Wandering the Streets of Jakarta

I kick started my six week trip through Southeast Asia in Jakarta. Jakarta was a lot like Metro Manila, the insane traffic, the crowds of people, and the towering buildings. But despite the traffic and the crowds, I wandered the streets of Jakarta to discover all that it had to offer.

Monas Monument or National Monument stands 433 feet and was opened to the public in 1975. The monument symbolizes Indonesia's fight for independence. My new found friend and I decided to enter the monument and check out the museum for 5,000 IDR.



We decided to go up the Monas Monument to get an overlooking view of Jakarta. There was a fee of 10,000 IDR to ride the elevator to the top. There were some interesting looking buildings that surrounded the Monas Monument.

There were also neat looking sculptures at the base of the monument.
Jakarta's Old City
We didn't walk all the way to Old City because it was too far, so we decided to take the bus.

Indonesia was formerly a Dutch colony as seen by the influence in architecture. This part of Jakarta was called Batavia by the Dutch and was once used as a primary commercial area for trade around the world. Its strategic location, made it the center of trade in the region and other parts of the world.



One could clearly see the Dutch influence on the buildings in this part of Jakarta. Sadly, a lot of the buildings are left in disarray. I hope that the government does something to maintain the buildings in Old City.
Jakarta on My Mind
Jakarta had a lot of impressive buildings, but there was something missing when I went there. It reminded me of Manila in some ways such as traffic, big malls, and crowds. I thought Jakarta was ok, but I don't see myself going back unless it was for business. Despite having an efficient public transport system and more trains (compared to Manila), Jakarta was still bogged down by intense traffic even during off-peak hours (around 10AM to 3PM).
Thankfully, I met other travelers in Six Degrees which made my stay in Jakarta memorable, and I ended up traveling with some of them in other parts of Indonesia. I was more than willing to answer their questions about the Philippines. I was surprised at how little they knew of the country, and that unknown factor made them decide against visiting the Philippines.

Supposedly candid shot

She may not look like one, but she's half-Indonesian and half-Dutch. Cheers to new friends and more adventures.