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Published: November 24th 2009
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2 days ago (on the 1st day) I didn't manage to go up to the observation deck of the Monas (National Monument), so the first stop of the day was naturally the Monas. The Monas, which symbolises the Indonesia's independence, was completed in 1975 under the direction of President Sukarno. President Sukarno insisted on building the monument despite the poor economy of the nation, hence the monument has the nickname "Sukarno's last erection".
When I arrived, a queue already formed outside the elevator to the observation deck. I queued for around 30 minutes, before it was my turn to squeeze into the one and only elevator. The view from the observation deck was worth the wait. No other places in Jakarta offers such a sweeping view of the immense metropolis. It was quite fascinating to see a jumble of gleaming skyscrapers, colossal government buildings, towering mosques and churches, as well as dilapidated buildings and shabby slums. Returning to ground level, the queue had grown 4 times longer. (Luckily I went up early enough.) I was wondering what would happen if the one and only elevator broke down.... Below the monument, there is an underground gallery with miniature models showing the
various phases of Indonesia's history. The underground gallery turned out to be a popular ground for families having picnic, groups of friends sitting down and gossiping, and groups of youths dancing and doing acrobatic stunts to the beats of hip-hop music.
Leaving the Monas, I made a detour to Lapangan Banteng (another huge grassy square) to see Mesjid Istiqlal (Independence Mosque), Jakarta Cathedral and Freedom Monument, before taking a bus to Glodok - Jakarta's Chinatown. After navigating through a quiet residential street and then a series of narrow alleyways lined with market stalls and food hawkers, I reached the Dharma Jaya Temple - a decent Chinese Buddhist temple like the ones in Singapore or Hong Kong. A few hundreds metres away, there is another Chinese Temple - Jin De Yuan temple. The latter is larger, with more halls and more gods. The latter is also significantly more smoky, thanks to hundreds of incense sticks burning in the confined spaces with poor ventilation. Like everyone else, my eyes were tearing after I walked one round around the main prayer hall. (In most temples in Hong Kong and Singapore, burning incense is prohibited indoors. Obviously there's no such law in Jakarta.)
After a morning of cultural exposure, I decided to spend the rest of the day on an activity that I did for the past 2 days - shopping. This time, I went south to the Senayan district, where 2 of Jakarta's poshests malls are located. The first is Plaza Senayan, which has 2 huge department stores and a wide assortment of high-end shops. Feeling hungry, I had my lunch in Mos Burger (a Japanese fast-food chain). The price and quality of the food are similar to that in Singapore, but somehow I found the staffs in Jakarta friendlier. After exploring Plaza Senayan (and enjoying a cup of ice yoghurt), I went across the road to Senayan City, another modern mall full of high-end shops. In the atrium there was a photography exhibition, named "In My Room". It showed photographs of various Indonesian celebrities (in politics and in entertainment) showing off their natural sides in their own bedroom. The exhibition was interesting, although I didn't know any of the featured celebrities. After exploring all the floors of Senayan City and buying a couple of shirts, my stamina began to drain. (I basically spent the whole day walking non-stop.)
Before
my stamina drained out completely, I quickly made a trip to Blok M - the shopping district for Jakarta's middle-class youths. Like Mangga Dua, Blok M is famous for its cheap (but good quality) clothes and accessories. After "covering" the endless maze of fashion shops in the underground mall, I went over to Pasaraya department store. To my amazement, there were 10 storeys in the department store. By then, I was so tired that I decided not to shop further. (My stamina was not the only thing draining. My wallet was also draining...)
Like the previous 2 days, I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately after I reached my hotel and took my shower. I never expected Jakarta to have so many shopping malls, ranging from the budget-class Blok M and Mangga Dua to the high-class Senayan City and Grand Indonesia. If my sister or any of my female colleagues followed me to Jakarta, I think they can spend one whole week doing nothing but shopping. Haha. And now, with the Transjakarta busway system in operation, exploring Jakarta (and its numerous malls) has never been easier. The "Big Durian" turned out to be much tastier than I
expected.
The next day was the 4th day (and also the last day) of the trip. I didn't do much on the last day, as I was taking a morning flight back to Singapore. At 6am, I left the hotel and took a cab to the airport (which costs around US$13 - 1/3 of the fee I paid for the "executive" cab from the airport to the city!). At the airport, I had some time to wander around. As I walked around the airport, I realized that there were plenty of taxis outside the arrival gate. There was also a booth selling bus tickets to various places in Jakarta. Next time if I come to Jakarta again, I would avoid the taxi booths before the arrival hall exit, avoid the taxi touts, and take the (much cheaper) Damri bus to Gambir Railway Station...
The check-in process was pretty efficient, the toilets were pretty clean, and my flight left on time. (I read a lot of negative reviews about Jakarta Airport on online forums and websites, but I seemed to encounter none of the problems myself.) Soon, I was back in Singapore and there ended my 3 days of
experiencing the "Big Durian".
Although Jakarta didn't give me a good first impression, I slowly got impressed and captivated as I spent more time in the city. Yes, the traffic jams and the slums are still around, but now the city has acquired gleaming skyscrapers, impressive malls, an efficient busway network, and a couple of attractions to keep visitors entertained. Somehow, experiencing the Big Durian was like eating a real durian. Once you get past the thorny shell and pungent smell, and sink your teeth into the golden flesh, you will discover a sweet and special taste. In my previous visit 19 years ago, I only managed to see the thorny shell. Now, spending more time travelling alone, I finally tasted the golden flesh of the Big Durian. Like the durian, the Big Durian has an acquired taste. Many people don't like the taste, but somehow I just love it (both the durian and the Big Durian) very much.
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