A couple of days in Jakarta

 

Since we are in the “neighborhood” we travelled to Indonesia (name comes from the Latin and Greek Indus, and the Greek nèsos ; meaning “island”). It took us a full day to get there but that was including the seven hours flight. Since our stay would just be five days, we stayed in Jakarta, the capitol of Indonesia. This country in Southeast Asia and Oceania consists of an archipelago compromising approximately 17,508 islands and is with over 138 million inhabitants the world’s fourth most populous country.

When we arrived it was raining cats and dogs but we were prepared for the weather forecast was horrible: storm, storm, storm, storm and storm! But lucky for us the weatherman was wrong at least three days!

We learned that the first regular contact between Europeans and the people of Indonesia began in 1512, when Portuguese traders sought to monopolize the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku. Dutch and British traders followed and in 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power. In 1619 the VOC conquered the West Javan city of Jayakata, where they founded the city of Batavia, which today is Jakarta. In December 1949 Indonesia got its independence.

Many of the places we visited where a remembrance of the Dutch period.

Surely like most of the tiger economies in this part of the world the contrasts are huge.  We had interesting and fun days, but we both were glad we’ve lived in Korea the past years and not in Indonesia………….



 Not much "pool time"


 Some "smoking time" and


 Little "shopping time" at the Mall of Indonesia.


A mall not only for shopping but also entertainment.



We saw beautiful apartment buildings and mansions and lots of....

poverty!

 

 

 Visiting "Stadhuis Batavia" (Town Hall)













Biking on the Town Hall square, one can hardly be more Dutch!

 

Having afternoon "Ramadan Tea" at Café Batavia.

The Gereja Santa Maria Pelindung Diangkat Ke Surga (Translated from Dutch: De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming, in English: The Church of Our Lady of Assumption)

Now called the Jakarta Cathedral

The first built Catholic Church of Our Lady of Assumption was blessed and inaugurated in 1829 by Monsignor Prinsen and renovated in 1859. However, in 1890 the church collapsed and the present church was rebuilt between 1891 and 1901.

 

 

 

The Jakarta Catheral is located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace and right in front of Istiqlal Mosque.

 

  

Merdeka Square, in the center of Jakarta is, if the surrounding fields are included one square kilometer, and considered the largest square in the world or at least one of the largestJ. At its center stands the National Monument. During the Dutch East Indies era the square was called Koningsplein (King’s square) Merdeka is the Indonesian or Malay word for freedom or independence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merdeka Palace (Indonesian: Istana Merdeka, Dutch: Paleis Koningsplein, English: Independence Palace) is used as the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, now: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The Palace is located in front of Merdeka Square and served during the colonial era as the residence for the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.

  

 

 

National Museum or popularly known as Elephant Building (Indonesian: Gedung Gajah) after the elephant statue you see here in the forecourt.   

 

 

 

 

Once more a visit to Stadhuis.

 

 

 

Upstairs at Café Batavia we saw many celebrities and 

 

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Beatrix,  Queen Juliana, and Queen Wilhelmina whom we couldn't get on this picture but she was there too!

 

Yayasan Buddha Tzu Ci Indonesia
Spiritual Center and Convention Center in Jakarta

 

 

 

Sunda Kelapa harbor

with its iron-wooden boats.

 

 

 

 

With Boat-taxi to Penjaringan Village. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penjaringan Subdistrict is crisscrossed with water draining channels, canals and water reservoirs to protect the land from sea flooding. This area contains several historic Dutch colonial buildings such as the remains of the city wall of Batavia and the 17^th century warehouses now used as Maritime Museum.

 

"Dwellings" build with anything usable.

 

 

 Care for some dried fish?

 

 

 

Bram, our guide showing us were we have been.

 

 

Museum Bahari (Maritime Museum)

These large buildings were originally built as warehouses for spices (specerijen pakhuis).



 

 

 

 



 

 

Those below five we've met!

China Town!

 

 

Chinese people do not have... Ramadan!!!

 

 

Kota Intan Bridge

This bridge was constructed in the 17^th century by the Dutch government to connect the West Kali Besar and East Kali Besar. The Kota Intan Bridge is located at Kota Tua Jakarta and was made of wood and equipped with leverage to get to the lower side f the bridge up when ships passed by. In the Dutch colonial time all the ships delivering spices from hinterland to the warehouse would pass by: Kota Intan Bridge!

 

A little walk about.....

 

 

 

 

but where is the sidewalk? 

 

 

 

Well my faithful followers now you've followed me on my trip to Jakarta and soon we'll be back in Seoul and I look forward to seeing you there! Hope all of you take care and enjoy a wonderful summer!