I’m in BSD City, a relatively newly constructed city on the outskirts of Jakarta in Zuky’s room, my CouchSurfing host. It was hard to find good accommodation at a fair price here, so I decided to give CouchSurfing another chance (I didn’t quite like my first CouchSurfing experience in Hong Kong).
I was glad I did because Zuky was a great host. She’s very conscientious, always making sure that I’m alright. She even let me have her room while she sleeps in her flatmate’s room. She would text me every so often to check that I’m not lost, and she would quickly reply to my questions about how to go from one place to another.
Another great thing about staying with her is that I get to take public transportation, which I really wouldn’t have done if I was on my own. Since I arrived, I’ve ridden the X-trans, the angkot, the bus, the taxi, the ojek, the busway and even the train! Zuky really made this trip back to Jakarta memorable.
Jakarta, on the other hand, seemed the same, yet I know it’s very different now. Of course, I’m seeing it now from a different perspective; when I first visited Jakarta, I was only 14 and it was my first trip outside the Philippines. It’s also different when you’re traveling on your own, without an expat sister who drops you off at the hotel lobby to take a tour of the city and outlying towns, or without a car and driver at your disposal. Ah, I miss those times.
My reason for going back here (Jogja was actually already halfway to Bali) was to see the city again. Now that I’ve seen it… well, I’ve seen it. It wasn’t the city that made me enjoyed my stay here, it was the people I’ve me. Zuky made me feel so welcome, her house really seemed like my home. There was Aldy, the puppeteer at the Wayang Museum, who gave me a better appreciation of the wayang kulit and wayang golek. Then there were the strangers in the bus and trains who helped me find my stop, even if they speak limited English. I’m leaving Jakarta with fond memories of its people.
The Wayang museum puppeteers are so much fun! I love their passion for their craft. I didn’t make it in time for the show but they were kind enough to give me a private viewing which I thoroughly enjoyed. Naparami tuloy ng bili ko hahaha!
I was really impressed by the richness of Indonesian culture. I didn’t realize that a lot of the Asian things I liked were actually Indonesian in origin. Next time, I’ll really try to visit Jogjakarta and Bali… looking forward to your next posts!
wow! you used Couchsurfing in Jakarta like Gaye! tamad ko kase magbukas ng account dun eh. hihi hmmm…makabukas na nga in preparation for my upcoming trip! I’m excited to see the pix and read more of you stories! take care there Nina!
Lalong nagiging sosyal na ang mga napupuntahan mo ngayon ha.
yepee going to Jakarta this October
hi nina, Iwould like to ask for your recommendation, for a trip in Indonesia. How many days? Which spots we shouldn’t miss? activities to do? Budget to prepare? thanks! your suggestion is very much appreciated.
Indonesia’s a big country. Do you plan to stay just in Jakarta or do you want to go to other places within the country? I’ve only been to Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali (which I did for one week). As for the budget, here’s how much I spent in Indonesia to give you an idea: http://justwandering.org/2010/post-trip-accounting/travel-expenses-indonesia/