Jakarta, Indonesia, 14 March 2023

13 million people live in Jakarta. Accordingly, there is hustle and bustle everywhere, in the markets, museums, streets, etc. The traffic is a constant struggle to move forward. Everyone squeezes through everywhere, whether it's a motorcycle or a truck, they all drive in all directions. However, everyone remains friendly and peaceful.

We booked a tour through the internet ourselves, which was very worthwhile. We had a driver and a local guide just for ourselves. We could even book a special tour for another wheelchair-bound passenger for whom the ship could not offer anything.

At the beginning, there were heavy rains repeatedly, but that's not so bad with your own car, and in the afternoon it let up. We first went to the Chinese quarter to a temple where we were shown different customs and could also watch Chinese people praying. Then we went through the huge market there. Less pleasant, as in almost everywhere in East Asia, is the treatment of animals. Frogs had their legs torn off at the market, hundreds of birds in small cages, etc.

Afterwards, we went to the old port where wooden ships are loaded and unloaded, which visit very small islands. In this port, you could clearly see the sinking of the city by about 15cm annually. The sea is already higher than the quay there and has to be held back with giant sand walls. Due to the sinking of the city, the official capital is also being moved to Borneo. What the 13 million people are doing is unclear, but most of them want to stay.

After the port, we went to the third largest mosque in the world, after Mecca and Medina. The construction began in 1961 under Sukarno and was completed in 1978. It is a successful building of classical modernism.

Right across from the mosque is the Catholic cathedral, which is also the seat of the Indonesian cardinal. Maria took the opportunity to speak with the Pope, who made a brief visit.

After that, we deserved lunch. We went to a popular restaurant among the locals and had a varied, excellent meal.

To conclude the excursion, we went to the Independence monument. I got my hair cut and we had a shoemaker make some shoes for us.

In our eyes, Jakarta combines everything that Southeast Asia has to offer. All religions and ethnicities, many people, lots of hustle and bustle, lots of greenery, lots of waste, the poor and the rich side by side. Maybe not a place to live for a long time, but interesting for a short or longer visit.