No cars, just stroll.
Car Free Day was always a fun place to hang out on Sunday mornings. I vividly remember going to CFD when I’m still in junior high school with a group of friends, and it was so much fun. We got to do lots of activities, eat lots of foods, and see lots of things. In my city, CFD is held in several different areas. But one of the most famous spot is located in Bungkul Park, Surabaya. This is probably also the first street to hold CFD regularly.
I used to going to CFD by motorcycle, then walk around the area. But nowadays when I want to go alone, I always ride my bike. The CFD area is usually open from 6am to 9am. So during those hours, of course there are no cars or motorcycles at all. It’s only happen on Sunday mornings when people are allowed to stroll in the middle of the street😆
Besides people playing badminton or riding bycycle, one thing we almost always see at CFD is pets. There are people who walking their dogs, and letting others pet them too. The last time I was there, for example, there were several adorable dogs in the area. I have no idea if they had the same owner or something, but they were all charmingly gathered in the same spot.
There are also various random activities often held at CFD. This outbond activity for kids is one of them. From what I’ve read, it was like an activity by the police unit. They provide like a mini flying fox for the kids to try. The height wasn’t too high, but I think the kids were still quite nervous if they were trying it for the first time. But I’m pretty sure it was a fun activity for them.
Going to Car Free Day wouldn’t be complete without a snack hunt haha, so I left my bike in the same row as everyone else's bikes, and then I looking for something to eat. The fact is, you can find a section that almost looks like a food bazaar, so the chance of losing control is high😂
We can find a wide selection of food, from viral snacks to traditional dishes. I usually start with roll eggs, but that day I went for grilled rice with tuna. It cost less than $1 and for me, the portion was enough to fill my stomach. It was delicious and also still warm, so I really enjoyed it.
I also bought donuts for a snack, and then I sat down at a random spot available. In Bungkul Park, there’s a fairly large area in the middle of the park. It looks like a circular seating area, and it has plenty of space. I ate while watching people also enjoying their time. Kids running around, or rode a scooter. And some people also playing badminton or just like me, sit and eat.
I think we can’t go to CFD during covid, so there were a few years when this kind of crowd-filled scene wasn't something we could enjoy. I’m not a very social person; I rarely initiate conversations with stranger first. But I don’t know, sometimes I push myself to go out alone in a crowd, just to see how I’ll handle the situation.
I finished my foods and grabbed my bike to head home. Then, there was another random thing: people showing off animals like snake and a big turtle. It almost like an exhibition, and many people were always interested in seeing these animals up close. I don’t even know what kind of snake it was, but there was a cute young girl who bravely interacted with it.
She didn’t just touch it, but it looked like it was coiled around her body. Her parents probably took a picture of her or something, but I find it really interesting to see kids interacting with animals like that. Also, look at the color of the snake, isn’t it so pretty? I wish I could capture it better, but I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to get closer haha
That’s all from Car Free Day moment I recently experience~ Thanks for reading as always :)