Bandung and Overall Impressions of Indonesia

Amidst Volcanoes and Plantations

July 2024

Bandung is in West Java and the drive from Semarang took around 5 hours. The highway roads were very good and time flew by pretty fast. The cost was around IDR 300000 which is around USD 20. 

Bandung is a city with narrow roads with heavy traffic which reminded me of Bangalore. The weather is also milder as it is in the plateau at a height. I had booked a place at G10 guest house which was run by a lady Inge Francisca and her husband. She was half Chinese and had made up the place very well with a beautiful terrace and a small pantry.

JL Braga which is the main street in Bandung and the high street was a 20 minutes walk away and the most people could do was spend time there especially in the evenings. The weekends were very lively with food, music and all of Bandung hanging out there. 

Padang Food

In general, liquor is not available in any of the shops in Java and one had to go to specific bars to have a drink. One gets used to not drinking and soon I found it normal to go weeks without having a drop of liquor. In a way it was refreshing and I made it up for it by drinking lots of Coffee, I suppose. 

Near the guest house was a Warung Suko Mananti which had some great Padang food. It is run by a friendly family and service was very good. The daughter was normally at the counter and she had finished studying communications at the nearby university which was a few meters away.

Padang is a cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. Padang uses coconut milk and spicy chili and has three main elements: gulai (curry), lado (chili pepper) and bareh (rice).I took Tempura, Rendang (slowly cooked beef), chicken, jackfruit, boiled cassava leaf and had it with iced Jasmine tea. It was absolutely delicious and felt like home. After that I visited the place a couple of times and experimented with all the varieties that were available.

A Chinese Traveller

One of the people at the guest house who I happened to meet was a Chinese girl who was currently working in Jakarta and had come down for the weekend. Her name was GuanShiren and she had grown up in Schenzen. Her English was pretty decent. She recently had visited UAE, Kazakhstan and after that experience decided that she would open up her own company in the future where she would source goods from China and sell to other countries. To hone up her experience, she accepted a job offer from a Chinese company to do similar work in Indonesia. The work life balance in Jakarta was surprisingly much better even though it was a Chinese company as in China, work was by the 996 system which is work from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days per week.

Guan and I went to the Bandung central area where after a cup of coffee, she went off to do some shopping (apparently Bandung is famous for its high end brand shopping deals) and I went off to have dinner and loiter around in the crowd.

Another Volcano

One of the mornings, I took a bike and visited the Tangkuban Perahu volcano which is to the North west of the city. It is an hours bike ride through the winding busy highway and the road goes all the way to the top of the crater from the entrance (after a fees of 200000 IDR for foreigners). If you go early in the morning, you will be rewarded with a clear sky, sunny views of the volcano and no crowds. After spending half an hour walking around the rim, it was time to come back.

To the South of Bandung is the well visited White crater and further South East is the Barut area and Kawah Papandayan, but that has been kept for the next visit to these Highlands.

In one of the morning walks at Tegalega gardens in Bandung, I came across many vendors selling Idli like cakes sweetened with a topping and made over open wood fire. Similarly in the morning, everyone seems to be having fried snacks called Gore gan like Tape Gorang (Fried fermented Cassava), Tofu, tempeh, banana, corn, cassava etc. It quite tempting to stop by and have a nice oily snack. If only it was accompanied by Kadak Ginger Chai! 

The Bandung Conference

Bandung became famous in the world map when it hosted the Asian and African countries in what is known as the Bandung Conference in 1955. Many Asian countries were getting independence from the colonial powers and the Bandung declaration is valid even today. It was also instrumental in giving birth to the Non Aligned movement. One of the days, I went and spent some time at the Bandung Asian African Conference Museum. It's a well kept museum with photographs and documents from the conference and the hall itself where in 2025, the 50th anniversary was celebrated.

Whoosh Bullet Train

Finally it was time to leave Bandung. I said goodbye to my host Inge and headed out to the station to catch Whoosh, the Fast Bullet Train to Jakarta. There is a free feeder train from the station which takes you to Padalarang. The train then takes 30 minutes to reach Halim station in Jakarta with a top speed of 350 Km/Hour,a journey which normally takes 1 1/2 hour. Ticket cost was a reasonable 200000 IDR which is around USD 12. It was an impressive experience and testimony to the growing infrastructure and confidence of Indonesia as a Nation.

Overall Impressions of Indonesia

As I left Jakarta for India, I reflected on what I had perceived Indonesia to be when I started my journey and my impression since. I had expected a Nation like India but more conservative with a Muslim Majority and having issues in terms of infrastructure and jobs. What I found was instead refreshingly different. The Islam that it has is liberal and  syncretical with elements of Hinduism, mystical beliefs, old age animism and spiritualism.

