Colourful fresh produce highlights vibrant local culture

The local markets in Depok are a maze of alleyways and muddied pathways. Rows of shack-like structures stand side by side each containing their own unique produce and set up.

Walking through the markets, one local family gave us the fruit salak to eat. Salak is native to Java and Sumatra. The fruit grows in clusters at the base of the native palm and has a snake like scaled skin. It has the consistency of large peeled garlic cloves and the taste is mildly sweet and crunchy.

There was an entire street of coves filled with dozens of bunches of bananas in every nook and cranny which was quite a sight to behold.

The winding pathways, unique stalls of produce and small houses were a world away from the constant noise of tooting car horns, motorbikes, shouting people and the general bustle of highway roads mere hundreds of meters away.

A couple of hotel high rises could be seen towering over the local neighbourhood of houses and markets, highlighting the stark difference in how people live day to day in parts of Depok and Jakarta.

Around every corner the people were bubbly and smiling selling a variety of colourful, unique local produce.