Darnold9999
Contributor
Was just in Jakarta a few days ago and had a great experience. Was there for a single day and decided to go to Café Batavia in the morning and just walk around for a couple of hours before returning to the hotel before it got too hot.
Did not make it 20 feet into the square before being accosted by a group of pre teen girls who sang in unison "please mister can you help us practice our English". Answered their questions, signed their form and they took a group photo with me. Another 10 feet, another group - same questions. Happened 2 more times and I have not got a quarter of the way across the square so I escape to the "tourist centre" at the edge of the square to get directions and possibly a local map or such. (there are preteen groups all over the square)
I am perusing the info - 99% of which is not in English when a local comes up to me and asks if he can help me. A conversation about what I wanted to do (walk around and see old town) he offers to guide me around himself. After evaluating the risk - low in my opinion based on a bunch of things we head off.
Turns out he is part of the team restoring old town and is an architect/archeologist and has a head full of history about his town and the work he is doing that he wants to share. Started at the drawbridge, and then went through the maritime museum, the docks, old china town and a series of Buddhist temples, churches, warehouses etc. Spent three hours wandering around and getting my head stuffed with dates and the history of the town Batavia that was the precursor to Jakarta and the plans for dredging the canals and renovating much of the old town as part of a UNESCO project. Really regretted only having my iPhone as a camera. Some of the temples and gates were amazing. Never did get into the Café - it was packed for lunch when I got back to the square.
This is the second time on the trip I have had a local go out of their way to help me and not even the last. After the "tour" I tried to get a taxi back to the hotel by hailing one on the street. No luck - nobody was stopping so I decided to cross the square to the bus depot and try my luck there. Accosted by another group of prospective English speakers, teen age guys this time with much more proficient English skills. So I ask for help in getting a cab. Turns out the reason the cabs on the street were ignoring me was because they were all busy. These guys got me a cab (spending about 20 min to do it) and sent me on the way.
All of this to say that it is worth going into Jakarta if only to meet some interesting people. Without some kind of a guide I would not have had any chance of finding all of the places I saw, but I suspect I would have had an interesting visit anyway.
Did not make it 20 feet into the square before being accosted by a group of pre teen girls who sang in unison "please mister can you help us practice our English". Answered their questions, signed their form and they took a group photo with me. Another 10 feet, another group - same questions. Happened 2 more times and I have not got a quarter of the way across the square so I escape to the "tourist centre" at the edge of the square to get directions and possibly a local map or such. (there are preteen groups all over the square)
I am perusing the info - 99% of which is not in English when a local comes up to me and asks if he can help me. A conversation about what I wanted to do (walk around and see old town) he offers to guide me around himself. After evaluating the risk - low in my opinion based on a bunch of things we head off.
Turns out he is part of the team restoring old town and is an architect/archeologist and has a head full of history about his town and the work he is doing that he wants to share. Started at the drawbridge, and then went through the maritime museum, the docks, old china town and a series of Buddhist temples, churches, warehouses etc. Spent three hours wandering around and getting my head stuffed with dates and the history of the town Batavia that was the precursor to Jakarta and the plans for dredging the canals and renovating much of the old town as part of a UNESCO project. Really regretted only having my iPhone as a camera. Some of the temples and gates were amazing. Never did get into the Café - it was packed for lunch when I got back to the square.
This is the second time on the trip I have had a local go out of their way to help me and not even the last. After the "tour" I tried to get a taxi back to the hotel by hailing one on the street. No luck - nobody was stopping so I decided to cross the square to the bus depot and try my luck there. Accosted by another group of prospective English speakers, teen age guys this time with much more proficient English skills. So I ask for help in getting a cab. Turns out the reason the cabs on the street were ignoring me was because they were all busy. These guys got me a cab (spending about 20 min to do it) and sent me on the way.
All of this to say that it is worth going into Jakarta if only to meet some interesting people. Without some kind of a guide I would not have had any chance of finding all of the places I saw, but I suspect I would have had an interesting visit anyway.
Thanks for the heads up. We'll see how things going in the next 5 years. I have low expectation for any improvement done on the city based on their track records. I'll skip Jakarta whenever possible in the future.
