Jakarta Was Great!
It’s been two years since I left Jakarta and I was very curious to see how I would feel returning. I had many activities and meetings set up and that is always worrisome in Jakarta. For example, my landing at the airport at two pm was prior to the heavy traffic in Jakarta. Yet it still took us 3.5 hours to drive 35-40 kilometers.
Such is life in the big city of Jakarta. I had tried to arrange for people to come to my hotel instead of me running around from place to place. For the most part, it worked. However, I still had a bit of running around to do. I also met a friend of mine who belonged to a car club. Though this was the highlight of my trip, more on that later.
The more things stay the same…
It was very nice seeing all the places I used to visit and even a restaurant called Amigos, in Kemang. This would normally be of little to no significance but when we pulled in, I realized I had not been to this place in nearly 22 years. The last time I was there was when I was still married and living near the Kemang area of Jakarta. This place used to be a hotbed for Bule people. Bule, being slang for white people back in the day. The place made it through COVID and is thriving once more. This was great to see. Driving through the streets of Jakarta, it seemed like little had changed and I was feeling quite at home, despite not being here since I left Jakarta for Bali. The more things change, the more they stayed the same. The MRT they started when I first moved to Jakarta in 2018 was finished. This was a constriction effort of epic proportions. Nearly 5 years from start to finish.
With all the small changes…
Nothing has changed for the better in Jakarta. Ok, that’s a bit of a stretch… But the pollution that subsided during COVID is back. It is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The rivers are still filled with trash. Despite this, the streets were not dirty, the people were friendly and I quite liked the experience.
I also took a quick trip to the mall I used to frequent and enjoyed strolling through the stores before I had to run off and catch my flight. 3 Days in Jakarta is not enough. It was such a rush and I did get sick. Lack of sleep and running around will do that to you. But it was something I wanted to do. Reexplore the city I once called home for 3 years. Do I miss Jakarta? I cannot say I miss it, but I am looking forward to going back during my book launch and spending a bit more time with my friends and acquaintances there.
