Lets start with
The Bad..
I did however leave Bali 2 months ago and headed to Bromo where I was met by the Bromo Jeep Mafia... Bromo was spectacular, defo worth the hassle and effort with tourist office touts and the like. They have a little cartel going on there as it's a small town and no outsiders can run the tours(thats what it seems like to me). Overpricing is rife there and blatant asking for tips when none is necessary.
The Ugly
Once Bromo was out of the way I was glad to be rid of the mafia and headed to Jogyakarta where lo and behold they have their own Batik mafia... A long long story. basically a tout picks you up on the street and they say there is a special exhibition at a "Government" sanctioned center. This turns out to be a non-descript gallery. The display is only available for 2 days so"you should buy now". They ask for a ridiculous price and you get it for half the asking price but still this can mean that the price is 3 times the reasonable price.. Solution Go to the tourist police who deal with this problem on a regular basis.
What really got to me was that everywhere myself and Brian went the locals kept saying "Irish" your problem solved??? Everyone was in on it, they all bring tourists to the same places and try to rip them off by lying through their teeth..
The Good
Time to leave Jogya, splashed out on a fancy mini-bus with plenty of leg-room. First of all the bus was an hour and a half late. Secondly the bus was already full and I was told I had to sit in the front of a minibus to Jakarta with 2 drivers beside me. A journey which turned out to be 16 hours long including a 2 hour breakdown. I hit the roof but eventually thought I want to get out of here so I'd have to just grin and bear it(I didn't grin though) Half way there 1 of the local jakarta peeps said he could swap with me...I could not believe it and because of that little gesture my opinion of the Java people has greatly improved...
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