Indonesia was our last stop and a last-minute trip; we didn’t decide to go until days and days of Singaporean prices wore down our wallets. We stayed with a friend, which meant some great home-cooked Indonesian fare but a bit less exposure to Jakarta.
- Indonesia is one of the less developed countries we visited, so prices were cheap: I preferred the gourmet $10 sushi meals, but Fred got a couple $1 lunches on the street.
- The traffic (*slams head against wall*) extends into the suburbs, nearly all day, so it usually takes at least an hour to get anywhere. It’s honestly the worst traffic I’ve seen and I couldn’t imagine dealing with it day after day.
- Jakarta has no metro and we were strongly advised against the bus (by locals, no less), so we ended up taking taxis everywhere – for a few dollars per ride.
- The streets of Jakarta are filled with lots of motorbikes – though less than Vietnam – and a variety of taxis (the Blue Bird Group being most reliable).
- Surprisingly, Indonesia has some beautiful public sculptures – like triumphant Olympic athletes and muscular horses.
- English isn’t too widely spoken.
- Expat life is a luxury, perhaps to make up for all the traffic: the teacher we stayed with had a personal driver and a maid, with incredibly low salaries (by Western standards).
Kira M. Newman 
Yes, traffic drives you to drink there.
What were you up to in Jakarta? And yes I’m dealing with our worst traffic like everyday 😀