Though mosques are ubiquitous and all across the country you can hear the Azan at various times of the day, worshipers are not on the face or the act of worshipping visibly public. The largest mosque in Jakarta is very modern and has been designed by a Christian, a direct proclamation of the kind of Islamic Nation that the country wants to be.

There are so many ethnic groups (over 1300) and the country has been influenced over centuries by traders from India, Arab states and colonial powers which is reflected in their language and food. All across the country, you can see Sanskrit/Pali words and their language has words from Sanskrit, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch all pointing to the fact that this is a not a Mono Cultural Nation like China, instead it is a thriving multi cultural country like India. 

Women wear the Hijab more than probably the previous generation, but it is not mandatory and women have more freedom to express themselves both at home and public spaces. Java is a fertile land and even with its high density of population didn't feel overwhelming like India. The train and road infrastructure is world class and its cities are in much better shape than the Indian cities. People are friendly and many speak English especially in the urban areas. I came back with a better appreciation of the country and its people. 

Nothing can match a slow journey to soak in a culture and to understand the soul of a Nation.

Videos

Bandung	Bullet Train to Jakarta

Semarang

Capital of central Java

July 2024

Semarang is the capital city of Central Java and an important regional center and port today. It's about 4 hours by train from Surabaya and the journey is very pleasant across flat irrigated lands. On landing in Semarang, went and checked into a guest house called Arya Graham (note the Sanskrit name). 

In the evening, had a steak at a nearby steak joint. Steak joints can also be seen in the cities and I suppose this is a legacy that the Dutch had left to the Indonesians. Everyone advertises the Sirloin steak and I got one made Medium Rare which was not bad.

The Railways and Old Town

The next day, I went off to explore Semarang. 

First stop was at Lawang Sewu, the former colonial era headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Railway Company. The building is very well preserved and pretty impressive with a decent exhibit showcasing the history of the railways in Indonesia. Indonesia was the second country in Asia after India to establish rail transport and the first line was between Semarang into Central Java and was used to transport agricultural commodities and mining products from the hinterlands to the port. 

After a tour of the museum, I went over to the Semarang old town area. The area had many Dutch buildings and while there has been an effort at restoring them, it didn't have the charm of Jakarta or Surabaya old town area. I visited the Semarang Contemporary art gallery which had a decent collection. Nearby was an antique market and I browsed through the exhibits which had old cassettes, masks and old prints.

Lunch was Mangga Muda (Young Mango) which had duck, tofu, tempeh, egg and young mango sauce. I had a drink called kelapa jeruk which was an interesting mix of  Orange juice with coconut. 

Chinese Temple

In the evening, went off to visit Sam Poo Kong, the oldest Chinese temple in Semarang. It was originally established by the great Chinese explorer Admiral Zheng He between 1400 to 1416 and has undergone multiple renovations. The temple showcases the Chinese roots of the Indonesian Chinese and now is shared by all ethnicities and religions. The complex has five temples and is built using mixed Chinese and Java architectural styles. The overall complex is pretty impressive.

I then went to Mlinjo Cafe and Restaurant where I had an Empal gentong, a spicy Indonesian curry-like beef soup originating in Cirebon, West Java. It is a variety of the Soto cuisine and is similar to gulai which is usually cooked with firewood in a gentong stove (Javanese for clay pot). The soup was excellent and the beef pieces tender. It was a good day spent. 

Next Destination

From Semarang, I had planned to go to some Islands in the North Coast called Karimunjawa. However, I couldn't get eh ferry ticket because it was over the weekend and at this time of the year, there are a lot of tourists who come to the Island.

So I decided to go to Bandung instead, in Central Java before I went back to Jakarta to take my flight. Bandung is surrounded by volcanoes and plantations and the base for travel to those areas. It is also the site of the famous Bandung Conference which gave birth to the Non Aligned movement. I took a shared mini Van to Bandung which was about a 5 hour journey. 

Surabaya

The Shark and the Crocodile

July 2024

The train from Malang to Surabaya is around 2 hours and 15 minutes and on arrival, I checked myself onto Choice City Hotel which was at the top of a mall, the BG Junction mall. 

The next day morning, I set out to explore Surabaya. Surabaya is the second largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta. A port city, it is a vibrant sprawling metropolis with a thriving China Town and Arab quarter. It is well known for the Battle of Surabaya which was instrumental in getting support for Indonesian independence. It is a clean and Green city which continued to surprise me with my experience of Indian Cities and not so high expectations when I came to Indonesia. Surabaya is named after the Pali words Sura (Asura) and Bhaya (fear) which is the founding of the city after the Majapahit won against the Mongols in 1293 AD. I reflected on what would happen if Indonesia insisted on renaming all their cities because of their Hindu names and keep Muslim names instead. The country has incorporated their past into the present and is rolling on into their future, a critical difference between the people of Indonesia Vs India where we seem to be regressing into the past.  

