I went into AAA today to apply for my IDP (International Drivers Permit) and I was a little stunned by the application process. I basically walked in, showed the lady my CA drivers license, handed her 15 dollars and 2 passport photos, and I walked out with a permit to drive in over 160 countries. The permit itself just contains a translation of about 40 pages in many different languages to what my license in the United States allows me to do--drive a motor coach that weighs less than 7,000 Lbs.
However, after seeing firsthand how people drive in Bali when I was there back in 2001, I cannot see my driving skills learned in the States translating directly over to being able to drive in Bali just because I now possess this magical piece of paper that AAA issued me. Cars drive on the left side of the road (usually) in Indonesia and the steering column is on the right side of the car. Add the round-a-bouts and the twisting jungle roads, and I might see a steep learning curve.
Lonely Planet Writes:
"Driving as a tourist"
"Tourists often comment that the roads in Bali seem a madhouse, and this frightens people away from driving. Most local people in Bali have never had a driving lesson. They don’t need to, as you can get your driving license without taking a test (but its cheaper if they take the test). The road skills people have, are earned by ploughing headfirst into traffic, and muscling their way through, like everyone else is doing. This can be a hard concept to learn, putting the western idea of ‘road rules’ aside, and taking up a ‘law of the jungle’ approach, but that’s how it is."
My only saving grace is that speeds in Bali rarely go above 40 km/hr and the people are friendly. So I guess we'll have to wait and see.
