Simplify and travel light. When your shirt gets dirty, wash it. Get down to just one piece of baggage and a shoulder bag if you can. Not only does this cut down chances of theft, but it changes your whole philosophy towards travel. When you arrive in a town, it relieves you of having to set up a base right away. You are able to walk around, sightsee, and if you don't like it, just blow through. Hitching is fair to good on Java, northern Sumatra, South Celebes, and is quite enjoyable besides, but slow. Hitching is easiest of all on Bali. Meet the people. Practice your Indonesian. Engineers, the military,merchandisers,truckies, Colombo Plan workers, tourists will pick you up in jeeps, cars, landrovers, motorcycles, and there's even a story of an oil company helicoptor landing by a highway in South Sumatra to pick up a hitchhiker.