As the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is a giant incubator of social problems. The good side about Jakarta is the public transportation system that reaches almost every area in Jabodetabek (though you might spend hours in traffic jam). Ah, there are also many interesting events & entertainment facilities there. I should have stayed a little longer in Jakarta to attend SMTOWN concert. But, it's such a shame that I didn't buy the ticket. :b
Anyway... In this very occasion I'd like to share about the public transportation that brought me to Jakarta and back. I took Argo Lawu to set off. Argo Lawu is a train which started from Sta. Solo Balapan at 8 AM with the final stop in Sta. Gambir Jakarta. By taking the morning train, I could enjoy the scenery along the way and I would arrive in Jakarta at 5 PM, not so late at night...
Soon after arriving in Sta. Gambir, I reserved a ticket back to Klaten for 3 days in advance. I chose the morning train (again) from Jakarta to Solo, Argo Dwipangga. Since PT. KAI applied the "boarding pass" system, all of passengers should have the legal tickets that match their ID cards. So, you have to fill in a form and bring along your ID card when reserving ticket.
It's really comfortable to travel with Argo brothers (Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga - red). I'm not sure what makes the difference on the fare, but I bought the ticket for Argo Dwipangga a way cheaper than Argo Lawu. I don't see much difference between those two, except for the "handsome look" in which Argo Dwipangga scores better in my opinion.
Both trains are air-conditioned and they also have TV on each coach for executive class. Passenger are not allowed to smoke in the train -- thank God for that! But unfortunately, PT. KAI has eliminated free meal in the service. They said, that's for the sake of our "convenience" to choose the menu that best fits our taste. Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I will be more convenient if the meal were served for free. Haha.. but that will be charged from our ticket fare I guess.
Ah, there is a "secret" that I just found out on my way back from Jakarta. The TV shows played in the train -- katv channel -- are pretty much the same from time to time, both in Argo Lawu and Argo Dwipangga. I thought katv is just like the other TV channel, so I expected it has certain programme in each time slot and it will differ the next day. But it isn't. I'm almost bored to death on my 7-hour-trip for watching the exactly same movie, music videos, and TV shows that I just watched 3 days before.
But, overall I salute PT. KAI for the pleasant and informative service. For those who have traveling plans in Java area, I think train is one of the most considerable option. You can check the complete schedule here or here.