Old Town

The first place to start was China Town and the Hong Tiek Hien Temple, the oldest temple in Surabaya. There are Altars of Chinese Gods and Goddesses, Buddha and even a small altar for Indian Gods, so that no one is left out. There was a friendly Muslim guy who was exercising on the temple premises and he was happy to pose for me. 

I next went to the Sunan Ample Mosque which is the oldest mosque in East Java and where Sunan Ample's tomb is located. He was one of the nine revered saints Wali Songo credited for the spread of Islam in Java.

The area near Ample has various Warungs selling snacks and street food. I changed upon something a little different, a bakery called Anita Family Bakery. Inside the shop was a whole variety of  cakes and pastries and I was s happy to buy an assortment based on what the shop attendant suggested.

From the China Town, I went to the Old Town Center. At the Kota Lama area there are many old colonial buildings and the red bridge which was the site of the Battle of Surabaya. Beside it is a replica of remains of General Mallaby's exploded car.  The area was pretty lively with a photography crew taking photographs of what looked like a period Chinese character and locals who were busy taking photographs. 

High Streets

In the evenings, the high streets of Surabaya come alive with young people crowding the cafes and restaurants. The action was around JL Tunjungan street which included all the big hotels including the Majapahit which was the location where the Flag incident happened on September 19th 1945. Here a crowd gathered and the Dutch flag was torn and the blue part removed to keep the Red and White of the Indonesian Flag. 

Soon it was time to move on and I started moving back West towards Central Java and the city of Semarang which was also on the coast.

Malang

A Slice of Netherlands

July 2024

One of the countless Coffee Shops in Malang

The overnight train to Malang starts at 1230 AM and reaches at around 0700 AM. The executive coach has ample space to stretch the legs and I was able to catch up on some sleep during the journey. The train stations are sparkling clean and the washrooms were even better than what I have seen in many airports. The trains were on time, sanitized blankets were provided and the overall experience has been very good. 

Malang turned out to be a beautiful Dutch colonial university town. It is at an elevation, so the weather is cool. The infrastructure is very good and classy cafes and restaurants dot the town. I took a hotel just beside the University in a quiet locality and the first thing that I did was to hire a bike for the next few days so that I could explore around.

In the evening, went out to a restaurant called Ikan Bakar (Means Fish and grill) and had heir signature dish, Nila Pesmol, a freshwater fish cooked in Sundanese style from West Java. This had a yellow sauce and mix of herbs, chillies and tomatoes.

A hike and a chance Temple encounter 

After a day of rest, the next day I ventured out of the city to the nearby hills called Coban Glotek which is south of Batu and about 45 minutes away. It was a nice and pleasant drive with the hills just outside the town. I took a trek to a nearby waterfall and then on noticing that there were many Hindu temples, stopped at a temple called Pura Patirtan Taman Pasupati dedicated to Shiva. I later figured out that the area near the hills are primarily Hindu villages with their traditional Bamboo poles called Penjor. In the temple, a family had come to celebrate Saraswati Puja and on finding out I was from India, invited me to join them in their ceremonies. The Husband was from Bali while the lady is from Java. They had a son and daughter, Dhananjaya and Savithri, typical Hindu names. I introduced myself and they nodded, as Baskara is a known name in Java (means Sun in Sanskrit. I later found out that one of the more famous Baskara was Baskara Putra, a young singer whose music I quite liked! ). 

The ceremony was very solemn and deep felt, and I reflected on how traditions from the past over 1000 years ago still held strong and unchanged in this Island far away from India where the ceremonies have in fact become more loud and raucous compared to the simplicity and devotion that I saw here in this remote outpost of Hindu culture. 

Outside the temple, in the village there were some beautiful Hindu houses and the community seemed to be rich and thriving. I reflected on the fact that temples were common in the hills and mountains, the abode of the gods, whereas the mosques that I saw were primarily urban in the cities, towns and villages where most of the population stayed. 

Back at Malang, I looked out for something different for Lunch and this time settled for a Bebek Sedak Hitam (Duck cooked in Carok, a black spice which tasted like fermented salted beans served with Sambal and rice. 

The City and People

Kirana and Karina

Over the days, loved taking walks around the campus and outside the university. Malang is one of the most beautiful and livable cities that I have seen with its restored Dutch buildings, wide and well marked roads, boulevards and parks. I could easily stay a few months enjoying the place and its mild cool weather, a better version of Bangalore I thought.

