In 1972, the capital city of Jakarta moved at the speed of the becak. These three-wheeled pedicabs ruled the chaotic roadways, weaving between the few motorized cars and trucks. Drivers with muscular legs pedaled heavy loads of passengers and goods through the humid heat. On the sidewalks, vendors set up portable kitchens known as warungs. They cooked fried rice and noodle dishes over open charcoal fires, feeding the office workers and laborers. Massive billboards advertising American sodas and Japanese electronics loomed over the red-tile roofs of traditional kampong neighborhoods.
Life in the Rice Terraces
Outside the urban centers, the rhythm of life followed the agricultural cycle. Farmers in Java and Bali spent their days knee-deep in mud within the emerald-green rice paddies. They used water buffalo to pull wooden plows through the wet earth, preparing the soil for planting. Women wore wide conical hats made of woven bamboo to protect their faces from the intense tropical sun. They planted the young rice shoots by hand, bending over in long rows that stretched toward the volcanic mountains in the distance.
Market Day Commerce
The open-air market served as the economic heart of every village. Sellers displayed their wares directly on the ground, using banana leaves as natural plates. Mounds of bright red chili peppers sat next to piles of dried salted fish and baskets of white rice. Women carried their purchases in batik cloth slings tied around their shoulders. Bargaining was mandatory. Buyers and sellers engaged in loud, energetic debates over the price of a chicken or a kilogram of fruit before settling on a fair amount.
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The Morning Commute
School children stood out in the dusty streets in their crisp uniforms. Boys wore white shirts with shorts, while girls wore white blouses with skirts. In many rural areas, students walked several miles along dirt paths to reach their classrooms. Some walked barefoot, carrying their books in simple cloth bags. They shared the road with men carrying incredible loads on bamboo poles balanced across their shoulders. These porters transported everything from stacks of bricks to hanging bunches of coconuts.
Rituals in Bali
In 1972, the island of Bali maintained a daily life steeped in visible religion. Women walked in single-file lines to the local temples, balancing towering pyramids of fruit and flowers on their heads. They moved with perfect posture, keeping the heavy offerings steady without using their hands. In the courtyards, men gathered for cockfights, a pastime that served as both a sport and a social gathering. Dancers prepared for evening performances by applying thick makeup and donning intricate gold headdresses that caught the light.
