Botanical Gardens and More!

So Andrea convinced me that it was a good idea to be ready to go to this environment "conference" at 8am saturday morning. I would have never agreed to this under normal circumstances, my body thinks im probably somewhere around alaska still, I'm wide awake at 8am and exhausted at 6pm. The bros also seem to enjoy waking up at 7, carrying on and revving up their dirtbike/mopeds. And as glass covers only about 60% of my windows, there is no shutting out the sound.

Thinking this was a conference, I wore pants and a decent shirt. In a moment of prescience I wore sneakers instead of my leather shoes. This would prove to be a key decision. So we meet Diva, Cici, Dodi and Cecila (The Mexican, and still not clear on what exactly this name is) and head down to the location of this conference. Its off the side of the road down an embankment and under a tent on the edge of what might be a slum or could be a middle class neighborhood. Hard to tell. There are a about 100 people, students, locals and a group of soldiers all "conferring" with megaphones as people mill about in a completely disorganized fashion. We arrive and are immediately the focus of attention and everyone wonders what these pinkys are doing at their shindig. Dodi starts to look very uncomfortable and keeps asking if we are ok. (we are). It turns out that everyone is about to start picking up trash from the river as there is no local authority that takes responsibility for the river. Everyone starts grabbing bags and it appears as if people are trying to give us bags but Dodi is frantically waving them off and declaring that everyone is tired and we need to take a break under the tent. We comply despite not being tired. It is at this point that I realize that Dodi is trying to protect us from actually having to do anything, like pick trash from the river, because we are white. He still asking if we are ok and telling us that we are going to leave very soon, just after we take a picture, then go to the botanical garden. I think he doesn't know what to do because its hard to have us there and no do anything, but he is unwilling to have us help as well. The area is not the nicest and I think he is worried that we are grossed out. In reality, I think its one of the cleaner places I've seen. Its just nature, with bugs, mud, grasses and everything that goes along with that. So we snap a few pictures and I'm determined not to be the western guy that shows up, gets his picture taken with people working, does nothing and leaves. So Doddy asks if its ok if we go down towards the river and I say its fine. We shuffle down the embankment and get handed a couple bags and begin picking up trash in a relatively dry area. I don't mind helping, but I'm not wading into the river in my khakis and sneaks. This seems to have a pretty positive effect as now everyone wants to have their picture taken with us. I hardly have time to pick up trash with all the photo ops.

Diva helping out.

Even while I work, candids are getting snapped non stop by the locals. It should be noted that I am a total novelty here. I have yet to see another white person and I have yet to find someone who can see over my shoulder.

River and dude taking pics of us

See if you can pick me out of this picture. I'll give you 3 tries.

Diva, Cici, Cecila, Dodi, Jolly Green Giant

The neighborhood.

At this point we were about done with the cleanup. I can't say I did a lot, but I did pick up at least 30 pieces and made a dent in my bag. And in reality it was never about how much trash I picked up it was about solidarity and a willingness to get my hands dirty. The developing world cleans up our mess so often, it was satisfying to make a token effort to clean up some of theirs. After washing our hands we were given a lunch of rice wrapped in palm leaves, hot sauce, 2 types of bean mush, an emaciated chicken wing and a plantain. It was very tasty and I enjoyed all of it. However, the real treat was the hot coconut/bean drink. This stuff is great. I know it doesn't sound like it, but you are going to have to trust me on this one. Its coconut milk with lentils floating in it. Its great on its own and would be great with coconut rum.

Homemade lunch.

Meanwhile the picture taking is continuing, I wrote a testament on a poster to my presence and I'm shaking hands like a lobbyist. Among all this hubub a young lady approached me and asked very kindly if I would mind being interviewed by the local tv station. I immediately agreed. I was asked fairly mundane questions such as what I thought of the cleanup and if I thought it was making a difference. They promised to send me a dvd of my segment. Hopefully it comes in! I'm now 2/3 on getting interviewed on trips to other continents. South america was the sole continent that did not see it fit to put me on local tv. After that we had to introduce ourselves to the crowd and say a few words about the effort and then after many goodbyes we left for the botanical gardens.

One of many group pics

Next we hopped one of these vans/minibusses that are actually public busses? I don't know but they run routes and there are thousands on the roads. This took us to the Bogor Botanical Gardens, which is the major tourist attraction. Apparently Kim Jong Il and George W. Bush both visited here. How many places can boast that?

Front Door

Kim in his younger days

This is where I saw the first white people. 3 aussies arrived by motorbike taxi and were promply overcharged. Soon a police officer and a couple locals were over there taking money back from the taxi and giving it to the tourists. Nice to see. Admission to the gardens was steep. 95 cents.

We cruised around these gardens for awhile. They had a museum displaying the local flora and fauna. The last west javan rhino, shot in 1934 was there on display. Some megabats were there, the size of a housecat. The number of extinct species on display was mind boggling. However the gardens were very nice and lush. There was a flower open that apparently only opens once every 8 years. There also was a very nice orchid greenhouse. The gardens were great but a little shabby compared to what you would see elsewhere. Well worth the 95 cents. I will probably go again.

Mega nitrogen fixing tree

The grounds

More...

Orchids

After this I went back to my room and kind of chilled out. Later that night the bros had a bbq. Marinated chicken and... you guessed it, rice! It was great and a lot of fun. A few beers, singing american songs poorly (they know more than I do), and good times had by all. There was also a somewhat strange but fun hazing where the birthday boy (i guess it was a bday bbq) gets tied to a telephone pole and egged. Like I said, good times had by all. It got his clothes wet though so I don't know if it was fun for him.

Anyway, off to play soccer now with the bros...