The reception ladies were kind and lively and I got to know them over the days. There were Kirana and Karina, the twins who inspired with their attitude and dedication. Then there was Sharifa who spoke decent English and wanted to work, earn money and then go to college and Dui (meaning Two), a smiling affable guy who used to do the night shift.

Trip to Bromo

July 15th early morning was the trip to Bromo, the most accessible active volcano in Indonesia. The travel would be in a jeep with a group and the pick up was scheduled for 1230 in the early morning. Yes, it was going to be tough sleepless night for the plan was to catch the sun rise over Bromo before we made our way to see the crater.

We were a bunch of French, German folks and myself. By 3 AM, we were at the location and after loads of coffee, we went out to the designated hill stop to settle down in the cold for the sun rise. There would have been hundreds of people from all over the world who had come down to watch this extremely popular activity.

We were rewarded by an amazing sun rise over the clouds in the far valleys, before the rays of the sun revealed the Bromo Volcano and the Caldera below us. After the frenzy of cameras from all around, we reluctantly started our journey back, but our first stop would be at the edge of the crater itself so that we could climb up Bromo and peer deep in to the crater where the lava was smoking up.

It was an interesting bunch of people walking up to the crater. We had the Europeans, both young and old and the Japanese who were trudging up the black lava sands. Then there were the Koreans and Chinese who were in horses which were taking them to the crater, complete with their Sunglasses and makeup intact, hands on their mobile phones taking selfies. If there were Indians, they to would join on the Ponies, I thought.

The Crater was an incredible sight and my first volcano experience. All in all, as we came back to our hotels exhausted, it was an experience worth it and I came back a tired, sleepy but happy man.

Videos

Train to Malang	A Morning Walk in Malang
Bromo Volcano	Near Malang Temple

Yogyakarta

Ancient Capital

July 2024

Yogyakarta is in the south of the mountains in Central Java and home to Java's first ancient capital. My hostel called Happy Buddha was to the south of the city and a 20 minutes bike hop from the station. On reaching the hostel, I was greeted by Ardi who was in charge of the hostel and soon settled in comfortably into the Aircon private room that I had booked. 

Ardi gave me an orientation and the first thing that I did was to book the tickets to Borobodur which is limited per day and sells out very fast. I could get a climbing ticket only 3 days later and that too for the afternoon when it would be reasonably warm. After booking the tickets, based on Ardi's recommendation, went to have a Sambal meal at a nearby local restaurant which turned out to be extremely popular and crowded. It took almost an hour but finally I emerged having a wonderful lunch of Sambal Masak Teri (Anchovies) and Sambal Gudangan ( long beans, spinach, beansprout, cassava mixed with spicy grated coconut called Urap). The vegetables are half boiled, so they taste both crunchy and fresh. I had it with rice and Ayam Kampung Dada Goreng (translated as fried chicken breast from Kampung)

In the evening, went out for a stroll at Jl. Prawirotaman which was a few meters from the hostel, which is a street in the backpacker district with hostels, money changers, cafés & restaurants. This would be where I would spend most evenings in the restaurants and in the bars with live music

After hiring a bike for the next 3 days (Honda automatic and very popular in SE Asia), I set out for a nearby drive to the hills at the special region of Yohakarta and near the town of Imogiri. The roads were pleasantly good, marked well, with no honking and it was a pleasure going all the way up to the pine forests.

Prambanan Temple Complex

The next day, I set out for the world heritage site of Prambanan temple complex which was a 45 minute drive from the hostel. The site has an impressive complex of both Hindu temples (Prambanan is dedicated to Shiva and has Vishnu and Brahma temples as well). Nearby are the slightly older Buddhist temples of Lumbung, Candi and Sewu. All of them were built in the 8th and 9th Centuries.

Some historians suggest that the construction of Prambanan probably was meant as the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty's answer to the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty's Borobudur and Sewu temples nearby, and was meant to mark the return of the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty to power in Central Java after almost a century of Buddhist Sailendra dynasty domination (dual dynasty theory). Nevertheless, the construction of this massive Hindu temple signified a shift of the Mataram court's patronage, from Mahayana Buddhism to Shaivite Hinduism.

While exiting, I saw that there is a Ramayana ballet which is held on the Prambanan grounds. Unfortunately, the tickets were not available, also it would have been too late in the night for me to drive back, so I decided to instead go for another performance, Ramayana Ballet Purawisata which was in Yogya near my hotel which was a day later.

Borobodur

The next day after Prambanan is another highlight of Yogya which is the world famous buddhist site of Borobodur. The temple along with two other important sites - the Mendut Buddhist monastery and the Pawon temple is located in the North West of Yogya near the hills alongside the Progo river. Starting early in the morning, reached Borodur by 9 am. My Borobodur tour was at 0130 PM, so had a lot of time to explore the nearby areas. 

