Ohmygoodness.. another night of sleeping with a snorer and crying baby meant absolutely no sleep for me so I spent the whole night playing on my iPhone in despair until 4.30am when I remembered that today was Sunday… and that means Car Free Day. At 5.00am I got up to shower and asked Putra to look after Samudra while I did so and was greeted with a very grumpy response to being woken up! hmmmmf. How easy it is for the other half.
I ordered a taxi for Samudra and I and at the last minute Putra decided to join us. It was such a beautiful morning so early out on Jl. Sudirman with the sun seeping through the trees, and the road was covered in specs of yellow and black as the Mandiri Marathon was on and I couldn’t believe how many thousands of people were actually up to run in it this morning. How times have changed in Jakarta and I really love it.
Samudra fell asleep chewing on his pram about 10 minutes into the walk, while we enjoyed the music from buskers on the side of the road and all the entertainment that comes from having thousands of people in one place at one time. Then I noticed some cameramen and photographers running and stopping and running and stopping again up ahead and was super excited to realise that they were filming the same Baduy guys I had seen walking in Ragunan a few days earlier. I really wanted to catch up and take a picture but I couldn’t interrupt the filming so let it be and watched them disappear into the distance and felt depleted to have been so close yet again, but still so far away. Then I forgot about them while taking in the view of life around us and as we neared the fountain at Bundaran HI I turned back to look for Putra and Samudra and there were the Baduy right behind me! I quickly snapped a picture and then somehow ended up talking with them and the host of the show who told me that it took two days of solid walking for them to reach Jakarta and they have been walking around for days selling their goods. I desperately wanted to buy something but Putra had my wallet so I ran off to catch up to him and grab Samudra and headed back to see what they had for sale. The host of the show then asked if I could please appear on their program and be filmed while I was looking at their wares. So as hot and sweaty and gross as I was looking after an hour walk in the sunshine, there was Samudra and I infront of the cameras and 1 second later we were completely closed in by curious people wanting to know what was going on. I couldn’t even get my balance to stand up as we were so squashed in by a circle of people and it was so claustrophobic that it made me sweat even more! I have no idea what TV station it was but I don’t watch TV so there’s no fear of me seeing the footage and being humiliated.
Putra had to go to another meeting in the afternoon so I joined with nenek and kakek to Pejaten Village for some lunch and to watch Samudra having a go on the rides in the kids play area. Wow.. the rides were blasting super loud songs out but Samudra seemed to really enjoy himself and tired himself out to have another sleep as soon as we got home.
So as incredibly tired as I was, it ended up being a really lovely Sunday and I hope you had a beautiful day too wherever in the world you are.
Day 96: Early morning at the ‘Pizza Man’ statue. Happiness.
Day 96: The Mandiri marathon is happening as we walk. Happiness.
Day 96: A cute ball of fluff! Happiness.
Day 96: A beautiful morning on Jl. Sudirman. Happiness.
Day 96: Some cool bikes. Happiness.
Day 96: Cool kids of Jakarta. Happiness.
Day 96: Awesome buskers. Happiness.
Day 96: Samudra taking in the views. Happiness.
Day 96: Seeing the Baduy men twice in one week. Happiness.
Day 96: Taking a ride in Pejaten with kakek. Happiness.
