I was recently lucky enough to spend three weeks on the beautiful Indonesian island of Java. I was nervous at first about visiting one of the most densely populated areas of the world, I mean that’s a lot of people and traffic to potentially walk into, but it was the people that made the place so good.
Take a look at Java and some of its people through the lens of a blind guy! And don’t forget to check out part 2 here.
The traffic in Jakarta is inescapable. The roads seem constantly choked with a multitude of motorbikes, a cacophony of cars and a boatload of buses. Not to mention the tuk tuks, bikes and the many carts full of various foods and other items that are pushed by hand. Thankfully though the footpaths are a little more sedate. Notice the yellow strip along the footpath? I noticed it, all over Java. The yellow strip is a tactile device to help visually impaired people navigate the streets. The tip or ball of a white cane can slide along the grooves on the strip which provides a comfortable way to keep walking straight.
Image description. The image shows a street in Jakarta, Indonesia. On the right is a busy and seemingly blocked road. Motorbikes and their riders choke the road. They are facing both directions, mixed up with each other. There are also buses and cars. There appears to be no room to move on the road. To the left is a footpath; vacant except for ne man walking towards the camera with his right hand on his head. Along the middle of the footpath is a yellow strip; tactile directional markers for visually impaired pedestrians.
The old and the new meet in a Jakartan backstreet.
Image description. Image shows a street scene in Jakarta. On the left is a man on a motorbike. He is wearing a pink tshirt, black shorts with coloured strips and has a black bag slung over his right shoulder. On the right is a barechested man pulling a cart filled with wooden crates. The two are heading in each other’s direction. Behind them are shop fronts with some parked motorbikes. There is also a power pole and power cables in the image.
The Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta is the largest mosque in southeast Asia. Its size is highlighted by its emptiness. Where thousands could fit one women in yellow and red is all that is needed.
Image description. Image shows the courtard of a mosque. It has brown tiles on the ground with intersecting lines along the length and width of the courtyard. There is a minuret or large tower near where two walls of the courtyard meet in the corner. There is a large building behind the courtyard on the left. Behind it and the tower is a light blue sky. Just below the tower, in the middle bottom of the image, is a woman with her back to the camera walking in the courtyard. She is wearing yellow clothes with a red head scarf.
I can’t see the florist for the flowers… The Javanese loves brightly coloured flowers; important parts of all celebrations. My eye and camera also love brightly coloured flowers. The smile in the background while the men wear their face masks is an added bonus. A bright and beautiful morning walking Solo, Indonesia.
Image description. Image shows a florist spilling out onto the footpath in Solo, Indonesia. In the foreground is a pile of bunches of flowers. There are yellow, orange, red, white and pink flowers in varying shades. Three men sit behind and beside the pile creating more bumches of flowers. The men are wearing white face masks as they work. There is a woman, also working, behind the pile. She has a big smile.
Tama Sari in Yogyakarta was once the Sultinates private Water Castle; a hidden complex featuring pools of water, gardens and an underground mosque. This area was the private pleasure gardes used mainly by the Sultan’s harem. The water is goe due to damage to the complex but the underground mosque remains. It was a fun but also challenging place to photograph due to the changing light conditions. Females in beautiful Islamic inspired outfits, all happily posing for photos made it even more fun.
Image description. Image showsa dark curving tunnel, part of an underground mosque. To the left is an opening which lets in sunlight. The light baths a female wearing a black dress with an orange headscarf. She is looking out the opening, slowly moving towards it. Her front; face and hand are in the light while her back is in shadow.
Viewing and climbing Mount Bromo was an amazing experience. The day started very early as we hiked up a mountain for a view of the sunrise light over Bromo and its friends. Witnessing two nearby volcanos emanating smoke was a once-in-a-lifetime experience which was only bettered by climbing Bromo later that day. Then we found ourselves on the rim of the active volcano. Smoke constantly blew out while I did my best not to fall in!
Image description. This is a landscape photograph of three volcanoes. To the left is Mount Bromo, a volcano with a wide crater; there is smoke coming from the crater. To the right is a larger cone shaped volcano. In the background is an even larger cone shaped volcano with a plume of smoke rising from its vent. They are all brown and grey, bathed in the early morning light. In front of them is a valley covered in mist.
Image description. The photograph is of the vent of a volcano, taken from the top, looking down into the crater. There is a large plume of white smoke eminating from the volcano. The surrounding, curved walls of the crater are grey and craggy.
Most of the cities we visited in on Java had some beautiful and colourful street art on the urban walls. Yogyakarta was perhaps the best painted of all the cities. I loved the splashes of colour amongst the streetscapes; much more appealing to my vision than empty grey walls. This particular piece isn’t the most colourful but when I saw the image I knew it was one I wanted to photograph. I knew many motorbikes would come wizzing down the alley so I waited and tried to capture art imitating life imitating art.
Image description. This photograph is a street scene in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The back of the image features a wall covered in graffiti or street art. On the wall is a large picture of a Mickey Mouse-esque character on a motorbike. The mouse’s body is a steele skeleton. It appears as if it is about to ride off the wall onto the street. In front of the wall is a real person on a real motorbike, blrred due to movement. There are a number of large water bottles on the back of the bike and the rider is wearing a conical, bamboo hat.
One of my favourite photographs of Java. Not technically brilliant but it shows the friendly nature and hospitality of the locals. We were at a hot spring complex near Bandung where a hello lead to a photo, which lead to a selfie, which lead to more hellos and eventually an invitation to join this crew for lunch. The woman feeding the young boy was adamant that we share their meal. Mothers are mothers.
Image description. This photograph shows a large group of people sitting together having a picnic lunch. There are approximately 16 people in the image, most of them girls and women. Most of the females are wearing headscarves though some of the younger girls don’t. Most of them are looking towards the camera, smilig, some have raised hands displaying two fingers in a v shape; the sign for peace. There is an array of food on the ground in front of them. They all appear to be enjoying themselves. To the right of the image is an older woman; she has food in her hand which she is putting into a young boys mouth.
Early morning Jakarta. A little bit of peace while the bustling city wakes for another day. Preparations begin in the alleys as they ready to become kitchens and dining areas. A motorbike makes its way towards us; there are no differences between kitchens and roads.
Image description. This photograph shows a street, or alley scene in Jakarta. The camera looks down an alleyway with grey, mottled walls which are well worn. To the left is a woman in a bright yellow dress and a red and black headscarf. She is washing dishes at a bench along the wall. There are a number of cooking utensils along the wall, this is her outdoor kitchen. At the back of the image is a person on a motorbike, riding down the alley towards the camera.
Have you enjoyed experiencing Java through the lens of a blind guy? If so, make sure you have a peek at part 2!