Umar and Yasumi

Near the Pawan temple is the Limanjawi art house. There is a decent art collection of local artists and antiques. The curator Umar took me around and I decided to buy a painting there. Umar is an artist from nearby and he married a Japanese, a lovely lady called Yasumi. While they packed up the paining, I sent and spent time having lunch at a delightful location by the river, Eloprogo Art House, owned by another artist friend of Umar called Sony.

Sony

Sony turned out to be an interesting person. He was from Sumatra and spent his artist days in Jakarta and Nice in France before deciding to buy a place and settle down to a life of contemplation in Borobodur. He runs a cafe and a homestay and for now, has stopped painting. Interestingly So is actual name is Santosh which he changed to Son and then added a Y. He wasn't aware of what Santosh meant and it all seemed wonderful to me how history moves on integrating the past with the future.

Sony talked about Atisa, a Buddhist philosopher from Bengal who had a major influence on Buddhism in Indonesia. I made a mental note to study more about him. Atisa spent time in Sumatra during the Srivijaya empire in the 9th century before going back to India and becoming the abbot at Vikramshila Monastery. He then went to Tibet and laid out the Buddhist path of the 3 vehicles- Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. He was one of the major figures to spread Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Asia and inspired Buddhist thought from Tibet to Sumatra.

Looking at Borobodur as I approached it initially wasn't that impressive, somehow I thought it would have been bigger but once you start climbing the different levels and you reach the top, you realize the scale of the vision and construction. There are thousands of statues and relief panels exposed to the rains and elements over the centuries and it is a wonder that it still stands. The largest Buddhist temple complex in the world, it was built in the 8th century. It is shaped as a 3 dimensional Mandala and represents Buddhist cosmology, combining the square as earth and circle as Heaven. There are 3 levels - Kamadhatu (world of Desire), Rupadhatu (World of Forms) and Arupadhatu (world of formlessness).  As you climb up the levels, at the top there are no images as you contemplate the act of reaching Nirvana and it is topped by a stupa. 

Ramayana

After finishing the tour, I picked up my painting from Umar and he pointed me to a scenic route along the river which I took as I came back to Yogya. In the evening, I had scheduled to attend the local Ramayana Ballet which was at 0730 PM. The performance was in Javanese style dance and song which had great pyrotechniques with fire and crackers and Hanuman running around burning Lanka all of which I enjoyed thoroughly. The performance was mainly for tourists but I also saw locals with their Hijabs enjoying the performance without any religious connotations. Indeed Ramayana has such an influence across South East Asian culture, whether it is in Thailand, Laos or Indonesia.

In the evening at the nearby Warung Heru, Ardi had told me that there would be live music and I saw a live band playing English and Indonesian Music and I enjoyed the next 2 hours listening to them as Singers and musicians alternated.It was mainly a local crowd of music affecinados with Indonesian women and men having their beers and cigarettes.

Leaving Yogyakarta

On the last day, decided to explore more of the city. I went to the Kraton which is the Royal palace of the Sultan. The current Sultan and his family stays there. On arriving there was a shadow puppet show (Wayang) which had started complete with musicians and story tellers. After the tour of the palace, I stopped by a Gudek shop which is a dish made from jackfruit. I had a Fried chicken, cow skin (Krecek) and Gudek (Jackfruit boiled with palm sugar and coconut milk over hours).

In the evening, I thought of going to a museum where it turned out there was a Javanese dance performance. I was joined from the hostel by an Londoner who turned out to be a 2nd generation Muslim from Bangladesh. She was an English teacher and was travelling solo across Indonesia during the summer break. The performance was for over 1 1/2 hours and we struggled to understand the story till we hit on the right brochure. 

Videos

Train - Jakarta to Yogya	Borobodur	Prambanan Temple

Jakarta

The Sprawling Metropolis

July 2024

I took a grab taxi from the airport to the Hotel and he first impression was that of a well kept city, almost like a cleaner version of Mumbai. There was a mild smog in the sky. Traffic was heavy but moved fast. Unlike Vietnam which promoted 2 wheelers, there were lots more cars on the roads.

In the afternoon, near the hotel had a lunch of Urat meat balls and Rusuk beef ribs. Finished dinner with Nasi Gorang Bistik (steak fried rice). Noticed that the trust factor is a little less here and one has to pay in advance before ordering food similar to Indian Darshinis. 

A Walking Tour

The next day, I decided to go for a walking tour to get an orientation of the city. Guruwalk is a popular free walking tour and the pick up was from a hostel further south in Central Jakarta, My Capsule. We were a total of 11 of us mostly from Europe, there was 1 Scot, 2 from Belgium, a few Germans, English, Dutch and 1 person from Chile. Our guide was a young man named Fajz. 

