Cafe Bento, Stasiun Gambir, Jakarta

Been exploring Jakarta for two days. Yesterday Monas (Monument Nasional) --- a huge tower in the middle of a huge square. After standing for an hour in a huge line, we could take a tiny lift (+/- 11 persons) to the top. Not much was visible (e.g. couldn't even see the sea properly) as there is too much smog. Then visited the largest mosque in South-East Asia (can hold up to 250,000 people during Ramadan). While we were there only a few people had come to take a nap escaping the hot/humid environment outside. Then observed a wedding in a Catholic church just across the street from the mosque. (Crossing this street took about 30 minutes, the traffic here is crazy and the city planners haven't done enough for the pedestrian, there are no sidewalks nor zebra crossings). Then took a tuk-tuk back to the Jalan Jaksa district where we currently stay, and fell asleep.

Today took a tuk-tuk to the Kota district. Hot and humid again. Ate an extremely spicy nasi ayam and drank a hot (!) orange juice. Was covered by sweat all over the body. Then visited the Wayang Museum (Javan puppetry) which was nicely air-conditioned. The Javan puppet tradition includes some 300 puppets which are all related in a complex genealogy. The puppets are flat, made of buffalo skin, full of holes to allow for a light-and-shadow play, painted on both sides in several bright colors, their hands can be manipulated by the puppeteer. The visit includes a puppet show which can be viewed from two sides, the shadow side and the "color" side. The performance is accompanied by an annoying percussion music.

Then walked to Sunda Kelapa (800-year old port) where a large number of large wooden ships were lined up by the quay. It started raining (it's been raining on and off all day). Wanted to take a tuk-tuk to a big Chinese temple (recommended to us by a puppet painter at the Wayang Museum) but failed to communicate this to our driver. So ended up at the Kota train station from where took a train to the Gambir station.

First impressions of Indonesia:

• very cheap (transportation, hotels, food);
• very good food, e.g. nasi goreng ayam (fried rice with chicken) which I learned to like already 4 years ago in Malaysia;
• people think that my hat is funny;
• people like to have their picture taken posing next to a tourist (they probably publish these photos on Facebook).

Tomorrow will take a 8h train to Yogyakarta.