Getting to Jakarta ended up being something of a chore. I was flying the low cost carrier Lion from Lombok to Jakarta a one hour 50 minute flight. On the way there, after arriving form Tokyo, we sat on the tarmac for 40 minutes without explanation. The manager at my resort told me that Lion was notorious for delays, and true to her word there were two delays that ended up making me wait three and a half hours. So save yourself the trouble if you come to Indonesia, pay a bit more for the reliability of an airlines like Garuda (I can't believe I'm saying this-in 2003 I had an 18 hour delay with them). At any rate, after checking in to my hotel, I hit the nightlife-since it was a Friday. My business hotel is nothing special, but centrally located-traffic will be a challenge here and mass transport is generally limited to buses.
First stop was Potato Head, a bar restaurant, about whose owner I read about in a magazine-he is from Bali. So I expected the food to be modern Indonesian...well the bar menu was strictly western. So I ended up, begrudgingly, having a fine chicken sandwich-not worth recording though.
Started the night out with a Manhattan.
The view from the second stop, Cloud Lounge & Dining on the 49th floor of the Plaza Office Tower.
Traffic circle.
Another rooftop bar, Skye Bar and Restaurant, on the 56th floor of the RCA building was nearby so I also checked that one out.
In the Beer Garden across from my hotel. Incidentally I didn't notice on Lombok, but no convenience stores or roadside stalls sell alcohol. You have to visit a restaurant/bar or supermarket to get it.
Bajaj (auto rickshaw).
The crowds in Kota Tua (Old Batavia).
Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics.
Wayang Puppet Museum.
I was really impressed with the old colonial atmosphere of Cafe Batavia.
Kamilian Coffee.
Rendang (spicy beef).
In the Jakarta Museum.
Outside the National Museum.
The National Musuem.
The National Monument (MONAS).
The National Gallery.
My father came to Jakarta in 1947 on a Dutch troop ship. His side gigs ferrying around liquor, cigarettes and live pigs are what financed him to come to America :) He also picked up a life long addiction to Sambal
Posted by: Arie van der Hoeven | December 31, 2017 at 07:45 AM
I am sure your father had a lot of good stories about that. I also love me some sambal.
Posted by: MC | January 07, 2018 at 05:17 PM