JAKARTA
Jakarta won. On my final afternoon in the city, tired from the heat and crossing through traffic, I turned back to the hostel instead of continuing to Plaza Indonesia. I was in search of a cup of Kopi Luwak, a special blend of coffee made from beans eaten by the Asian Palm Civet, an animal resembling a large squirrel, then unceremoniously excreted. The beans are collected, cleaned (hopefully), and ground into one of the most exclusive cups of coffee. Even in Indonesia, where the Civet performs its magic, the beans are difficult to come by. I started my search at Anomali, an upscale coffee house with a few locations throughout Jakarta. Unfortunately they were out of their supply. I started the twenty five minute walk to Plaza Indonesia where another cafe was likely to have the beans in stock. Ten minutes in, exhausted, I turned around.
I enjoy walking through cities and Jakarta may be one of the least pedestrian friendly cities I've visited outside of India. Sidewalks are so broken it's a rare step that can be placed flat on the ground. Every walk was filled with ankle distortions and I was relieved to find a seat once I reached a destination.
My hostel was centrally located. The first night I walked to Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta's first upscale shopping mall. Constructed over fifteen years ago the mall had all the major American and European brands, the only thing missing were the shoppers. I took a different path back to the hostel stopping for a beer along Jalan Jaksa. The open air bars provided a clear street view. For dinner I ate at one of Jakarta's infamous Padang style restaurants. Bowls are filled with fried chicken, fish, curries, and other local delicacies. Placing an order consists of pointing at several dishes until the waitstaff as amassed a pile of food. Even though I was stuffed from this meal I managed to eat a second dinner from a crowded street stall located under one of the city's commuter rail lines.
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I enjoy walking through cities and Jakarta may be one of the least pedestrian friendly cities I've visited outside of India. Sidewalks are so broken it's a rare step that can be placed flat on the ground. Every walk was filled with ankle distortions and I was relieved to find a seat once I reached a destination.
My hostel was centrally located. The first night I walked to Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta's first upscale shopping mall. Constructed over fifteen years ago the mall had all the major American and European brands, the only thing missing were the shoppers. I took a different path back to the hostel stopping for a beer along Jalan Jaksa. The open air bars provided a clear street view. For dinner I ate at one of Jakarta's infamous Padang style restaurants. Bowls are filled with fried chicken, fish, curries, and other local delicacies. Placing an order consists of pointing at several dishes until the waitstaff as amassed a pile of food. Even though I was stuffed from this meal I managed to eat a second dinner from a crowded street stall located under one of the city's commuter rail lines.
CLICK OR TAP IMAGES TO ENLARGE
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The next morning I rode the commuter rail line to Old Jakarta in the north section of the city. It was a painfully slow ordeal. Slightly north of the Old Jakarta Train Station, which is a site in and of itself, is Fatahilah Square. Surrounding the square are former Dutch colonial administrative buildings.
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One of these buildings has been converted to a bar / cafe / restaurant called Cafe Batavia. Even though I was half a world and several cultures away it felt like stepping into Rick's Cafe in Casablanca. I even saw a Humphrey Bogart profile framed among the celebrities on the wall. After lunch I took a brief walk along the canal before circling back to the train station.
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Instead of taking the train all the way back, I departed a few stops early to walk the rest of the way and see a new neighborhood. I passed a Istiqlal Mosque and a busy desert shop. Inside I placed an order for lemon ice then went outside to order satay. The lemon ice shared a similarity with water ice found back in the Philadelphia area. I had to chip away at the lemon ice block to remove a few shavings for each spoonful.
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