 they did not gave me the arrival & departure card. When I asked them, is that it, they said yes, only giving me the tax card. Hurmmmm. It gave me delayed when I want to enter the immigration counter. Great!
Welcome to Jakarta
I arrived Jakarta around 1am (Jakarta time, GMT+7). When you get off the plane, there were a bus waiting for you. Around 10 minutes journey to the arrival hall.
My Journey Begins
After I passed the immigration counter. Now I realized that my journey for 50-days begins. I am so nervous! Besides booked my accommodation, I am not very prepared and did not make deep research. You know, just work with the flow right!
Expensive Airport Taxi
I arrived Jakarta at midnight, so I do not had any choice of public transport. Just went to the airport shuttle taxi counter, it cost me 200,000rupiah(RM60) to the my hostel, Hunny Hostel. So expensive! What a great start for me ya!
Hunny Hostel
Took around 30 minutes from the airport at midnight. No traffic jam at midnight!. Hunny hostel situated at Jalan Alydrus, between Carrefour and Gajah Mada Plaza. And there will be a small round on your left. I booked the hostel from the hostelworld, dormitory, RM48 per night. Very nice hotel. Helen (the staff) waited for me to arrived. It was around 1.30am. And the day after, she said to me actually she was very sleepy while waiting for me. She helped me a lot on my staying in the hostel. Thanks to her!
The coffee and tea you can get free anytime you want. You can watched TV. There were a bathroom in the room. It was really nice hostel. But, the only problem was, the location. Quite far to walk around. But overall I give 3.7/5.0 for this hostel.
Ojek the motorcycle taxi
The main problem in Jakarta is their traffic jam. It was so pressure. So, if you going to take a meter taxi, where will be very costly. Sometimes, your vehicle not moving for a very long time. So, what I do, I just took the OJEK, the motorcycle taxi. I really thought there are cheaper. But, it just the same with the taxi price. You can bargain the price. Mostly its around 15k-30k rupiah to go from one point to one point. I just used Ojek so many times while my staying in Jakarta. I can say, it’s a live or die experience if you know what I mean, the way they drive. So crazy!
Looking for waterproof camcorder
On the first refreshing morning, I planned I’m going to find the waterproof camcorder. Just for example, Sanyo Xacti or Panasonic the new model. I can’t find the model I want in Kuching. It was so limited. So, this is Jakarta, the capital of Jakarta, I was very sure I can get it easily right. I asked the staff at my hostel, where is the LOWYAT in Jakarta. Oh, She said, “Oh…. You can get all type of camera at Pasar Baru!”, and she gave me the direction.
Pasar Baru
I was very impressed with myself, I took an Angkot (mini-van with no door) to the Pasar Baru. Thanks to auntie in the Angkot, she helped me when to get off, its only took around 3000rp (RM1). So cheap! It turned out that Pasar Baru got a lot of mall. So I just doing the mall hoping. The first mall, name Aneka, they know what exactly I was looking for, but they do not sell any. They second shop I went, they got the Sanyo Xacti waterproff camcorder, but it is old version, 8mp. Costly around 4million rupiah. Hurm… I was thinking, its better for me to get the new version right. The price is still the same. There were I mall, selling all the 2nd hand camera. But it was kinda very old camera. If you are looking for cheap 2nd hand camera or video camera, this was the location.
Unfortunately for me. I did not get what I am looking for. So, no waterproof camcorder for me for this journey. Its ok, My Sony NEX-C3 can took HD video. But, it is no waterproof~
Grand Indonesia
If you are the fan of shopping mall, you must go to Grand Indonesia. It is really big mall. You can compare it with Pavillion in KL. But, thanks to the bomber in Jakarta, the entrance security is very tight. It was like you going to security check-in at the airport. But not only this mall, if you going everywhere, you need to enter a building, there will be a tight security entrance. This mall I am sure for the rich people, you know, looking at the brand they’re selling.
There are one big electronic store. Cool. Hopefully I can get my waterproof camcorder. But, worst, they only for very-very-very old version of waterproof camcorder. Its Panasonic. But, its 0.2 mp! Hahaha… my handphone camera is better than that. So funny. And the price was really expensive.
Monument Nasional @ MONAS
From Grand Indonesia, I took Ojek to MONAS. It’s a must-visit-place if you go to Jakarta. The MONAS is like a tower at the center of town, around it is a park. Most of them compare it with KL Tower. But for me, not even close because of its height.
Go around the MONAS is quiet nice. But the seller everywhere, and there were a photographer if you want them to take your picture. Luckily, I brought my own Tripod, so I can took my own photo. The street photographer just stared at me. The entrance for MONAS is 6000rp. I did not entered the building, it closed at 3pm. Oh! So, I don’t had any experience to enter the MONAS. But it was ok, I think it just nothing. To enter the building, it si through the underground. How I know this, because it took me like a long time to find the entrance. Got many monument around the MONAS. There is a park for relaxing.
Student Demonstration
I talked with the taxi driver and asked him about were there any demonstration going happened somewhere. You know, maybe Indonesia-Malaysia issue, there was always a issue fight. The taxi driver said, it is normal thing, the citizens there doing the demonstration everyday. Whether they are volunteer or being paid. Actually for the driver, he didn’t like the demonstation, its better to give the job for the government (they are the expert). So, when I visited MONAS, at the main entrance, there were a demonstration by the university students. They were doing the demo to demolish the current president. Hurm… Awesome…. I took the Malaysian Flag at my bag slowly and I hide it. I am afraid I became the center of attraction just because I’m Malaysian right. The police seem like everywhere, and the center of demonstration, felt like excited plus nervous. Awesome!
Jalan Jaksa the backpacker street
From MONAS, I walked to the Jalan Jaksa. I wrongly pronounced it as Jalan Laksa. And one of my Indonesian friends told me, “Not Jalan Laksa, Laksa is a food!”… Sorry, my bad…. Its Jalan Jaksa. Jalan Jaksa is quite popular as a backpacker street. But for me, its not really backpacker, it’s a tourist street. Its became touristy (too many white people) and most of the price became standard and high price. Most of the pubs is here. And you really need to hangle the OJEK price. There are a tour company too if you want to take a look. Plus, a secondhand book shop also in this street.
Penecongan & expensive Bandung Martabak
After I explore the Jalan Jaksa, I look at my maps, what’s next. Its already night, and my belly is hungry. So, I decided to go to Penecongan. Confidently I asked the OJEK to go to Penecongan. Not so far, 20,000rp.In penecongan, the ojek driver already told me its hard to find halal food there because most the restaurant/warung there is a Chinese. At here, I just bought the most expensive martabak bandung. (Cheese+Coklat+Peanut) 73,000rp. So expensive. And it was very big! I was shocked! Who’s gonna eat that much?. At here also, I ordered Es Teler. Popular desert in Indonesia. When I was in Medan last time, I drank a lot of Es Teler.
Awesome skydining at Solaria, Plaza Semanggi
I went to the Jakarta Couchsurfing dinner at Solaria, Plaza Semanggi. I read the post at Jakarta group, so I decided to go. Thankfully with my decision, it turn out realy nice dinner. If you are going to Jakarta, do not forget to go to dinner at Plaza Semanggi skydining. (10th floor