Jakarta Off The Beaten Path

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Coffee drinking is big in Indonesia and understandably so. What is more intriguing is the peculiar marketing ploy that has been released into the open to catch gullible people and make them feel good by bestowing them with the title – best coffee connoisseurs in the world! The story goes that in Dutch times the coffee was so precious that all the locals were severely restricted from collecting it for their own consumption. Some smart guy noticed that local cat-like creatures ate the coffee beans but at the end of the digestive process they were pooped out intact and ready to be picked up. For some very strange reason, what was pure misery in dire circumstances for poor Indonesians last century became snobbish appeal to the modern know-it-all...snobs. High end coffee houses offer the STUFF for you to try out and pronounce yourself on the matter!

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Evening at Megacity like Jakarta- but it is recommended out side the big malls better with tour guide, or much more better together with friends.
So don´t miss to look the " MONAS" (Monumen Nasional) at central area at early evening with the great Park roundup.

It is surprising how much people walking and talking this park, in special young people, and mostly there are some music performances. or much people like "jalan jalan" (walking) together like here in north Europa. At photo is not so to see but quiet and friendly atmosphere.

But don`t forget: So after 9 usually the smaller side doors of the monas park garden are closed, so exit is able only at the south main gate. The Monas park is quite big!

At day - here a photo seen at high noon from Monas up down:
All is very quiet, the little pond is empty -
nothing remembers at the colourful live at MONAS malam.

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If you are up at viewing platform at the Monas look to the west side- you can near see the white RRI-Buildung with the Antenna- since long time is it at this place.

The RRI- "Radio Republik Indonesia" has a lot of stations from west to east all over the indonesian islands. And there is also an external service- via shortwave to different nearby and some far countrys. The editorial offices of "RRI- Voice of Indonesia - Oversees Service" are there.

For an Short Wave Listener (even in this internet time) is of great interest to hear a far station real "on Air" and to get and to collect the "QSL-Card" of the SW-Station. Here as second photo here let me show an very nice QSL-Card I got from RRI external service "Voice of Indonesia" some years before.

Creating an publicity advertisement has always been the fastest, best and upmost effective way for a commercial product to become, also very popular in Indonesia. This is especially true for publicity cosmetics and toiletries I noticed. Posters and billboards do attract passers-by without being perceived ...

I know a wide range of beauty salons are available in Indonesia. I've seen the small one-chair business to accommodate some friends, and the international standard establishment that uses brand name products. Most well-known names are Martha Tilaar, Mustika Ratu and even Nyonya Meneer is doing well.

The Mustika Ratu got my special attention because of the Solo Kraton and the Princess BRA Mooryati Soedibyo, who was born in Surakarta. The considerable talents of BRA Mooryati Soedibyo made the lady well-known (included the Jamu according to traditional recipes and formulating her own Lulur - body scrub). She had mastered the art of herbal making and making up faces. In 1975, the company of Mustika Ratu was launched in earnest with just 10 employees and, got to an outstanding reputation within and outside Indonesia.

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If you are at afternoon in center of Jakarta and have a good taxi driver, make a stop at the Independence Monument -
the "Monumen Proklamasi".

Let the driver wait and see the memorial.
Place and monument remembers at the foundation of Indonesia, so to Mr. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia and Mr. M. Hatta.

Not so much tourist know this place.

In the afternoon like here, children of neigbourship play a little football -
and the greater boys use the place as welcome free space for prove their sideboards - see at photo, so like in every great citys.

The second Photo is seen the table with the text of independence declaraton.

If at holiday in Jakarta usually, it is much time at the day-

but it is recommended to wake up early so to use the fresh wind of the morning,
make some seeings before the sun gives the heat of the day.

Here in photo a view to east, from a hoteltower in central Jakarta (the time at camera is yet not correct WIT -Time).

See at photo the mostly flat traditional buildings of the typical Jakarta neaby the city areas.

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A visit to the Istiqlal Mosque is certainly worth time and money.

Being just before the entrance of the Mosque, I was looking around a bit uncertain to see if it was okay to enter the mosque just for having a look inside. One of the guard saw me and approached me asking, whether I would be interested in visiting the mosque. There is no entrance fee, only you are required to register yourself and to to take off your shoes.

The name of the Mosque means independence. It is quite a modern building, very unlike the traditional mosques, I am used to see. It was designed by a non-Muslim. Maybe, that why the mosque is different. I actually cannot directly recommend it because of its beauty.

The reason for recommending a visit to the mosque is, that by showing interest in the religion and culture, the people in the mosque get curious about you. People are happy you are open-minded enough to come in and have a look inside. This of course is probably especially true for people from the western half of the world. But for me, I met some nice people, who normally would not directly approach me to talk to me.

And do not forget to give a small donation at the end of your visit.

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In old Batavia are also many modest looking houses, dating from the 18th century, bordering the streets, but, even they keep some charm, they really need some renovation; I am not for systematic renovation, but here, it really would be worth, before the pollution and the humid climate finish their destructive job; a bit renovation, nice colours (as they seem to have had in the past), and these houses (picture 1) could look nice and elegant with their closed wooden balconies. It seems some of the houses are undergoing some renovation (picture 2); let us hope they will soon look neat! This house here (picture 3), at the corner of Jalan Kali Besar and Jalan Bank has been renovated, but is closed. . . Traffic and pollution do not help. . .
There are a few funny buildings from the thirties in tis area, in a bit art deco-art nouveau style, like the Kota Tua hotel or this insurance office building (picture 4) nearby, also on Jalan Kali Besar.
It is a bit a pity to see the old buildings collapsing or just rotting (picture 5) on the streetsides, as they could be beautiful!
Jalan Kali Besar and surroundings