through tea plantations at about the lower edge of the clouds. Tea, as most of you know, is a species of camellia. There were beautiful terrestrial pink orchids growing and blooming in the drainage ditches of the tea plantations. The weather is cool and comfortable at this elevation. As we progressed higher into the pine forest, mustached (Iava) parakeets became one of the more commonly seen bird species.
The design of most Indonesian restaurants is a floor raised two or three steps above the ground, and a roof, either open on all sides or open on three sides with the kitchen behind a wall that is the fourth side. This design renders air conditioning useless (air conditioning being too expensive for use anyplace except in the large western-style hotels, offices and residences of the western expatriate employees). It also takes advantage of any air movements that might occur. It is really quite enjoyable to be eating dinner while the rain is falling within five or six feet of your table without walls or windows between.