The Jakarta Project

Have you ever been to Jakarta? The first time I have been in this city is when I arrived in Indonesia. I was awed and impressed by this city because it is very modern and have a lot of places for shopping. If you want gimmick then Jakarta is the place for you. It is like Makati and Ortigas rolled into one. Shopping malls, retaurants, bars, discos, you name it, it's here. I stayed there for about three weeks and then I learned the bad side of Jakarta. The traffic is terrible! It is even worse here than in Manila! Trafic starts at around 630 am and lasts for the whole day! Its even worse during weekends.

Why is traffic so bad? Well, because there are a lot of vehicles and the roads are so narrow. And its home to 10 million people, meaning there are a million motorcycles on the road. They're like ants that just pop up anywhere. They're behind you, in front of you, by your side, everywhere! Good thing I don't drive here. If I did, it will be a lot of stress. And according to something I read, Jakartans don't lioke to take public transport and vehicle owners are growing by 10% a year! No wonder car companies used Jakarta as a test market.The good thing about it is, the drivers here are very patient and have tremendous self control. If a pinoy driver is in the same situation, there will have been some blood spilled because its crazy out there on the road. A regular 30 minute ride will be turned into a 2 hour nightmare because of the traffic. God, I miss color coding!

Tulad ng sabi nila, kung ayaw mo matrapik, umalis ka ng maaga!

But for shopping, Jakarta is the place to go. To live and work there is another question.

Buddha be Praised!

Borobudur, located in Magelang, Central Java, is a ninth century Mahayana Buddhist temple built around 800AD. Composed of around 6 levels, each level has a story to tell about Buddha and his teachings. At the top of the temple, there are several cone shaped structures, wherein you can find a life sized stone scuplture of Buddha. It is said that if you touch this idol and make a wish, then your wish will come true. At the top of the temple, you can see from miles around and you can just sit in a corner and contemplate on life.

After visiting the temple, you might want to look at the souvenir shops outside the main gates. Within these stalls you will find a variety of souvenirs to choose from. There are silver replicas of Borobudur, t shirts, pens, paintings, weird masks, etc. And if you fail to visit these stalls, there are a lot of hawkers that will flock to you, making you "kulit" until you buy from them. Buti na lang, I look like an Indonesian so they did not flock to me like they did with the Caucasians. The hassles of being white!

Borobudur is definitely a place to visit and should be in your itinerary when you are in Indonesia. Buddha bless you!

Info: Entrance fee is Rp9,000 per person. If you have a camera, you have to pay additional Rp 1,000 and Rp 2,000 for a videocam. Oh, and in case they ask you where you're from, just tell them that you're from Jakarta or something. They have a different charge for orang asing (foreigners) and I'm sure its more expensive than the rates I have mentioned. You can also get a tour guide for around Rp 50,000. But make sure your guide's English is really good.