Sunda Kelapa

This blog sees us visiting the Sunda Kelapa distract here in Jakarta.

It is an older area of Jakarta and we wanted to explore the dock area where the Makassar Schooners are located.

When we arrived we could see a number of schooners lining the docks just as they have for many years, most of the schooners are at least 60 years old.

The dock stretchers for hundreds of meters, we saw many of the schooners being loaded either by hand or with a small crain. We ended up taking one of the tour guilds up on his offer to show us around which set us back 100,000rp ($10). It was money well spent as we where told so much information about the workings of the dock and a little history. We where also able to board one of the schooners and get a good look at the boat. To board the boat we had to walk up on two planks of wood which was easier said then done, all I saw was the black water below so it took me a little time to get aboard I didn't want to fall in at all.

Looking at the water level, it was amazing how much below the water line the dock sat, the walls to the dock had been built up over the years to stop the tide flowing onto the dock. I didn't realise how far Jakarta was below sea level until seeing the dock.

We looked around the boat and was able to go below the deck and see where the crew members sleep also see where the captain operates the boat from. Many years ago the schooners where only under sail power but these days the sails have been replaced by engines. The shipments that go out to all the islands of Indonesia consists of many things from, rice, cardboard, motorcycles, bamboo and amazing amounts of cement. As you walked along the dock you could even smell the cement in the air. You name it, it get shipped from here. If it wasn't for the modern trucks, cars and motor cycles you would think that we had stepped back in time as these schooners were a sight to see. Many of the boats seemed be getting worked on by the crew while there wasn't much else to do. We where told that the boats themselves are not really insured it's the cargo that is the important item.

Small boats across from the dock

The sea wall

Men standing on lifeboats doing some boat maintenance

Boat load of illegal coal

Water line on the boats to mark when boat is fully loaded

Ben with the tour guild

Ben waking on the wooden planks onto one of the boats

Rice loaded in the hull of the boat

Government stamp for the rice bags





Captain Bernadette





In the captains area on the boat



Looking at the front of the boat

Captains area

One of the crew member in his sleeping area

Bernadette climbing the stairs from the bottom of the boat

Bernadette climbing on the planks of wood to get off the boat

Men loading a boat

Men loading the boat by hand

Tour guild talking about the dried palm oil



Our driver playing around

After finishing at the dock we headed to the Fatahillah Square where we found an interesting amount of buildings and a large amount of bikes for hire. We decided to try the Cafe Batavia and was surprised at how once again we felt like we had stepped back in history and to the year of the the 1940's due to the decor of the cafe.

Bikes in the square

Post office in the square


One of the building lining the square

Cafe Batavia




The second floor bar area of Cafe Batavia

Pictures lined the stair case in the cafe



The second floor dining room

The men's toilet had floor to ceiling mirrors

We then headed to the Maritime Museum which we found the building itself very interesting.

The building was built in 1645 and was a VOC warehouse. Through the museum we found many different models of the different types of boats that belonged to the Indonesian history. The museum was little boring and run down but the building its self was interesting to see and walk through.

Walk way between two of the buildings of the museum


Ben standing next to one of the wood pillars in the building



One boat model

Another boat model

Another boat model

Captain Ben

We stopped to look at the Watch Tower which is only about 500 meters away from the museum. The Watch Tower was built in 1839 to sight and direct traffic to the port. We climbed the tower to see the view over the port. It was amazing to see how much land has been reclaimed since 1839. The tower is quite far from the start of the port these days.

Small garden at the Watch Tower

The Watch Tower

Bernadette taking in the view

One view from the watch tower

View of the port from the watch tower

Old run down buildings in the area


One the streets of Sunda Kelapa

Two houses on one of the streets

Strange But True

Living in Indonesia nothing ever surprises me and sometimes I cant believe my eyes. Here are some examples:

I was on the toll road (freeway) heading out to do some shopping when being the time of day there was a lot off traffic so we slowed down. Usually the toll road has three lanes but when the traffic is jammed then the toll road converts to having four lanes. Seems people here use the EMERGENCY lane as another lane.

After Paige came home from the doctors and had her cast on our house keeper was surprised to see the cast on her arm. I told our house keeper that Paige's arm is broken in two places and will have the cast on for four weeks. My house keeper replied "when we have broken bones in Indonesia we get special massage to fix. Ben had a couple of the same comments when he broke his foot from people at his work.

