I always have mixed feelings about Jakarta. While I love the food, the people, and of course, the prices, the heat and humidity find a way of dragging me down. On this last trip, I decided that I would enjoy my stay more by staying inside and drinking/eating.
However, I am incorrigible when it comes to wandering about, so after 15 minutes of having a beer at a pub, I found myself wandering the streets in the height of the afternoon. It should come as no surprise that I got heat exhaustion. Either way, it was an interesting walk.
This time I stayed in Central, which has towering bank buildings and wide streets. While it might look nice from the outside, the streets are still lined with vendors and workers taking an afternoon nap. Street-side satay is one of my favourite things to snack on, so I enjoyed the first part of the walk quite a bit. While eating, I came across a golf course, and it was quite beautiful from afar. However, once I got close, I noticed they had actually converted the golf course into temporary housing. It’s a bit hard to see but those are cots under the driving range shelter and clothes lines between the trees.
After a bit I started to get heat exhaustion, so I turned around and tried to head back. I ended up getting lost (as I do) and didn’t make it back until I was quite ill. I spent most of my trip recovering, but I did manage to get to a decent dinner one night. The fried Eggplant was amazing and certainly the hero of the night. However, everything was mighty fine!
Team Strawberry Seahorses 