The Greatest Show On Earth

The other day as I was walking around Jogja I stumbled upon a carnival set up on the grounds of the Alun-Alun Utara in the Kraton.  Now, in this blog I've described a lot of neat things about Indonesia, but when you come here you should exert all possible effort to visit one of the travelling carnivals.  If you see one, stop the car, bus, ojek, or whatever, because it's definitely not to be missed.  There's noise and lights and loads of people, and you'll see such amazing disregard for even the most basic safety precautions that you'll think you're in some sort of post-apocalyptic Thunderdome  An Indonesian travelling carnival is definitely something to see before you die, and who knows, you may even die AT the carnival! What could possibly be more thrilling?  

There are all sorts of neat rides at the fair, and most of them look like they've been assembled by a remedial shop class.  In the picture to the right you can see the hot-air balloon ride for kiddies.  I like to think of this one as a kind of population control.  In the video below this paragraph you can also see a sort of first generation tilt-o-whirl.  Passengers on this ride climb to the benches with a ladder supported by two of the carnies.  There are no safety belts or anything to prevent you from falling off...the only thing between you and a broken leg is centrifugal force.  To make the ride bob up and down the carnies actually hang from the benches like monkeys.  I didn't see anyone fall off or get bonked on the head, but I have to believe it happens with regularity.  Fortunately for the sake of fun Indonesians aren't as litigious as Americans.

To the right you can see a picture of the train that makes a circuit around the fair.  The train is one of the many mobile hazards you'll have to be on the lookout for, but constant vigilance is part of the experience.  In the background there's one of the several Ferris wheels.  After a few minutes of internal conflict I mustered up the courage to take a ride.  I don't think I am exaggerating when I say that this was among the most harrowing experiences of my life.  I couldn't wait to get down (I actually had the ride operator stop the wheel so I could get off), but it was thoroughly worth it because of the spirituality inherent in contemplating your life each time the wheel made a rotation.  The creaking will turn you to Jesus.  I included the picture below to give you an idea of the structural condition of the Ferris Wheel.  Note that the floor joints are rusting and look as though they could give way at any moment.  This is what makes it so much fun.  FUN!

The biggest attraction for me, though, is the motorcycles-in-the-big-barrel show.  I don't know what the Indonesian word for this is, but I first saw the big barrel on my initial journey to Indonesia in 2005.  I was staying at a small town near Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra when I chanced upon a small-scale travelling carnival.  I marveled at the pictures of motorcycle daredevils painted on the side of the barrel and realized that finally I had come home.  At that time it was still daytime and the carnival hadn't started, so the show wasn't being staged, and I was sadly left to imagine what sorts of two-wheeled wonders would take place in the big barrel.  I vowed that I would not rest until I had a chance to actually witness the show, and I'm pleased to say that last night, after almost 8 years, I finally got a chance to fulfill my dream.

The show starts when the barker sells enough tickets (usually 15 or so).  While you're waiting the riders will gun the engines of their bikes to attract attention, and so it can be pretty loud.  I'd even recommend that you bring earplugs if you can remember them.  As the show starts the bikers ascend the walls, circling opposite one another.  I was a little disappointed because one of the riders stopped after just a few seconds, leaving only one rider and dramatically reducing the chances for a catastrophic event.  But it was still really bitchin'; the riders have their bikes rigged with a sort of cruise control so they have both hands free.  After riding up to the top of the barrel to collect 1,000 and 5,000 rupiah notes from the crowd the rider did a number of tricks, including standing on the bike, riding with no hands, riding blindfolded, etc.  The sound is deafening, but the coolest thing is knowing that any slip or miscalculation on the part of the driver, or any mechanical failure (which is not too hard to imagine here) could send the motorcycle right into the audience!  Below you can see a short movie of the action.