Jakarta

Monday 15/10 to Wednesday 17/10, Wednesday 24/10 and Thursday 25/10  - JAKARTA
Capital of Indonesia

Sydney.  Check-in station imobilized for one hour: still troubles with my itinaray.

This time, once more, they claim having solved it for once and for all.  

7 hours flight from Sydney to Jakarta.  On time!

Tuesday 16/10 - Jakarta

1st visit to the Indian Embassy for my passport.

Javanese  language contains many Dutch words (Dutch colonial empire until 1950).

For instance Polisi, Kantor, Notaris, Factorij, Uitsmijter, Komisi, Museum, Halte,

Opa, Oma, Oom, Tante, Tap Oli, Vet, Roomsoes, Afdeling, Las Pos, Helm,

Knalpot, Kleding, Stempel, Lijm, Besin pom, Onderstel, Masker, Verboden ...

And also "loket" (seen in the "Stasiun").

Transportation is extremely bad. Exception is the "Transjakarta Busway".

The seats in the front (as a matter of fact, taking half of the bus)

are strictly reserved for woman.  I didn't knew, and created a big panic.

So many people wants to be pictured with me.

I met a lot of my fans!

  

The old town hall, once the epicenter of the Dutch empire.

And the only place where you find bikes.

(notice that most of the buildings in the old town center are ruins).

A Dutch bridge near to the Chicken Market.

View from the bridge towards modern Jakarta.

I couldn't find out why they put all of these lights along the dirty and stinking canal!

The famous and expensive Batavia Cafe

("Batavia" was the Dutch name for Jakarta).

The dining room on the first floor.

  

View FROM my table.

View ON my table, not so Indonesian food...

The National Monument, Monas (dubbed as "Sukarno's final erection"),

132m high tower in Italian marble.

Wednesday 17/10 - Still in Jakarta

(spent most of my time at the Indian embassy to fix my visa).

'Muisjes' for breakfast, feeling home!

"Suske & Wiske", as in Dutch!

"Smurf" as in Dutch.

Come-back of the famous blue Pepsi?

Wednesday 24/10 and Thursday 25/10 - again in JAKARTA
3rd and 4th visit to the Indian Embassy.  Finally I obtained my Indian visa!

My pink hotel room.

Shopping center in New Jakarta.  Not overcrowded...

Traffic jam all day.  Only the bus lanes work well (the "Transjakarta" transport system,

operating like a metro).  Here the bus is at a "Halte", loading/unloading passengers.

Historical Jakarta.  In bad shape, and populated by the poor.

Dutch canals in historical Jakarta.

Taking a romantic boat excursion with an old lady.

The harbor, with old wooden ships.

Old an new Jakarta, the poor and the rich.

Another harbor view from my romantic excursion.

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