Jakarta - wannabe capital city !?

Nov 13 to 15 Jakarta
Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Islam is not written that big around here. Girls wear miniskirts, some don headscarves but it's mostly like in any multicultural city.

The journey here was long and exhausting again. Getting away from Lake Toba to Medan involves getting up really early, catching the first ferry to Parapat. I did book a minibus which is apparently much faster than the regular bus and should bring me to the airport right on time. I booked the flight to Jakarta an hour later than recommended anyway just to be safe. You never know. So the minibus, three times the price than the regular bus and not faster at all. It involved waiting for the bus to leave in the first place, then driving around Parapat to pick up people to fill up the bus – completely. The people getting on where in no rush whatsoever and we were parked in front of their house for quite some time. Driving, smoke stops, picking up more people and then, lunch for the driver. How is this supposed to be faster. Although the regular bus is not very comfortable, neither is the minibus, and since the promise of speed did not come through it is simply not worth it. One big advantage though, they did drop me off right at the airport and not at the bus station across town. So no more going through this gruesome town of Medan. And gruesome it is. The airport is full with rude people. There's plenty of space and the lines are only a few people deep but there is shoving and pushing and yelling from all directions. There is no organization here at all and everybody seems to be doing what they want. It's a do or die world out there and I will be a doer. So I push and shove as well until I get to check in. Damn, why can't it just be organized.

The plane is a bit delayed and once it get's there, same thing push, shove, push shove. Come on, everyone is gonna get on the damned thing. A uniformed Indonesian solider has hawked my window suit. Well I am not going to argue with him. Once in Jakarta, same thing, push, shove. Am I happy to get rid of those Medan people – sorry for generalizing, they just made such a horrible impression on me. Airport bus and onward and I am in Jalan Jaksa where supposedly all the cheap accommodation is in Jakart. By now it's past 9 pm, considering that I hopped on the first ferry at 7 am... long day. Searching for reasonably priced Hostel is a challenge. They all hopelessly overcharge, yet none of them offer Wi-Fi at all. Gheee. So I run around and choose one of the cheapest Hostel. It's kind of disgusting but ok for Asian standards. It should come much worse but to that later.

Heading out for some dinner and as it should happen running into an Austrian and Swiss to chat through half the night.

First morning in Jakarta. Feels like I've been bitten by plenty of mosquitos. Itching everywhere. First stop is the tourism office which apparently should have all the info I could ever need. I have no clue about Jakarta and the travel guide doesn't give much information either. I found out later why there's not much info in book, coz there's not much to do. After walking around for what seems like forever in the crazy heat I finally find the very hidden tourist office just to discover they don't have any information either, there's simply not much to see add to that that most of that exists is closed on Mondays. Haha. Well I did not plan on visiting Museums or Indonesian style Disneyland so no problem there. The Express Bus takes me to Kota, the old Dutch part of Jakarta. Lots of old European style buildings are still there, narrow roads. Scenic for pictures. But quite for THE tourist hotspot. Rest for lunch in the famous Cafe Batavia. Apparently all the stars of the old days passed through here whenever in Indonesia, or so claim the numerous pictures on the wall. Another long excruciating hot walk to the Harbor. Also hard to find, as there are no signs and nowhere to really properly walk for pedestrians. It is a nice sight. Lovely gigantic old schooners, still in full operation for freight and other uses. Kids swimming right in between the boats and some fishermen wanting to take you out for sightseeing. After I ward off all 'professional' tour guides I make my way to the 'nearby' Chinatown. They sell everything to everyone. One of the things I had not seen before though was an entire mall devoted to pirated DVD's and music. Being sold for next to nothing. People are busy, copying and wrapping the latest just released movies. This would be a copy-nerd wonderland.

I am fleeing to the sparsely air conditioned Express Bus again and go all the way to the last stop. Apparently there is a huge mall there. People watching in the bus and outside the bus is also a really nice pastime. The mall is big and also focused on local handicrafts and original-copies. So to get a relief from the 'real' Jakarta I head to the new Jakarta. Meaning luxury malls, that offer a break from the craziness of this city. And what a break it is. Cooling down. I hop from one Mall to the other until they are about to close. Not so much looking forward to going back to the Hostel, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

After packing and storing my luggage I do find out where all my horrible red dots and itching comes from. Some travel agents and book sellers on the road volunteer the information that that accommodation has been plagued by Fleas or Bedbugs since a long time. Tough luck. At least they don't transmit crazy diseases or are contagious. They are just inconvenient and itchy. But I am so happy to be outta there and can't wait to leave Jakarta. Not because of the city itself, it's got it's own little mix of Bangkok/Delhi/KL/DC charm to it (but not so much that I would need to come back here). I have some hours to kill before the flight so decide to visit the Jakarta erection, oh sorry, it's actually called the National Monument, but if you read the story about it you'd understand the first name too. It's not too far of a walk there and I get a special student discount (yeah for students). In the basement there's a Diorama museum with pictures explaining part of the Indonesian history and lots of school classes crowded around the pictures. I head up to the observation platform and you can see a good part of Jakarta. It's not too impressive but a nice view nonetheless and they do have their own version of a White House. After I patiently wait for plenty of schoolkids taking pictures of the white woman I still have more time and walk by the National Museum on the way back. Since there is an exhibition opening in 2 hours I do get in for free (or maybe I just took the wrong entrance) but unlike the guidebook that said that the Museum is worth visiting, it's really not. Just like any other museum. Some old wooden carvings and porcelain and the like. Sorry but just not my thing. The exhibition that is about to open was organized by the German Goethe Institute and is showcasing the friendship between Indonesia and Germany. Unfortunately it only opens later but I do get some nice pictures of Indonesians dressed in the german colors and attempting to sing in German. Very cute!

Jakarta is by all means a very unimpressive capital city. Yes, it have it's attempts at being special by building monuments and impressive buildings but it's not quite there yet. It is smelly as Bangkok, disorganized as Delhi, Muslim like Kuala Lumpur and has a small version of the White House in Washington D.C. Yet it lacks something that would make Jakarta special. Everyone I met and spoke to told me that they do not like Jakarta and I somehow understand why. It's not that bad but there's so many nicer places out there. Let me know should you disagree and why.

Still some time left but now I can make my way to the airport on the Damri bus again. The entrance is quite hidden between tons of shops and sellers but yes, one Starbucks break later I am finally off to Bali. I arranged to meet a friend from Vienna at the airport but for whatever reason her flight is delayed a few hours so we just meet in a guesthouse in Kuta, the most (in)famous beach town in Bali but conveniently the closest to the airport. There's so much to talk about and though really tired I once again chat through half the night.