That trip to the big durian, Jakarta (part 1)

So I’m back in my hometown Kuching, and feeling reassured to have survived another year of medical school…and waiting for what’s in store next year. I am actually looking forward to it as we finally have the company of the juniors. More drama I’m guessing..heh heh heh

Going back to the main premise, the Jakarta trip was unplanned. Bangkok was the planned destination, until the whole yellow T-shirt fiasco that closed the airport for a week. My travel partner Brian was more worried about the riots and bombs going off in Bangkok’s streets. It actually made me keener on going as I could watch history in the making. I have that foolhardy suicidal journalistic streak in me (if it wasn’t for Medicine, I would have chosen a degree in journalism..but that’s another story)

But alas, Jakarta was the only other option. Big bustling city, street food, poverty, grime and dirt…it sounded like another Bangkok. Or was it?

So we hopped on a flight to Jakarta and touched down at Soekarno-Hatta International airport. The airport was pretty old and run down compared to Changi or KLIA. It resembled the old Kuching airport with its wood carvings and cultural décor. Most of the taxi drivers seemed dodgy and we could not find the recommended Blue Bird cab, so we opted for the slightly pricier Silver Bird cab. It cost us Rp 200,000 ( about 60 ringgit) for a Merc C-Class cab. Quite posh indeed.

Street artist, Jakarta

Among the first things you notice about Jakarta are its chaotic streets. No matter where you go, people are incessantly honking. And for no reason at all! Secondly, no one follows road markings. I was able to see three to four cars in a 2 lane road. In every street in Jakarta, you will also come across three-wheeled rickshaws similar to the tuk tuks of Bangkok. They are called Bajaj (pronounced as Bajay) over here and we had to agree on the fare with the driver before getting on one. The ride can only be described as bone rattling, but it grew on me as it felt more fun and “adventure-ish”.

We chose to splurge on a mid range hotel, Hotel Ibis Arcadia. It has a nice central location, and is just beside Jalan Sabang, a street full of street side hawkers selling everything from Sate Usus (Intestine Satay) to Nasi Goreng Gila (Crazy Fried Rice). I thought the fried rice was okay but Brian loved it and kept mentioning it throughout the trip. Other things to try are Bakso, Bakmi, Soto, Teh Botol and Soda Susu. I could not help but notice that the hawkers were washing plates in muddy brown water, but as they say, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger…

Teh botol, a very popular drink in Jakarta. Sort of like sweetened jasmine tea.

Soda susu, sweetened condensed milk topped off with ice cream soda.

Bakmi, which is very similar to Kuching's kolo mee, but pork is substituted with chicken

The exchange rate is about 1 ringgit to 3000 rupiah, so a calculator might come in handy as converting currency can get a bit tricky when shopping. We had a few million rupiah to spend, and felt like high rollers for a while.

Another thing you notice in Jakarta is the huge gap between the rich and the poor. Even more interesting than this is their proximity with each other. In the streets, you see luxury cars like Bentleys with black tinted windows. In the same street, a young child walks from car to car begging for money. It’s rather mind blowing to stare at such a scene. You can walk out from a glitzy Gucci boutique into the pungently smelly slums beside it. Surreal describes it rather aptly.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Jakarta

These extremes also apply to Jakarta’s shopping areas. They can range from the squalid Blok M mall to posh Plaza Indonesia. We had a chance to visit both. Blok M is an underground bus terminal converted into a shopping complex. This is supposedly where the local youth shop. I was nevertheless disappointed by what I saw. Everything was very “Mat Rok” and tacky looking while not being very cheap. The shoppers themselves looked the part as well.

Block M Plaza, Jakarta

Plaza Indonesia was a different world altogether. It was obviously classier and the people were a better dressed bunch. The “tai tais” wore designer and also wore rather heavy make up. Maybe the thick make up is an Indonesian thing…Armani, Brioni, Bang & Olufson, LV: all the big brands were there. A suit from Italian maker Brioni costs around 50 billion rupiah, even more that what most Indonesians make in a year.

Grand Indonesia, a premier mall in Jakarta

Next up, Jakarta’s night life…