Read this blog: The one where we have to drink beer served in coffee mugs
Sunday 16th to Tuesday 18th March 2025
Our flight from Kuching to Jakarta was delayed by four hours and as a gesture of good will as we were waiting in the airport we were offered an extra meal [see Dish of the day]. As Robert had booked our luggage into the hold we also qualified for a free meal on board so we had two airplane meals in one day which Matilda did not feel made much of a contribution to a healthy diet.
Jakarta and Dili in East Timor are the only two Asian capital cities located in the southern hemisphere. This is the first time either Matilda or Robert have crossed the equator and we were both excited to tick this off our travel bucket list.
The following morning we set off on our usual orientation walk round Jakarta. This first took us to Arjuna Wijaya, a vast copper statue which is 23 metres long and 5 meters tall. It was installed above a fountain in 1987 and depicts characters from an epic Hindu tale as a reminder of Indonesia’s struggle for independence. It is so vast that it is difficult to get a photograph which does it justice.
Continuing on our walk we discovered that Monas [the National Monument] in Lapangan Merdeka [Freedom Square] is also a memorial to the struggle for independence but is closed on Mondays.
Close by the neo-classical Presidential Palace [Istana Merdeka] has over the years provided accommodation for 15 Dutch Governor Generals, three Japanese Military commanders and President Sukarno. The documents for the country’s independence were signed here and a ceremony was held lowering the Dutch flag and raising the Indonesian one in its place.
The neo-Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is also known as Jakarta Cathedral. It was built in red brick and plastered and patterned to create the impression of stone.
The two delicate white cast iron filigree spires are really unusual, rising 60 metres high.
The construction using lighter weight materials was intended to mitigate against damage by earthquakes.
Tugu Lapangan Banteng which literally translates as Bull’s Field was previously known as Waterloo Square and used as a colonial parade ground. In the centre stands the West Irian Liberation Monument. It was commissioned in 1963 by the then president, Sukarno after the resolution of the West New Guinea Dispute in which Indonesia received the aforenamed territory from the Netherlands. A 36 meter high pedestal, looking a little bit like cricket stumps, features a bare-chested man breaking free of his shackles.
The position of the Masjid Istiqlal mosque adjacent to the Cathedral was chosen deliberately as a concrete example of how faiths and communities are integrated in Indonesia. It is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and was, yet again, built to commemorate Indonesian independence – indeed the name, “Istiqlal,” means independence in Arabic.
Robert, as always, had investigated hostelries close to our hotel and we went in search of the Jaya Pub which was conveniently almost directly opposite. That make the journey seem easier and safer than it actually was. The rules of the road were not always clear to us and even those which we thought we had grasped were fairly fluidly applied.
As we were in a predominantly Muslim country observing Ramadan, we discovered that the Jaya Pub did not open until after sunset. Outside we met Andrew, an ex-pat from Manchester who was also in search of a beer. He was in Jakarta helping to design and build the extension to the MRT having previously worked on CrossRail in the UK. The three of us headed to Best Brews which turned out to be a hotel bar. Andrew very kindly and unexpectedly paid our bar bill and we all three of us returned to the Jaya Pub where we were surprised to be served beer in white coffee mugs.
Surely anyone who is offended by people consuming alcohol does not go to a bar?
The following morning we took a Grab to the old town which is a surprisingly long way away from the more modern centre we had visited the day before.
The Jembatan Pasar Ayam [sometimes called the Chicken Market Bridge as one was once situated on one end] was built in 1628 by the Dutch East India Company during the Dutch colonial period. It is very reminiscent in style to those found on the canals in the Netherlands. Described as the oldest surviving bridge in Indonesia, it has been damaged by military conflicts and natural disasters over the years and undergone several renovations and changes of name.
This wooden bascule bridge has a double “leaf” that could swing upward to allow shipping to pass.
In many places we visit the ‘old town’ is centrally located and is vibrant with culture and night life. In Jakarta it is approximately 8km from the current centre of the city and almost seemed like a ghost town. Fatahillah Square [Taman Fatahillah] is the historic centre of the old town of Batavia which was the capital of the Dutch East Indies.
The square features an array of beautiful Art Deco buildings and it would be easy to imagine it as a bustling centre for commerce and trade. The former City Hall is now the Jakarta History Museum [above]. Facing this is the Gedoeng Jasindo [below] which was the tallest building in the square in 1912 and it was the first office building in Indonesia to have an elevator.
The streets are pedestrianised and charming if a little deserted when we visited, but this could have been because several of the sights are closed on Mondays.
The first HQ of the central bank of the Dutch East Indies is now home to the Bank Indonesia Museum. The bank was nationalised in 1953 after Indonesia gained its independence.
Next door stands the Museum Mandiri which is closed on Mondays and is the corporate museum of the Mandiri Bank. This fine Art Deco building once housed the Netherlands Trading Company.
Opposite stands Jakarta Kota Railway Station and we decided we would get a train back to the newer part of the city [see Video of the day].
We walked from Stasiun Gondangdia Station to Freedom Square to ascend the Monas monument. This consists of a 117.7m obelisk clad with Italian marble on a 45m square platform [see Selfie of the day].
This is more than just a monument: a whole underground world awaits.
A tunnel takes visitors under the square to the base of the monument where . . .
. . . a vast display area has been created with historical scenes and there are also two mosques.
Thankfully there is a lift up to the viewing platform.
The panoramic views show . . .
. . . just how large Jakarta is.
Later in the day, at 17:30 local time, we had an appointment to keep.
We would have dearly liked to have been able to attend the funeral of Anne Kemp but once again our travels kept us away. [Matilda was saddened to be unable to attend the funeral of her much loved aunt when we were travelling home on the Queen Mary in 2022].
Anne was Duncan’s mother [one of Robert’s friends from the age of six when they first met in the St Alphege choir] and was always both engaging and welcoming. She produced the flowers for our wedding including decorating the church, as well as making buttonholes and Matilda’s bouquet. She also, for the first time we believe, climbed some step ladders to entwine a floral display in the ironwork above the church door. A decoration which subsequent brides asked for and which she continued to embellish upon.
Unfortunately we were not home in time but one of the benefits of lockdown is that often there is now the facility to attend funerals remotely. Technology allowed us to watch the service whilst in Jakarta and we were moved by the very heart-felt eulogies given by our friend, Duncan and his cousin.
We were pleased to be able to raise a glass to Anne’s memory.
Video of the day:
Selfie of the day:
Dish of the day:
Route Map:
