Indonesia
August
9, 2013 - We arrived in Bogor after a two hour train ride.
It was a slow train, with few seats and mostly standing room.
We were lucky to get some space as consecutive stops saw the
train filled to the brim with people.
Interestingly enough, very few people had any luggage with them. The train was jam-packed by the time we got to Bogor and it took ages to get out of the station, crossing railroad tracks towards any exit we could find.
People in Indonesia are very friendly with a constant "Hey Mister!" following us. More often than not, we are the ones being framed in cameras and cell phones. People pose willingly for photos and reluctant kids are shoved in front of us, so we happily oblige. We then show the kids the results on the camera, which always makes them smile.
Bogor was our first stop and the main appeal of this town was its reputed botanical garden. We found it to be a large park, with lots of people picnicking amongst the trees and waterways, but didn't see much of real interest. If you can look past the litter and have an affinity for trees, it might be worth your while, but to us it was a bit of a bust.
Our introduction to Java was a sobering one. There is litter everywhere. In a lot of places, the infrastructure is in tatters. It's also very busy.
Traditional rickshaws still ply their trade in Bogor.
Aside from the botanical gardens and the fact it's not Jakarta, Bogor has little going for it, so we moved to Bandung the next day.