As part of the walk, we first took a commuter line train to the Kota station which is the old Dutch part of the city, Batavia. We walked up to the Glodok China town which is one of the many china towns where the Chinese were kept quarantined by the Dutch and undergo periodic upheavals. The last anti Chinese riots happened in 1998 and a rising tide of Islamic conservatism threatens to open up the country's ethnic and religious fault lines. Chinese make up 1.2% of the population and traditionally one of the most prosperous groups. About 80% of Indonesian are Muslim, 10% are Christians, the rest Buddhists and Hindus. Fajz told us that Indonesians have their religion written in their ID cards. Adults can change their religion, but many of them don't convert, just become non religious, as it is a hassle updating their ID cards and facing drama from their families.

We visited the Buddhist temple, the traditional markets and had fried balls of Combro Pedas, a dish from west Java made from grated cassava and fried. We then took a mini bus to go to the old Harbor, Sunday Kelapa and a small boat ride around the Harbor. You can see the Pinishi boats and the fact that the sea water level is higher than the land, an indication that Jakarta was sinking. 40% of the city is below sea level due to flooding in the alluvial plain and illegal groundwater extraction. The capital is now moving to East Kalimantan in 2025 to ease the pains and will be called Nusantara (means outer islands)

We then walked to the Jakarta old town along the canal, the Dutch East India company (VOC) warehouses, the last remaining Dutch drawbridge and the colonial houses along the canal. The old town square has the Town hall and old colonial building converted to museums and cafes. The first church is now the puppet museum, while the second one became the cafe Batavia. The court house is now the Museum of Fine art and Ceramics. To make the square give a feel of mini Amsterdam, the government has provided free cycles for kids and you can see them cycling all across while their families enjoy their time out. 

After lunch, a sour and spicy Bandeng (Milk Fish) at Kedai Seni Djakarte restaurant and dessert (Poffertjes which is a traditional Dutch batter cake and ice-cream), we took the commuter train to Central Jakarta to visit Istiqlal Mosque, the world's 3rd largest after Mecca and Medina, which can accommodate 120,000 worshippers. The Mosque was built in 1978 and surprisingly modern with geometrically grated windows and a sleek Minaret. Interestingly, it was designed by a catholic architect, Frederich Silaban who was awarded after a country wide competition. It was testament to the modern interpretation of Islam by the worlds largest Muslim country. Directly across is the twin Cathedral which was built in 1901. As we finished the tour of the mosque, the clouds gathered and the skies poured during the evening. Like any tropical country, it is quite warm in the day time and then in the afternoon or evening, there are brief thunderstorms accompanied by rains. We told our goodbyes and I came back to the hotel. 

Galleries and Museums 

Next day, I was off to Central Jakarta to see the National Museum. The roads were wider and wound around the Monas or Monument National, a marble obelisk to commemorate the Indonesian independence. The Museum was closed for renovations, so went to check out the National Gallery. Artist exhibits keep changing and one of the buildings had a modern exhibition while another building had exhibitions of Amrus Natalsya, Misbach Tamrin and Adrianus Gumelar, all artists in the 1960s and who were persecuted during the Suharto regime due to their communist leanings.

For lunch stopped at a restaurant called Bale Lombok which had Bali-Lombok food and had an Ayam Betutu Bali Komplit - Braised chicken in Betutu spice mix. 

On Friday morning, I went to DOSS electronics to buy an Insta360 Go 3S. DOSS is a chain of electronics stores and the variety of cameras, professional video equipment and drones that were available was more than you could get in India. 

After that I went up towards the old Batavia city and for lunch had Soto Betawi and rice (Beef soup) at the same restaurant, Kedai Seni.  Post lunch, I visited two museums - the Puppet museum and the Arts and ceramics museum. Indonesia has a long culture of puppetry from the days of the Hindu kings and the Puppet museum which was housed in one of the old Dutch buildings had an exhaustive collection of puppets. The curation however was not as good as the museums in Vietnam. There was limited English narrative and I used Google translate to go through the exhibits. The arts and ceramics museum was in another Dutch building and had a good collection of paintings from well known Indonesian artists. However, the curation was not as a good as the National Gallery. 

Had a round of Black coffee before returning back to the hotel. Unlike Vietnam where there are big chains of local coffee shops like Highlands Coffee, I didn't see any in Jakarta other than Kopi Tuku (only in south Jakarta). Starbucks is the number one chain in the cities. This is a big opportunity for a local business to develop around it as the country prospers and consumers are willing to spend on quality coffee.

