Jalan Jalan Java – Part 1, Jakarta.
With thanks to Wilson from next door, V & I planned our holiday for January of 2010. We planned to do all of Java island in Indonesia and head home thereafter. It turned out to be Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Cemoro Lawang, Surabaya, Lombok, Bali, Singapore and back home.
I’ve been to Jakarta before (circa 1991) and my mum’s purse got robbed by a brute of a man (I sound like this because I’m currently reading Sherlock Holmes) who offered to assist her with her tray at Mc Donalds whilst she was managing her 3 girls. I was very hesitant to return – and then Wilson mentioned Lombok. Of course he also mentioned most meals being about $3 and the both of us being small business owners in their first year – leapt to the opportunity.
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Café Batavia was our first stop – hungry, I found myself eating fried rice and a stir fry at 7am for breakfast. Adorned with photographs and paintings with Dutch influence in a colonial time period, a real treat. It’s also conveniently located in the Kota Tua area adjacent to the Fatahillah Museum.
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Jalan Surabaya Antique Markets are quite spesh. A line up of stalls and stallholders hungry for your attention. No clothes. But many, many, cameras, lampshades, radios, a fair few pretend-antiques and glassware. V & I also managed to find a calculator. Old school. Real old school. You set the numbers and rotate the handle to multiply (don’t ask me how to multiple by 102, superman hands?). Also, never visit a store thinking “we’ll come back and get it” – because plans change and you may not be back…..
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I had read about Dharmawangsa in a book on hotels in Asia and I wanted to just see it. The staff were lovely and willingly took V & I on a tour of the hotel. Their rooms had a range of themes all a tribute to Indonesia & Balinese culture and art. The architect Cheong Yew Kuan has also worked on this amazing retreat – all nights spent on a boat in the Maldives. Sigh. All this aside – I just want to say, I love the look of mosquito nets.
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We also ultimately changed our accommodation – Sanno Hotel looks nothing like its website and was an absolute disaster. Tragic. Luckily, we found Alila. A member of Design Hotels – with excellent service, minimal interiors and bang in the middle of everything. Their breakfast was the best I’ve ever, ever, ever had in my life (of course excluding my mum’s and V’s). They had fresh lychees, pineapple smoothies in shot glasses and the most epic of all – a huge honeycomb slab with drops of honey drizzling down into a jar.
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So thats Jakarta…..
STREET ART> Meanwhile, I’ve been crush-stalking Aakash Nihalani for well over a year now. I always worry when I promote Indian artists (he must be Indian with that name – I have surmised) – I feel I might be biased. So I was pleased today when I got my updates from artkrush – with a mention on Mr. Nihalani. I love the way his work makes you do a double take – and reconsider – while its so simple, almost primitive.
EDIBLE CRAYONS> Super cool. Crayons made from the food to provide the colour. Just like the title right?
DESIGNER FIX> Debate here about your top 10 fonts of 2009. Click here to be blown away and suffer from a serious case of oober design envy. Click here if you are in London because I am not. Click here for the summary of 2009 identities – sorry this is late, but I only just got back.
LOVE FIX> This will make you smile.
xx have a lovely weekend.
Hey Miss Kish!!!
That makes me want to go home! I’m going back in April I think.. nothing confirmed yet but around that time. How did you find the humidity?
Hey Rini – it was pretty epic, and thats just Jakarta
Not very humid at all – I’m used to Fiji. Not very hot either. So all in all, very tolerable weather. Rain in Bali & Lombok – but not Java. Hope that helps!
thanks for the font debate link!!!! sadly entertaining and found myself nodding and grinning at times
No worries! I was so proud to see DIN there – I’m thinking of investing in Gotham – but worried because its everywhere….Nevertheless – will keep you posted surely.