Driving in Indonesia !?🙈

As I sit here nursing a sore knee, I though I'd just write a bit on a subject that constantly comes to mind every time we take to the roads as each occasion is an adventure here.  One that sometimes means taking major risks with one's life.

The number one rule of the road?  There are no rules!  

Well, not unless you consider it a rule that you must drive in any direction on any side of the road, at any given time, markedly when it comes to turning corners.  Corners are there to be cut across aren't they?  Or how about driving on the far left of the road then suddenly turning right across the oncoming traffic and cutting off those from behind too with a 2-metre teak log strapped across the seat of the motorbike?!  But hey, I was signalling (or was I?  Oops).

One of the best is, when coming out of a side lane and turning into the main stream of traffic, don't look to see if it's clear!  That would mean that you just might have to give way so, if you don't look, the other guy has to take the evasive action, but that's alright too, they expect that.  And the funny thing is, if you just happen to want to turn left into the road on the left (they drive on the left here) and come face to face with someone coming at you completely on your side of the road, expect an incredulous look which translates to "oh, what are you doing here, I'm turning?!"

I have been in a car a dozen or more times going to Kudus and Semarang and have yet to see a sign to indicate speed, a yield sign or any single traffic sign that one would normally expect along such roads anywhere else in the world.  For that matter, I've never seen any form of police, traffic controllers or speed checks either (I've no idea what the speed limit even is!). The only signs I've noticed are those to indicate that a mosque is coming up imminently and there are a lot of those, or an exclamation mark to mark.......... heaven only knows what!  I've asked a host of people and no one can give a definitive answer to that one or the speed limit.  Who cares!

Occasionally you'll see a zebra crossing.  Don't, and I mean don't dare to think that this means you can safely walk across the road at that point.  You will not live to see the sun go down that evening.  Why they waste the effort or the paint is another of those unanswerable questions.

A real doozie is the traffic circle!  Paul seems to have got the hang of those.  Me, I wouldn't dare.  I think I'd go several miles out of my way to avoid having to get through one but there are too many so that's probably not an option.  If you think you have the right of way because you're in the circle, think again.  I'm sure they all just close their eyes and carry on through!  It appears to be a case of 'he who hesitates.......'  isn't given a second chance.

Surprisingly though, we have witnessed very few accidents, and none too serious, which is really quite amazing.  If you were to spend just one hour watching how they drive here you'd understand that that's not much short of a miracle.  Take a two or three hour trip to the nearest towns of Kudus or Semarang and you'll be flabbergasted that anyone gets out of this alive or that any cars have wing mirrors still intact!  The sea of motorbikes everywhere is an absolute eye opener but they all manage quite proficiently.  Maybe it's Indonesia's method of natural attrition as we NEVER see any old people riding around on motorbikes (Paul's an exception).   It certainly makes us a bit of a novelty around these parts.

And one last all-time classic feature one must very often traverse; the party tent.  These are enormous structures that are erected for weddings, funerals or any of a myriad of other occasions and the lack of a yard for such purposes is no problem, just use the road!  Any road.  Just because it's actually meant to facilitate the flow of traffic is not a consideration, the party must go on.  Sometimes huge stages for bands are set up and, if the road is relatively narrow as most are, then simply use the entire width; the traffic will just have to find another route.  It's even possible to have two or three of these functions happen along one stretch.  I kid you not.  

To put it mildly, driving in Indonesia can be a challenge but never boring.

Below: trying to get past the parties.