TukTuk

We have a delightful conversation under a tree in the port with a young ship's captain from Borneo and a city guide. We converse in both Dutch and English about our travels, our families, and local politics. We ask about modes of transportation to the old center of town, Kota, from the port, and the guide suggests a Tuk-Tuk.
Hmm, you need to know that the streets of Jakarta are constantly jammed with scooters, motorcycles, pedestrians, autos, buses, becaps, and Tuk-Tuks.
There is a constant orchestration of whistles, horns, and voices as the trraffic weaves on the left side of the road with inches, sometimes much less to spare.
The Tuk-Tuks are these frail canvas covered motorized tricycles with room for two in the back. So with out blinking an eye as we emerge from Kampung Sunda Kelapa Ellen flags us a Tuk-Tuk to take us from the port to the old center of the Dutch colonial government in Kota about 3 miles away.

Not far you say why don't you walk? Well in Jakarta even the parks are created for motorized transport; it is impossible to walk in most places. So without further thought Ellen negotiates the fare. 30,000 Rupias are too much she says how about 20,000. I remind her that we are talking about $3 to $2 for a 3 mile ride.

Okay we go for 30,000 Rupia.













wee make it easily and faster that using a taxi!

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