Angkota Calling

The angkota is the most common form of local travel after the good old legs. When we first arrived, the angkota was Rupiah (Rp.) 800 per person per leg. That's about a dime. Since then, with two gas hikes and a shift in government administration, the price per leg has risen to Rp. 2,000. Most trips to town take between two and four legs round trip.

These supped up mini-vans would normally hold a maximum of five in the states, but with the back seat removed and replaced by two planks along either wall, they frequently fill with 20. This is no exaggeration.

Note the men hanging out the side. That's the fun part. Each angkota has a driver and a caller. The caller hangs out the side yelling, "kota, kota" (town, town), inviting patrons, and helping women with their groceries or other market goods. As the van fills, the young men make room for the ladies by hanging life and limb out the side as you see. Some of these vans are equipped with semi-trailor road horns which they use to bully their way through the narrow alleys at whiplash speeds. Angkotas on the same route will commonly race each other to the central market, where all angkotas end up if you stay on long enough.

When you reach you destination, simply shout, "kiri" to the driver. They'll slam on the breaks, squeezing everyone toward the metal baracade behind the driver's seat, making room for you to exit. Then off they go again to the races.

Mitchell Goins and I once replaced the caller for a leg. We got many stares, shortly followed by a marriage proposal to Mitch from a local woman on behalf of her daughter. Never knew being a caller was such a prestigious vocation.