Art, Galleries, and More in Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, considered as the center of everything. Business, yes. Showbiz, yes. Government, yes. Since the local pop culture does embrace my beloved city as a place that turns poor people into rich, it drives many people from other province (like states in U. S) to come to Jakarta to pursue their Indonesian Dreams. As city that slightly larger than Singapore, Jakarta is way too crowded. It is a home for approximately 10 million people. Ten million. That’s double the size of entire Singapore’s population.

See, Jakarta technically has a very few things that can count as “historic” or “beautiful” or “touristy”. There is an Art Deco train station. There is an old drawing bridge. People may mention the old colonial quarter, the fish market, and the Chinese temple. You can see all this in half a day, but if you miss it it’s just as fine. Nothing you cannot have thrice as good elsewhere.

Jakarta is hard to access. Where cities like Bangkok or Singapore open up to the tourist, Jakarta closes. If you do not know people on the ground or are super unlucky, you will end up in a backpacker trap somewhere on Jalan Jaksa; if you are very lucky in Kemang. Foods are the best for Jakartans, and never bored.