Started off with breakfast and then got into a cab. The number plate was a bit funny, B 2575 BIL, as BIL is car in Swedish 🙂 Last night I googled “downtown Jakarta” and someone suggested the business district called Sudirman. So I found a mall in that area and thought I would start my day there.
I’m both terrified and amazed by the traffic here. During our ride, we left a small road out to a bigger one, and there was a guy in a yellow vest stopping the traffic to let us pass. The driver rolled down his window and dropped a few coins in the guy’s hand. In the next similar intersection, there was a uniformed guy (don’t think police) who did the same thing, he didn’t get any. Who is the guy in the yellow vest? Does he have a formal assignment? Is he just doing this as a means to get some money at all? I’ve seen several men “directing” traffic, many in places where it doesn’t seem to be a need for it. This was however the first time I saw someone getting money for it.
They have traffic lights but when it turns red, cars and scooters keep going until the crossing traffic blocks their way. Look at the picture below. Of the five available files, four of them were blocked during the whole green period so cars, and buses(!), had to shift to their left (right in the picture) to be able to pass through the intersection. I’m impressed that the driver of the blue bus you can see doesn’t just blast his horn for the whole duration.
And as if the intersections weren’t enough, it’s not uncommon to meet scooters going against the traffic. They also just weave through all the cars, sounding their horn just slightly to make the others around them aware that they are shifting position. If anyone thinks the traffic in Stockholm or Chicago is hectic, try an afternoon here in Jakarta. I haven’t seen any accidents so far, but according to Statista, in 2022 roughly 25 000 people died in road traffic accidents in Indonesia. Keep in mind though, their population is about 280 million.
When I arrived at the mall, Pacific Place, they didn’t check the car but I had to scan my bag. Still didn’t bother about the beeping metal detector, I have to walk through it though. Didn’t find any mugs or other interesting items but got myself some fika.
I left the building on foot, thinking I would look around a bit. In a couple of blocks, I stumbled upon another mall. It’s quite hot outside, even though it’s cloudy, so stepping into an AC-controlled building like a mall is really tempting. Almost every mall I’ve visited so far has had a cinema, CGV. I asked if the movies were in the original language or dubbed. After checking with a couple of colleagues we could come to the conclusion that two movies had English as audio and Indonesian subtitles, and that would be the case on all their branches. Maybe a movie later on!
Had some lunch, and they almost got my name right 🙂
Found a couple of funny shirts in a store. They cost 322 000, but he said that if I only had 310 000, that would be okay. Now, I had enough cash so I put it forward and asked for a receipt. “Oh yeah!” he replied and started to put the order into the register. It felt like this purchase might not have reached the books unless I asked for it.
In the middle of the mall, there was a stage and a display and some guy talking in a PA-system. No clue what he said but then I looked at the models another man approached me and we started talking. They were selling properties, I think both houses and apartments. The models were beautiful and it seemed like a nice place to live. A bit of a rough commute for me though.
I asked the guy where I could find cheap crappy souvenirs, like coffee mugs etcetera. He gave me a name of a store, Damn! I love Indonesia. I wrote it down and thanked him. He wanted to follow me on Instagram so I gave him the link to my digital business card, bman.link. When I walked on and looked at some more models two women approached me and also wanted to sell me an apartment. I said that this is the first, and probably last, time I’m in Jakarta. Next time in Indonesia, I guess it will be in Bali. They wanted to take a picture with me, I have no idea why, maybe I’ll appear in some social media post for the company 😛
I looked up the store that I got suggested to me, but it seemed to be pretty off, in like an office, and not really what I wanted. So I left the mall and walked on again. Found another mall (they are everywhere!) and on the way I passed one of the few traffic lights. When it turned red, the cars kept going until the few pedestrians (me being one of them) started to walk across. A car honked at a scooter for stopping and he just replied by pointing at the light.
So far, the malls have had about the same content, at least if they are big enough. Peter called and we spoke for a while, nice to check in for a bit. I found an information desk where I thought I could ask for places to look for souvenirs. This time I was more prepared and had written a message in Google Translate so I could ask the question in Indonesian, and hopefully get the answer in English. They talked about it for a bit and then suggested another mall (shocker!), or actually a store within another mall. “Don’t walk, taxi!” they said and I concurred, not walking for one and a half hour in this heat, especially when it’s so cheap.
Finally, I found my mug. Also found a frog for Mom, but it felt too fragile so I didn’t dare to buy it since I have a couple of flights home. This store also suggested I could get a tax refund, so I visited their customer service and got my two pieces of paper. See what this sums up to in the end.
I tried to book a taxi to get back to the hotel. That turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. The first was 15 minutes away and after not moving for a few minutes he asked (via chat) to have me cancel the booking. Said and done, that was even a prepared reason for it when I canceled. Two more got cancelled so I crossed a large intersection to get to a better pickup spot. Tried to book again and it still took about 20 minutes for the car to get to my location. I waited outside a hotel and sat down on the stairs to rest my legs for a bit. A security guard approached me after a while and tried to tell me I couldn’t sit there. I didn’t understand him so he had to demonstrate what he meant.
The driver apologized for his late arrival, but it wasn’t his fault. The traffic just sucks. He was learning English so we had a few brief conversations. Back at the hotel, I took a shower and then headed to the Millenium Lounge which I have access to because of the room I booked. Free drinks and some snacks and even food. During the half an hour, I sat there I just saw one other person enter, look it over, and then leave. When I left I asked the staff if she had any suggestions of what I could do in the city. However, she was new at her job and not from Jakarta originally so she didn’t have any tips.
I would like to write something about what I see when I’m rushing by in the cabs. I see lots of people just sitting around, waiting for something. Some beside a scooter with a Grab-jacket or helmet on them, others with some equipment, many just on the side of the road. There are a lot of trolleys pushed around with some stuff on them, probably for sale. Some buildings are large and spectacular and could easily have fitted into Singapore or Seoul. But most of them are low (like two stories), rugged, worn down buildings indicating low standards. Lots of the infrastructure is worn down, the streets are bumpy, and the sidewalks are even worse. My hotel is overall quite nice and when it was built it was probably a magnificent one. But there are many things that are in need of an overhaul that you don’t notice at first glance.
I went down to the restaurant and tried their Nasi Goreng Spesial. Before heading back to my room I asked the reception if they had any suggestions for a tourist. I got a brochure which had a couple of good offers. Probably going for one or two of them.
When I got back to my room I watched The Meg, since I might see the sequel at the cinema.
