Blogs from Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, Asia - page 9

Es ist kurz nach Mitternacht, während wir im Taxi vom Flughafen in die 28-Millionen-Metropole Jakarta einfahren. Es sieht irgendwie aus, wie in einem schlechten Horrorfilm. Heruntergekommene Bauten, das wenige Licht wirft sich bewegende Schatten auf die etwas helleren Teile der fast schwarzen Wände, während es von den düsteren Straßenschluchten dazwischen dann vollständig verschluckt wird, obwohl im Diffusen doch ab und zu so etwas wie eine Straßenlaterne erkennbar ist. Im Scheinwerferlicht tauchen vereinzelt kleine Gestalten auf und verschwinden wieder. Wir hören das deutliche klicken, als die Zentralverrieglung verschließt. Es ist schon etwas gruselig, wenn wir dann an der nächsten Ampel anhalten. Und plötzlich schlägt etwas gegen die Seitenscheiben und den Kofferraum. Zwischen etwas, was wie Hände aussieht, erscheint ein verdrecktes und verlebtes Kindergesicht, was man noch eindeutig ... read more

Is it possible to fall in love with yet another country? Indonesia has impressed me so far, and I can tell I am going to enjoy working here. Jakarta reminds me very much of Bangkok with its humidity, terrible traffic, migrating food carts, and Southeast Asian faces. People are friendly and pleasant, and the Asian hospitality is a treat. There are no electricity problems, good internet connections, and you can find delicious food wherever you go. I am staying at a high-rise hotel called Hotel Mulia in a neighborhood called Senayan in Jakarta. When you pull in to the hotel, guards use mirrors to check for explosives under the car, and they peek in your trunk and glove box. You have to go through a metal detector and have your bags scanned each time before going ... read more

Rainy Days and Mondays…..in Jakarta Today was my first day back to work after my 3 week holiday. Overall, I was in a good mood and the day passed very quickly. I got a lot done, attended a few meetings with colleagues, and before I knew it – it was time to head home. But, this is where I made my mistake. I got distracted and spent time at my desk goofing around my computer. Not working mind you, just goofing around - checking airfares and such…. I completely forgot that it is the rainy season in Indonesia! The rainy season actually isn’t as bad as it sounds. I pictured weeks upon weeks of non-stop rain before moving here, but that isn’t how it is. It rains once or twice a day for anywhere between 20 ... read more

Having spent a week on the beautiful island of Gili Trawangan we really started to settle into the slow and easy lifestyle. Wake up each morning to the sounds of relentless cockerels and men chanting over loudspeaker from the mosque, then enjoy pancakes and fruit salad for brekkie before taking a walk around the island - we figured since we were beach bumming around we should at least do some exercise! After this a lazy lunch on the beach with a few hours soaking in some rays with the odd dip in the crystal clear sea before eating again and watching a film along the beachfront (we even found one 'cinema' that was literally a huge projector on the beach with sunbeds so you could watch a film under the stars). We had considered doing a ... read more

Indonesia is too huge to explore in short period of holiday. You will need several months even years to explore Indonesia which has more than 17,000 islands in its large archipelago. You also need to prepare amount of money to visit at least in 5 biggest island in Indonesia: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Of course, money will be nothing compared to the great pleasure from the opportunity to see all over Indonesia by your own eyes. However, for you, travellers who want to see Indonesia completely but cannot afford it due to money and time, Jakarta has a unique place and tool to give you unique experience as if you have passed whole parts of Indonesia: Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) with its skylift. You can see Indonesia from sky; and surprisingly you just ... read more