Java Journeys – Day 0: Arrival in Jakarta

As I lie in my hotel room, it occurs to me that even a few hours in Indonesia have given me a very different impression from my first few weeks in Thailand. While I gather that Bangkok can get quite smoggy during some months, this has not been the case so far, and the contrast with Jakarta could not have been greater. I could tell the plane was nearing Indonesia’s capital not because I could see the city below, but because I could not; the rough contours of buildings only started emerging at closer range through a thick milky screen. We touched down at about quarter to six, and as I walked through the rather empty airport at six, the loudspeakers started playing the Muslim call to prayer. Of course, Islam is quite popular in Southern Thailand, but I have spent most of my time in Bangkok, which is decidedly Buddhist.

There is no need to go over all the obvious differences between the two countries: the lack of intricately wrought roofs in Jakarta, the presence of Mosques, women wearing hijabs, tourists from the Muslim world, and so on and so forth. I was more intrigued by the different artistic visions of the two nations when I came across a wooden statue of Garuda in my hotel: The deity appeared more menacing than the serene Garuda often seen in equipoise on Thai gables. The artist lay more emphasis on his claws and pointed beak, depicting him leaning forward as though he were ready to pounce. The other major difference I noticed was in the Indonesian conception of bidets. While the Thais often provide a hose, the bidet at my hotel was simply an upwardly curved hook at the far end of the toilet bowl. Suffice it to say I have not braved this contraption yet.

My journey to Jakarta began quite early in the day. I arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok about three and a half hours before my flight, as I had to apply for a multiple re-entry permit. The process was relatively quick and painless, except for the non-negligible damage it did to my wallet. The flight took over three hours, and I watched the flight map during the turbulences to see whether we would be plunged into the sea or dashed against island hills. Incidentally, this allowed me to notice when we had crossed the equator.

I had specifically booked a hotel at the airport itself, as I would continue to Yogyakarta the following morning. It surprised me, therefore, that the hotel offered a shuttle service; I had figured I would simply walk over after receiving my upon-arrival visa and exchanging some money. The whole process was remarkably fast, and I stood by the agreed-upon meeting place within half an hour. The driver, however, was not there. When I called him by WhatsApp – luckily, I had the foresight to buy a three-day roaming package with my Thai carrier – he seemed positively shocked that I had already made it and began to apologise that he would be late because of traffic and other drop-offs he still had to make.

Long story short, I waited half an hour for a five-minute ride to another terminal, where I found my hotel. Quite insouciant, the driver advised me that it would have been better to take the airport shuttle train, which departs every ten minutes. I resolved that this was indeed the more sensible option for my morning journey back to the same terminal.