I didn’t really know much about Jakarta so I wanted to see a few historical places. My friends suggested Monas and the Old city. The national monument of Jakarta is located at Merdeka Square, called MONAS. It signifies the fight for Indonesian independence. It took around 20 minutes from Mega-Kuningan where we stayed overnight.
We had to go through markets and a huge park to be able to see it.
I should have worn much more comfortable shoes
This reminds me of Rizal shrine and Luneta park
It started raining when we were walking towards the monument
There was an underground passageway that led to the bottom of the monument where you can visit the museum. Although we wanted to reach the top, they said if we wanted to visit, we needed to wait for 6 hrs.
The view from the base of MONAS
It’s so spacious inside the museum
They had figurines behind a glass window to portray the story of historical facts. Very entertaining!
Before leaving, we bought kerak telor (fried omelette with shrimps and peanuts). It was crunchy, salty and a bit dry.
The next place we went to was the Old City. Kota Tua or Old Jakarta is well known as a place inherited during the Dutch colonisation.
These were the first things we saw as we were walking in Fatahillah Square. They are called ‘Ondel ondel’ dolls which are traditional dolls from the Betawi culture. They are said to protect people from bad luck. They are also used for dances, parades and other tourist places. There were also people dressed in Anime attires to attract tourists.
Fatahillah Museum or The Jakarta History Museum
There were heaps of people renting colourful bicycles when we went. The area was so spacious, families were sitting and having picnics, playing music and simply, having a great time.
I took this home to Australia – lapis lapis ( thousand layer cake) which originated from the colonisation of the Dutch east Indies.
For the few days I have spent here in Jakarta, I can truly say I can pass as an Indonesian. Kidding aside, I am thankful for the hospitality showed by my friends and people I have met. Their friendliness and warmth remind me of the cordiality and graciousness of my Filipino families and friends back home. They made me feel truly at home. I was also able to immerse myself with a bit of Indonesian history and culture. I’d love to come back to Batavia, Djakarta, The Big Durian or what is known now as Jakarta again someday.
