I was at the airport yesterday, and what I saw really made me question government's seriousness of the Visit Indonesia Year 2008 campaign. Logically, Soekarno-Hatta Int'l Airport, as the main international entry to Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia, should show that the country is ready to welcome everyone. The airport is the first thing foreigners see when they arrive at the country; thus, it is ultra important that it gives the best impressions upon tourists.
Unfortunately, the reality doesn't agree with that. I have been there for quite a few times, but yesterday was my very first time picking up someone at the airport. Blurgh, blurgh, and blurgh; even before I actually got into the airport. The parking lot was packed with cars driven by annoying, ignorant drivers. There was simply not enough space, considering that the number of passengers have grown so rapidly during the last few years. In effect, the aggravated traffic jam polluted the already hazardous air.
Entering the terminal's arrival hall (God bless whoever invented air conditioner), another kind of chaos ensued. I needed to go to the restroom, located at each ends of the terminal. I immediately headed to one of them, only to find that it's being renovated. There was no sign whatsoever, and there are many people who had the same fate. I had no plan to wet my jeans, so I had to rush to the other end of the crowded terminal.
The nightmare didn't end after I found it. The restroom is typical Indonesian public restroom, with hygiene hanging for dear life at the bottom of priority list. It was decorated with little "ponds" everywhere, and I had to guess that maintenance is kept to the minimum. If I'm not mistaken, Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono (the prez's wife) launched a clean toilet campaign some years ago. Seeing the airport's restrooms, probably it applied to the State Palace's restrooms only, so that SBY can start the day in peace.
Now back to the terminal itself. It was packed with people, especially at the meeting point. Everyone seemed to flock at the same place, buzzing louder than ever. The taxi stand guys was shouting "taxi, mister" to every foreign-looking man over and over like someone pressed the "repeat" button. Even more annoying is that people had the ignorance and effrontery to smoke in the air conditioned hall. He didn't even bother to go to the nearest "death room" (cleverly disguised as "smoking room"). He just stepped back from his seat, and puff. Imagine the horror of a first-time tourist: stepping out of the plane with innocent hopes to have a good time, only to be confronted with such rowdy crowd. A great test of faith and courage.
That is not the way to welcome anyone, especially foreign tourists from whom we'll try to extort as much money as possible. Jakarta, despite all its shortcomings, is a wonderful city. It has tons of hidden charm in its chaos. Therefore, it deserves a humane airport that will support the growing tourism industry. We can only hope that no one judges Jakarta by its airport.
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