We have left one city in the midst of massive development and arrived in another with the same fierce resolution. The first thing I noticed as we passed through Jakarta was the massive amount of construction cranes sitting atop half-built buildings. In stark contrast to the older, gentler pace of European development, Asia seems to be in a frenzy to catch up with the ‘modern’ world. If Dubai currently holds the highest concentration of construction cranes, then Jakarta must be a close second or third (one would have to travel to China to confirm the status of Jakarta in terms of global crane use).
It is scary to actually witness the boom in global development. One reads the figures in newspapers and hears tales of how advanced the infrastructure has become in cities that were previously avoided by the average Western traveler. If the world has a maximum carrying capacity, we certainly must be getting closer to that figure. I recognize the hypocrisy of even mentioning this fear. As an American, my eco-footprint is already one of the largest in the world. Not to mention that here we are, halfway across the world, having consumed huge amounts of fuel to get here.
After our bike ride across France, Spain and Portugal, the value of traveling conscientiously and purposely became more blatant. Not to mention traveling lightly and leaving little evidence of one’s passing though. This Indonesian trip has a very specific purpose for a limited timeframe, particularly for Nick. Finding ways of stepping lightly and leaving something positive in our wake are both going to be a challenge and one of the most exciting aspects of our time here in Indonesia. We are equipped with 3 cameras, a video camera, a digital audio recording device, a computer, and two creative minds in a stunning locale. Every conversation we have had with other people has sparked a brainstorm of possible projects ranging from photo essays, journal articles, informational videos, radio programs and just about every other form of mass communication. Now, to focus our energy on one or two issues…
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