This man drives the bechan, a bicycle driven cart that you sit in. Walking around in the heat can be very painful and even five minutes in the sun can result in a burn. I got light sunburn on one side of my face one day on a ten minute walk down the street. I learned my lesson and started riding in the bechan regularly. It only costs 10.000Rp to go a few kilometres. Taxi is about twice the price. There are men waiting to give rides all along the main roads in the cities. I guess there's no permit needed, just a bicycle cart and a set of legs. Most of the men speak English and some are able to give advice on places to go and things to do. In Yogyakarta, a city on mainland Java known for arts of various kinds, many of them will pressure you to buy things from dealers they know. If you barter with them you can get a better deal and even better prices if you buy in bulk. The most popular form of art here is batik, which are acrylic paintings on thin cotton canvases. Prices vary depending on the artist. The process of making a batik painting takes three weeks or so. Many tourists and art dealers from Europe are there just to buy batik paintings which can be resold for higher prices elsewhere. There are major batik exhibits in Belgium and Holland.
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