I noticed my driver had the bonnet up on the car so I went out to see what was wrong with the car. I found my driver rubbing engine oil on a cut he had on his leg from a small accident that happened on the way to work. I noticed that the cut was bleeding a bit so I was very shocked and explained what he was doing was totally wrong for first aid and went and got the first aid kit and taught the driver some basic first aid. I couldn't believe my eyes, engine oil as apart of first aid.

Strange but true................

Paiges Broken Arm

While Paige was climbing down from the tree house she lost her footing and fell from the rope ladder resulting in breaking two bones in her left arm.

We went to the SOS clinic where the doctor x-rayed her arm and confirmed that she had broken her left arm.

Paige's arm was put into a splint and we returned three days later to have her armed x-rayed again before her arm was placed in a full cast.

Paige will have to have her arm in the cast for four weeks.

X-ray of Paige's broken bones in her left arm

Paige with her sling on waiting for the splint

Paige getting the start of the splint put on

Paige waiting for splint to dry

Bernadette drawing face on glove

Paige with splint on her arm and the tree house

Paige getting her second x-ray taken

Paige looking at her x-ray

Left: step one of cast Right: step two of cast

Step three, cast drying

Shopping In Jakarta

Living in Jakarta usually its quite easy finding the food you like to eat and some of the items you wish to buy. Depending on what you are looking for will depend where you go to buy it. I once read in one of the local English papers that the government did a survey on how many shopping centres there are here in Jakarta but no one could agree on the exact numbers. Everywhere you go there seems to be some sort of shopping mall, selling the same items. Each of the shopping mails can be put into a class such as lower class, middle class and high end class.

Depending on how much people earn will depend what type class shopping centre they buy there items from. The middle class and high end class shopping malls usually have air conditioning so many Indonesians will spend hours in the malls to try and keep cool on a hot day. Most of the shopping centres are open from 10am to 10pm every day including public holidays. Going to a new shopping centre can be an adventure as you never know if you are going to get lost or not so if you only wanted to do shopping in Jakarta there there would be lots to do.

As for our latest shopping adventure we needed to try and find some new school shoes for Paige so Ben, Paige and myself spent a Saturday afternoon exploring a couple of different shopping malls to see if we could find what we where looking for.

We asked our driver the best place he believed to get shoes from and he suggested Block M.

We found Block M to be the lower end of the shopping malls list, lots of small shops with a range of different items at a lower cost but we didn't have much luck with Paige's shoe size.

We then headed to Pasar Raya Mall which was in the same location and more high end up, kind of like Myers in Australia. We didn't have any luck finding anything suitable but did have fun exploring the level of handy crafts. We had never seen such a big place that was filled with every handy craft that you could find in Indonesia.

We then headed to another shopping centre closer to home and on the way we stopped to look at plants on JI. Darmawangsa. In Australia you would maybe go to Burnings or a plant nursery but here in Indonesia there are many streets just dedicated to the selling of plants.

We then headed to a shopping mall called Pondok Indah. This shopping centre has two different shopping Malls connected by a walk way. Pondok Indah One is a middle class mall and Pondok Indah Two is more high end mall with both having large department stores in them. We went to both department stores and only was able to find some black runners that where not our first choice for school shoes but will have to do in the mean while until we can find something else.

Block M shopping Mall

Paige standing in a shoe store

The roof of Pasar Raya

Inside Pasar Raya

Assorted traditional items to buy at Pasar Raya

Wooden carved masks

Large wooden carving


Along JI. Darmawangsa

Walk way from Pondok Indah 1 to Pondok Indah 2

Outside of Pondok Indah 2

Inside Pondok Indah 1

Ice Skating In Jakarta

Every weekend the local shopping centre seems to have different activities for the public to do. Over the Christmas season there was a portable ice skating rink. Paige decided she would like to have a try at ice skating. There were coaches that you could have a lesson with so I decided Paige needed all the help she could get being this was her first time at trying ice skating.

She had a ball trying something new but she didnt like how cold her bum and hands got when she fell over.

View of the ice skating rink

Paige ready to skate

Paige putting on her gloves to keep her ands warm

Paige taking her first steps on the ice
Paige having a skating lesson

Paige skating on her own

Paige skating along

Paige happy with her first go at skating