After what was an unbearable series of flights across the pacific and down to Jakarta (the congressional appropriation for the Fulbright program mandates that flights have to be flown by US flag carriers like United, AA or Delta - you all should know what that means) we finally arrived. There are 44 people in my program, and the one positive thing about the flights (which lacked almost every imaginable comfort item) is that we slowly met people along the way. There were 3 others from our program on our flight from SF to Hong Kong, about 20 others on our flight from HK to Singapore, and finally everyone was on our flight from Singapore to Jakarta.
My first impressions of Jakarta were shaped by the sights of motorbikes everywhere on the highway to our hotel in North Jakarta. Just like in Vietnam, there are hundreds of motorbikes everywhere, and each is carrying a very different and often hillarious set of passengers. Some have a full family of four each riding in set positions along the seat (almost always older child in front, dad driving, baby behind him and mom holding the whole operation together.
Our hotel was simply absurd. We were only staying in Jakarta for 5 days before we left for Bandung to do our actual training - and the only reason to even be in Jakarta was so that we could get our permanent residency card or KITAS card. I've included some of my favorite pictures of Jakarta below, and the best way to explain a city like that is to show photos of it.
In my mind, the worst problems Jakarta is facing are as follows:
1. NO PUBLIC TRANSIT - while there are a few buses like this one below, many face the same congestion as the other vehicles.
An MRT project or subway was declared to be impractical as Jakarta is prone to flooding, earthquakes, corruption - pretty much every other terrible thing possible. And a Japanese inspired and partially funded monorail was halted as the state governor axed the funding (I wonder if he saw the simpsons episode about monorails and freaked out...)
What many people take are these combi taxi like private vans that all have numbers on the front that indicate direction, they are very inexpensive, and don't care much for traffic rules. We generally used these to get around as they are interesting ways to absorb the city and feel like a local.
2. Very very few sidewalks - this is just terrible. It makes the city totally unwalkable, and awful for tourists or people who just want to walk around. Indonesians seem to just expect all foreigners to ride around in air conditioned taxis, and inquiries to our hotel concierge about how to walk places usually resulted in a look that could best be described as a combination of (I don't understand what you mean/ even if I did I think you are absolutely crazy). The photo below is literally one of the best sidewalks we encountered in the city.
Although, to be fair - the Fulbright program placed us in a hotel way outside the city center where it seems people only come to isolate themselves from the madness that is Jakarta while they stop and negotiate some shady business deals on their way to Bali.
3. Pollution. Jakarta has tons of Dutch-era canals that wind themselves lazily through old Jakarta with its beautiful architecture and exotic scents. Just change beautiful architecture to crumbling buildings and exotic scents to reeking sewage and you have an accurate mental picture of what walking through Jakarta is like. Add about 98% humidity and 100 degrees Fahrenheit and you see my issue.
Pros:
1. Amazing monuments. Highlights include MONAS or the national monument and museum (which we saw as the sun was setting and the beautiful park around it was becoming very social). Indonesians, taking note of how it became a final pet project of the founding President Sukarno before he was deposed by dictator Suharto have unceremoniously dubbed it as "Sukarno's last erection." I kid you not.
Also, Istiqlal Mosque - literally Independence Mosque. Also a Sukarno erection which opened under Suharto, this Mosque bills it self as Southeast Asia's largest. Capable of hosting tens of thousands of people at the same time (conflicting reports suggest between 120,000 and 200,000) it is a beautiful sight. It also embraces elements of several religions and demonstrates the religious diversity of Indonesia. It sits next to the smaller Catholic Cathedral and boasts five pointed stars which are designed to symbolize the five historical religions of Indonesia (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism and Protestantism - which are viewed as separate religions here, which makes explaining being an Episcopalian really difficult).
The lines on the bricks are specified spaces for visitors to use when they pray towards Mecca - which is towards the setting sun (ie west)2. Awesome people - Indonesians are amazing. They are eternally smiling, incredibly friendly, and very outgoing. Of course this is a broad generalization, but in my experiences it is very much true. I wish I had a photo that could appropriately demonstrate this, but I've been trying to avoid taking too many candids of people I don't know.
3. Barack Obama - kind of just kidding on this one. It is the case though that most people on our program went on a pseudo pilgrimage to visit the President's elementary school in Jakarta, obviously including myself. The school is notable for a lot of reasons, but the most hilarious one is a statue of an eight year old "Barry Obama" releasing a butterfly into the atmosphere. Many Indonesians rightly wondered when this statue was placed in Jakarta's central park: What the hell? However, as someone who spent six months of his life working almost eighty hours a week for him - I felt it necessary to make the jaunt and pose for a photo in front of the statue holding an Obama - Biden sign that another Fulbrighter (who ironically also was an FO for BO - shout out to Polly Furth) brought. I hope my fellow students d'Minowitz appreciate this photo.
Well, thats it on Jakarta. I have to admit that I think it is a city I can easily grow to like (even sans monorail). I'm writing this from Bandung, another city which is to be honest, a lot nicer. I hope to update you all again soon (btw, the next post will include at least two of the following (Javanese dancers/ Indonesian pop stars/ an active volcano).
For a parting thought, here is a photo of what may be the strangest food I have seen yet in Indonesia, and also have no intention of trying.
Selamat Tinggal!
