Ayotravel

Sunda Kelapa

akow — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:32:49 +0000

Sunda Kelapa, better known as Pasar Ikan (meaning fish market) is located at the mouth of the Ciliwung river. It was formely the harbour town of Sunda Kelapa where the Portuguese tradedwith the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 1 6th century.The fish catch of the day was auctioned in the early morning at the old fish market.

The street leading to it was lined with shops selling all sort of shells, dehydrated turtles, lobsters and mostly everything the seafarer might need. Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began from this area, whereas the remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company can still be seen now. Sunda Kelapa is at present a fisherman’s wharf and an inter-island port.

Tall massed Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchoring there offer a picturesque scene. They belong to one of the last fleets of sail boats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands, as they did centuries ago, carrying merchandise.(from http://www.kbri-bangkok.com/tourism/travel_jakarta.html)

‘I never knew Kemang would be like this’

akow — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:38:20 +0000

City News – October 23, 2007

(photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedarbotz/511149270/)

Talking about South Jakarta, particularly Kemang, one cannot forget Bob Sadino, the founder and owner of Kem Chicks market, one of the first businesses in Jakarta to cater to the needs of expatriates. To complete the story of South Jakarta, The Jakarta Post’s Evi Mariani interviewed Bob, who shared some stories about the place he knows better than anyone else.One day in the 1960s, Bob Sadino took shelter in front of a house in Kemang, then covered mostly by paddy fields and jungle. It was a nice area, still green, the air clean and it already had access to the city. “I spotted a plot of land. I was interested in buying it. Next, the owner of the house came out and we talked,” Bob said.

The owner of the house also owned the plot of land, and the two came to an agreement: Bob got the 1,000-square-meter plot of land and the owner got Bob’s 1963 Mercedes-Benz, valued at US$1,000.

At almost the same time, Kemang began to become popular among a small circle of expatriates. They liked the tranquility and the greenery and they could travel in their cars to the city.

In the 1970s began the process that saw Kemang transform into what it is today: a chic and fashionable area.

“It was a coincidence that I chose Kemang and that Kemang was the choice of expats at that time,” Bob said.

Bob, born in 1933, has witnessed Kemang’s development into a bustling commercial area. “Kem Chicks was the only business there in the 1970s. Besides me, there were only a few small kiosks serving the locals.”

“There’s a perfect Betawi expression for what I was: biang kerok (pioneer). I was also the first to introduce eggs and chickens from modern farming. I brought them from the Netherlands. Indonesians were not familiar with those eggs and chickens; they ate homegrown chickens and eggs.

“It’s now wild and chaotic. The traffic is wild. People open every kind of business from upmarket restaurants as well as McDonald’s, antiques, bookstores, hotels,” he said. “I never had a hunch that it would be like this.”

He said all the development grew from the people and had little to do with the city administration’s planning or help.

Bob said he had mixed feelings about Kemang’s development. “I’m happy but also worried.”

He said he worries mainly about the traffic, but he was happy the area was bustling. He has plans to turn his homey Kem Chicks into a large building containing 24 levels of residential units and two levels of commercial units.

“After that, I will just leave it to the next generation.” (by Evi Mariani, http://www.thejakartapost.com)

Kuta Bali

akow — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:23:22 +0000

Kuta in addition to being the Sunset Site Number One, with its daily spectacular sunsets, it is also the centre of night life activities in Southern Bali and a shopping mecca, with its lines of shops, boutiques, and galleries. Restaurants line up the streets as well as the Bachfront,Hotels, ranging from a small, inexpensive homestay to a luxurious resort, will ready accomodate you.

The beach of Kuta is one of the first favorite beaches discovered by tourist. On the south, the beach is fenced by the airport’s runway, which gives you a breathtaking landing experience. The beach stretches as far north as the eyes can see. As short walk away north, waves will invite you to test your surfing

Kuta is very short drive away from the airport, and transportation is readily available to take you from and to Kuta to and from anywhere else in Bali. (story and photo from www.indo-com/active/kuta.html)

National Monument

akow — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:16:24 +0000

Location: Merdeka Square, Jakarta Central Jakarta

This monument, symbolizing the nation’s independence, is situated at the center of Taman Medan Merdeka (Medan Merdeka Square). Its architecture is designed as a Lingga and Yoni, The Hindu symbol of fertility. The Lingga reaches a height of 137 meters and is topped with a flame wrapped in 35 kilograms of pure gold. An elevator rides to the top of the monument and from its viewing platform visitors can get a bird’s eye view of Jakarta. The basement houses a museum depicting the nation’s history. In the Hall of Silence visitors can hear the original voice of Soekarno reading Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence. Near the monument is a statue of Prince Diponegoro on horseback. This hero fought the Dutch in the Java War (1925-1930). After his capture he was jailed in the town hall of Batavia before being banished to North Sulawesi.

MONAS is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, until 7 p.m. (from http://www.jakarta-tourism.go.id)

Hello world!

akow — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:23:07 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!