Jakarta Urban Wilderness

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A September 1994 trip to Jakarta by Brian

Sewage Highways Photo - Jakarta, Indonesia

Quote: I knew very little about Jakarta when I was asked to travel there to do a few weeks of work. It was my first time out of the United States, and I was totally unprepared for what I was about to discover.

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Jakarta Urban Wilderness

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Overview

Quote:

The attention we received as westerners in Jakarta set the tone for all the experiences that followed. I could say that going to the clubs, and going to good restaurants with my employers were the highlights, but all these events were transformed into ridiculous amusement as we were treated like minor celebrities.

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Sahid Jaya Hotel &Tower

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Hotel | "Sahid Jaya Hotel &Tower"

Quote:

This place was amazing, luxury hotels are much more reasonably priced in Jakarta. The service was great, the rooms were terrific, clean and spacious, everything was new. There were several good places to eat inside, especially the Indian restaurant on the twelfth floor. Along with dinner came a live performance and a great view of an incredible city developing rapidly beyond control.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 26, 2000

Sahid Jaya Hotel &Tower
86 Jatan Jendral Sudirman, 10220
Jakarta, Indonesia
(021) 5704444

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Club Tan Amur

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Little Children in Jakarta Photo - Jakarta, Indonesia

Quote:

I had only been in Jakarta for a few hours when I realized that being a westerner had a certain appeal to the people there. I hadn't thought that my colleagues and I would be so conspicuous, that little kids would clamour after us repeating "hello mister! hello mister!" and that the locals would react with such displays of curiosity and reverance. Flattering as it may seem, there was something pretty disturbing about it. It wasn't until later that evening that I realized how absurd this would get. We had asked about which clubs to go to earlier in the day, and the only answer we ever got was Tan Amour. When our work was over and we had eaten and washed up, we got in a cab, and arrived in about twenty minutes. We paid the cover, got our hands stamped, and proceeded into the darkness surrounded by a driving beat, and scores of people crammed into the club. Once we got some drinks and found a vantage point to survey the scene, we realized we had many people noticing us. Everyone seemed interested, and I thought that this is what fame must feel like-just for a moment. Within minutes we were surrounded by many young Indonesian women. At first I figured they must be prostitiutes and that they thought we had lots of money to spend. Two girls came up to 'claim' two of us, grabbing our elbows and leading us away from the rest. I was pretty apprehensive, and although she was very interesting and beautiful, it took awhile for me to be convinced that she wasn't a prostitute although there were undoubtedly many there. It seemed that we were status symbols primarily, I think that western media had convinced her that the West is paradise, that we are all rich and glamourous and that our world is nothing but wonderful. I did feel pretty well off considering the poverty I got a glimpse of, but that's about it. I spent the rest of my spare time in Jakarta with Sri Warsiti. She was a very interesting person, she worked at a radio station doing voices for dramas and commercials. She had all sorts of comical voices that she would use to embarass me, and draw attention to us in public. I had a great time wandering about the city with her as the guide. Read Less

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Waste Management-Jakarta Style

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Close up of the river's contents. Photo - Jakarta, Indonesia

Quote:

The single most impressive aspect of my visit to Jakarta was realizing the way in which this city deals with its refuse. It's all out in the open here, to see, smell, and in the rainy season when the sewers overflow, to wade through. From the airport on the way to the hotel I had no idea, I thought, how nice, there are little waterways meandering all throughout the city, like Venice, but with a third world flavor. It was pretty obvious by the time I had gotten close to these canals what thier primary function was. Hard as I looked I could see nothing resembling a gondola, no riverwalk cafes, nothing pleasant or romantic at all, unless maybe you're a sub-tropical microbe quickly reproducing in a ri...Read More

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Construction in Jakarta

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Quote:

All of my overseas travel has been work related. I would not have had the opportunity to see what I saw in some of these places had it been otherwise. I worked as a muralist, painting and installing items that the studio I was employed by had prepared back in New York. My life for several years was structured around going from one construction site to the next, every few weeks. I was able to compare sites in different parts of the world with the many I had worked on in America. The most startling would have to be the one in Jakarta, because of the abject poverty and horrible working conditions it illuminated for me. I was surprised before I even entered the site, noticing three old women breakin...Read More