When I was exiting Jakarta later during the end of the month, I visited a few art museums. Near Sarinah Mall, there is a building called Jakarta Art Hub which has got many small galleries exhibiting modern art by young Artists. However, the ultimate place for Modern and Contemporary art is the Museum MACAN, a must visit for art lovers. Exhibitions keep changing and when I visited, there was an exhibition of the works by the Australian artist Patricia Piccini who uses hyper realistic sculptures portraying imaginary fusions of humans, animals and machines and lets us imagine a future where humanity and other creatures may coexist in potentially the same bodily form. The exhibits were outstanding.

Transportation 

Transportation wise, Jakarta has an excellent road system, well maintained and marked, with separate 2 wheeler and well managed bus stops. The Rail MRT was clean and efficient. Definitely better than anything in India or even Bangkok and Vietnam. Honking is also negligible. Cars are well maintained by the drivers unlike Uber or Ola in India which are dirty. Traffic is heavy but orderly.

Shopping in Jakarta 

The best things to shop in Jakarta are antiques, Batik, Electronics and if you are into it, high end branded items. I bought the Insta360 3S here as the price was competitive and it was not available in India . Jakarta has multiple malls and street shopping destinations. Best Malls to visit in Central Jakarta are Grand Indonesia Mall for High end brands and Sarinah Mall for designer Batiks and handicrafts. Also don't miss the Bartele Gallery which is inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for antique maps and prints. In South Jakarta, the best Mall is Senayan City for high end brands. In West Jakarta, The Central Mall is a must visit.

The best place to buy Batiks and general handicrafts is Plaza Blok M in South Jakarta which will remind you of shops in India found in the wholesale, one-town areas. 

If you are into antiques, best place is JL Surabaya in Central Jakarta though there are many fakes and knock offs, so one needs to bargain hard.

Cuisines

Indonesian food varies from Island to Island and it is difficult to keep a track of various variations. I have covered the broad categories in a separate Food article. Jakarta is full of street food and world class restaurants and cuisines including a lot of Japanese and Korean food. Mall restaurants are very popular A few of the restaurants where I had local cuisines and I would recommend are below

Bale Lombok: This is a restaurant popular for offering Balinese cuisines. I tried out an Ayam Betutu Bali Komplit (Braised chicken in Betutu sauce from Bali). 

Kedai Sene Djakarte: This North Jakarta restaurant has some wonderful Poffertjes (legacy of the Dutch) and I also had a Soto Betawi which is a Beef soup by the Betawi or Batavias, an ethnic group native to Jakarta.

The Atjeh Connection: This small restaurant is famous for its Aceh food (Place in Sumatra) and their Coffee (Kopi Sanger), the nearest to South Indian Filter Coffee that you can find.

Leaving for Yogyakarta

It was now time to leave Jakarta for Yogyakarta and the spectacular Buddhist temples of Borobodur. Early morning, I took a cab and reached the Gambir train station which is where the executive class trains start from. Trains were sparkling new and not at all crowded, so it was a pleasant 6 hour journey across the countryside.

Indonesia - Food

July 2024

Sambal

Staple Food and National Dishes

Food in Indonesia is tremendously varied due to its geographic and cultural diversity and in the influence of countries like China, India, Europe and other Asian countries. Each region has its own distinct cuisine.

The staple food is rice (Nasi) though sweet potato, Tapioca, corn and Sago are also used. Most popular accompaniment is Fish seasoned with Tamarind, tumeric, salt or simmered in coconut milk. Vegetables include Water Spinach, beans and the Dutch brought in carrots, cauliflower, cabbage and tomatoes. Greatest influence has been the Chinese with noodles (Mie), soya source in which Indonesians add sugar (Kecap Manis), tofu and soyabeans. 

Rendang

Most meals start with a bowl of rice, a side dish, condiments like chilly sambal, krupuk (wafers made from tapioca, fish, shrimp and deep fried) and fried coconut or peanuts.

The five national dishes declared by the government are Soto (Traditional soups), Rendang (spicy meat with coconut milk), Sate (grilled skewered meat), Nasi Gorang (Fried Rice) and Gado Gado (salad with vegetables, tofu, fresh vegetables with rich creamy peanut sauce). 

Other Popular Foods

Apart from these, other popular street foods are Bakso (beef meatballs) and Siomay (steamed fish dumpling). Both have Chinese origins. Other Chinese influences are Bakmi (wheat based noodles) and Bihun (Rice based noodles). Gudek is a jackfruit dish boiled with palm sugar and coconut milk and is popular in Yogyakarta. Other country influences - Martabak is an Indian Muslim dish (curried meat filling in a wrap). Nasi Kebuli is a type of Pulaf. 

