Museum/Shopping Day and Jean's Birthday!

The whole day of walking around starts here. The bus station. This is Day 3 of our Jakarta trip. Needed to take a photo since I can't take down notes. Haha!

Since we have made a lot of changes with the itinerary and to do's we were only able to visit 2 museums. The Wayang Museum and the Ceramic Museum. We didn't attempt to go inside the Historical Museum and the Bank Museums since it was so crowded on a very hot humid day. Plus, it will take all our time if we visit all the museums which is impossible with the whole day that we only have. Hopefully, there will be a next time.

The Wayang Museum is where the traditional Indonesian puppets/dolls are showcased. It was actually proclaimed by UNESCO as "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" in the year 2003. This originated as a product of the Royal Court culture where it was used as a means to worship the ancestors. And up to now, it is actively being preserved in various communities in Indonesia.

There's a lot to see in this museum. Scary looking dolls and puppets, writings on the walls during the Dutch colonization. You will actually wonder, especially when looking at the wayangs, as to where the Indonesians get the inspiration for the looks of their wayangs. Talk about creative!

Jean, Genna and I had fun looking at the wayangs and watching the show. We were able to watch the performance of Wayang Orang. I forgot what the story is about and also, it was in Bahasa. But we enjoyed it, a taste of the Indonesian culture. :) There are three more performances that are being shown, but you need to stay for the whole day to watch it all. There's still performances of Betawi purwa Wayang Kulit, Javanese purwa Wayang Kulit and Sundanese purwa Wayang Golek. All these three are done with the traditional Wayang puppets while the Wayang Orang is performed by actors with singers in the background.

We've also met new friends there. Hengky and the rest of the Wayang Museum staff are so accomodating.  Below is the photo.

More museum walking and of course lunch at this quaint little restaurant that actually looks like a hole in the wall. Nasi Goreng, Bakso and Tahu for a quick lunch as Genna repeated the time and place where we will meet later in the evening and as we take notes on the bus station and directions going to the Grand Indonesia Mall.

There also bank museums in Jakarta. There are a lot of banks in Jakarta! So if you are traveling within the city, you will see their buildings in almost all corners.

After walking and seeing the nearby museums, we decided to head on over to our meeting place which is Grand Indonesia Mall. We would need to go to the train station again and then get off at Bundera HI station then just walk towards the mall. I really like Indonesia's bus system. Its efficient like a train, since it has its own lane, and there are conductors who regulate the number of people who will onboard just to make sure as well that the bus is not over crowded! Kudos! In Jakarta, there are a lot of fountains as well and monuments. Too bad we weren't able to go to Monas and the Museum Nacional. I was dying to see the tall tower that marked their independence. But when you ride the bus, you can actually see it from afar.

Grand Indonesia is such a delight to see. Every floor has a theme. There's Broadway, Japanese, Moulin Rouge to name a few. Christmas is already evident as well in all the decorations. There's also a Magnum Cafe there, which had a long line of people waiting to be seated.



Our taxi fare! hahaha



Didn't I also mention that December 9 was also Jean's birthday? We spent it having coffee and cake plus a very fast free wifi at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Simple celebration and bonding. We bought pizza, chicken, chips and beers before we went home so we can atleast celebrate and cheers to another year for Jean!

The trip to Jakarta was so much fun! We felt that four days was not enough since there are so much still to see. Maybe we will be back soon? Yes? =p

Shopping Day in Jakarta

The original plan of going to Ancol didn't push through for this trip since we didn't want to go all the trouble of travelling and being in a sea of massive people in an amusement park. Plus, Jean and I are still tired from all the travelling and partying that we did the other day. So we just decided to walk around the city and explore what else, the malls!

Lunch at Pepper Lunch for brunch in Plaza Senayan, they give free mints!

Its already Christmas!

So we explored two malls, Plaza Senayan and also Senayan City. Two massive malls that are across each other. A lot of stores are on sale, but since the plan is to go hysterical in shopping at the outlet stores in fx Mall, we held back. We just window shopped and hopped from store to another.



No traffic?!

 We didn't want to be stuck in traffic and we also wanted to explore the city by foot, so we opted to walk in a very humid weather. Hahaha! Well, again, good thing, we're wearing sheer tops and shorts. That gave us comfort. But it was really humid and hot in Jakarta, but we still walked on.

Plaza Senayan

Asking for directions and asking questions are hard. People don't speak much English. So we rely on the little English they tell us and hand signs. And mind you, people also look at us weirdly (if there is such a word) since of course we look like them but, speak in English. They must think we're arrogant or something. Haha! 

Off to fx Mall after lunch to eat lunch and explore the mall. Chilled at this small cafe so we can have wi-fi access and rest. After having our batteries drained, we decided to see the mall and start shopping!

Genna was not kidding when she said that we're going to enjoy ourselves here. We've really allotted our pocket money for shopping. :) Jean went home with 3 pairs of shoes, a bag and pasalubong for the family from Giordano. I also went home with a pair of shoes, a bag and pasalubong for the family as well, all from Giordano. But got two more pairs of shoes from Topshop the day after. Haha! Ang sarap mag-shopping!

White spiked shoes from Topshop.

We ended the night with our left over street foods from the night before plus 640ml of beer for each of us. Then Korean novela on cable TV with Jean in the living room.

Jakarta at night is so beautiful. Though you hear the praying all the time, its okay, it reminds you that you are in a different place. The above pictures are from the 10th floor veranda view of Genna's place. The city becomes quiet at night, unlike the chaos during the morning.