Discover Jakarta
My first stop was the National Museum, where a collection from Indonesia’s cultural heritage is stored. The museum boasts an extensive collection of Indonesia’s historical archeology, ethnography and relics. For me, visiting this museum felt like I was attending a history class but in a more compelling way. The purple-colored bus also took me to see other historical places such as the Monumen Nasional (Monas), Gedung Arsip, Museum Bank Indonesia, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta and Balai Kota. The bus then passed Istana Merdeka, the official home and office of Indonesia’s President, which is a remnant from the Dutch era. “Merdeka” means the nation’s victory after years of colonialism. For Indonesians, this building is a symbol of pride.
As the bus rolled around the city, the passengers were turning their heads left to right repeatedly, enjoying the view of the city’s landscape. From the bus window I also spotted the massive Istiqlal Mosque on my left and the Cathedral Church on my right. The Istiqlal Mosque is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia with international style architecture, while the Cathedral is Jakarta’s archdiocese with a neo-gothic style. Indeed, these two holy places that stand opposite each other reflect “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika“, the country’s official motto that means “Unity in Diversity”.
The woman driver then maneuvered through mini double red lights and circled the Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, another landmark of the city. On my left I saw Plaza Indonesia, one of the busiest malls in the heart of Jakarta. Jakarta wouldn’t be the way it is today without all the spacious malls, and Plaza Indonesia is one of the shopping havens that offers everything from local products to international brands as well as restaurants and bars serving Western and Asian food.