Ingredients and Preparations

Gudek Shop in Yogyakarta

Salads can be Rujak (made from mixed raw fruits, cooked vegetables and sometimes cooked meats)

Preparations can be Gorang (Fried), Kuning (Turmeric), Sam (sour), Lilith (wrapped around like in a Sate), Bakar (grilled) Pepes (using banana leaves to wrap)

Dishes can be Chicken (Ayam), duck (Bebek), Fish (Ikan), Shrimp (Udang), Sapi (Beef) 

Vegetables (Sayur) are Petai (stink bean), Jengkol (dog fruit beans), Kankung (water spinach)

Coffee drinking

Unlike India, where the British taught the entire country to drink tea or Vietnam where coffee drinking culture is quite widespread, Indonesia doesn't have a strong local coffee drinking culture other than the big cities. The coffee is mainly Kopi Tubruk (brought from the middle East) which is without filtration and with added sugar. The pleasure of stopping by at small shops in Vietnam having freshly brewed coffee was something I missed in Indonesia. The coffee that people made were from instant coffee pre-sweetened packets.

Indonesia - History and Culture

July 2024

The name Indonesia was given by the Greeks and stand for indos nesos or Indian islands. These were well known for their spices and the islands first came under the influence of India. Most names in today's Indonesia are still derived from Sanskrit. Eg: Sumatra comes from the Sanskrit Samudra. Similarly, Jakarta comes from Jayakarta, victorious city

Quick History 

The first kingdom was set up in Sumatra, Srivijaya (Today's Palembang city). Sumatra got it's first Muslim kings in the 1300s in Samudra Pasai (now Aceh)

The second ruling kings were in Java, the Shailendra's and Sanjaya's. First they were Shaivites and then Mahayana Buddhists. Shailendras built Boribodur and Sanjayas built Prambanan temples later in Mataram, their kingdom. Last to convert to Islam, they were converted by the mythical Wali Songo, nine saints, primarily Sufi. Their most important king was Sultan Agung. Their new capital was called Yogyakarta, named after Ayodhya and Surakarta. 

These kingdoms were divided into 2 by the Dutch by the Treaty of Giyanti in 1755. Daendels was sent by Dutch empire in 1800 by the government. He built what is known as the great post road. During the British annexation, Thomas Raffles annexed the local kings and introduced direct taxation with land peasants. After Napoleon defeat, Indonesia was handed back to the Dutch.

Raffles and Daendels advocated private enterprise and growth of coffee and indigo cash crops. Later the government reverted to taxation through local intermediaries and by 1850s remittances were 1/3 of state revenue. After that again is started to be privatised

The 3rd ruling kings were in Surabaya further east called Majapahit. They built the Temple of panataran. They were second to convert to Islam after Sumatra including Lombok and eastern Islands. 

Ethnic groups 

Java's inhabitants include three major ethnic groups, the dominant Javanese, the Sundanese, and the Madurese.

Culture Observations:

There is a visible middle class which comes from it being an upper middle income country like Thailand unlike Vietnam or Laos which are lower middle income country. India is also lower middle income but because of sheet population we have a middle class in the cities. Per capita GDP of Indonesia is 5270$ Vs 2731$ for India. Smoking and drinking are not taboo though liquor is not easily available like in other tourist countries.

Two Generations

Women though having a Hijab are quite active in the economy and I saw many Grab bike and car women driver which you don't see in India or Vietnam. Women and men have an equal relationship and mix freely with each other. Women generally do not wear shorts in public unlike what I saw in Vietnam and wear full length pants which are quite stylish.

The Hijab though common is not enforced. I asked one of the girls who was from Sumatra and was waiting on me at Easy Groovy restaurant in Yogyakarta. She said she wears the Hijab but at work she wears work clothes which was T-shirt and shorts. Another receptionist in my hotel at Malang and a guy who I met there said that there is no restriction on what can be worn and it is on the individual.

The country is mostly clean with well made roads and lane markings. Honking is limited and people considerate of others. Islam is not on your face except in one case when I saw space being made on the road for Namaz. The Masjids do have the call to Azan, but in general I felt the religion was private and restrained. I saw many locals taking photos in temples and attending the Ramayana dance drama, so religion is not exclusive. One has to however be ok to wake up early morning especially in the smaller cities or hotels/guest houses near mosques. The Azan starts at around 4 am, so you have to be an early sleeper or someone who can sleep through the Azan call! 

Politics

Wibobo, the current president of Indonesia has been focused on building infrastructure similar to what is happening in India. They have also focused on adding value to commodities like Nickel and encouraging battery manufacturers instead of exporting the basic commodity. They are also targeting 2045 to become a developed economy. It is expected to be the 4th largest economy by 2050.