Jakarta -What has Mundain gotten into?

I'll admit it....I really didn't want to go to Indonesia because the only images imprinted on my limited mind were negative.

Was this still the Indonesia of the Sukharto era...the dark deadly days as portrayed by Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt in "The Year Of Living Dangerously"?

Was this still the Indonesia where ethnic Chinese Indonesians suffered discrimination and even murder because, as successful business people and professionals, they were targetted scapegoats; depicted as the root of the economic woes and suppression of the populace?

Was this still the Indonesia where the Christian minority was persecuted and even martyred  by Muslim extremists?

Was this still the Indonesia of the Bali Buta bombings, where Al Qaeda suicide bombers killed hundreds of tourists and Balinese?

I envisioned Indonesia as a dark, mysterious, backward place with danger lurking behind every shadow.

These questions  and images raced through my mind as our taxi sped down the 8 lane expressway, passing late model Toyota, BMWs, and Benzs. I was truly and pleasantly surprised by how modern, sleek, and technologically advanced Jakarta appeared.

Only minutes before at the airport, it seemed that my worst fears were confirmed, when a "taxi driver" attempted to scam us. Now, you may think...what's the worst that can happen...maybe you'll be driven a few extra kilometers.

But this scam was a bit more diabolical...I won't get into the details because Mrs. Mundain recognized what going down and extricated moi from a potentially bad situation. This introduction to Indonesia, quickly had Mundain grumbling under his breath "I told you so..."

As our legitimate cabbie stopped in front of the steel gates of the hotel driveway, we were met by several private security guards who promptly scrutinized the driver and us, the passengers. The cabbie was instructed to pop the trunk and while one guard examined the contents, another scanned the underside of the taxicab for a bomb, while a third guard scrutinzed with AK-37 in hand. Mundain to self: "We're gonna die here!"

After passing the checkpoint we proceeded to the hotel whereupon exiting the taxi,  our luggage was placed on a conveyor for scanning, while we passed through an electronic sensor just like at the airport. Mundain thought..."What the...Muslim extremists are going to detonate a bomb in our hotel?"

...security was tight at the hotel

It was only during the hotel check-in that I relaxed enough to enjoy the surroundings. The front desk receptionist put me somewhat at ease with her friendly manner and perfect English.  She quickly and efficiently processed the paperwork and minutes later we were comfortably in our room freshening up before dinner.

Then, a few steps after exiting our hotel lobby...

we had to clear yet another security checkpoint...

before allowed admittance into the adjoining mall complex...

yes, that's polished marble in the huge outdoor plaza

...we strolled outdoors for a short while;
then to escape the heat, we made a beeline for the mall

...once inside the air conditioned mall,we began our hunt for
the ever-popular food court

although something smells rotten in Denmark,
...like bloodhounds on a scent,
the Mundains were not to be denied

...forging our way through the culinary jungle, 

I sniffed out my target...

...a barbecued duck and roasted chicken combo
that satisfied the growlies...but made me drowsy...

so we decided to pack it in for the evening...

at our uber cool, sleek and retro-modern  hotel...

(check out the lobby!)

Mundain thinks he's in an art gallery...

custom fixtures, bold colours and patterns in a daring design 

unique, quirky artwork added to the Warholesque feel 

contemporary and vintage-modern pieces masterfully
juxtaposed with mid-century and slab tables...

backdropped by unique design features such as this custom
bent-wood spiral staircase melded to stainless steel treads

...a visual feast in every direction and a welcome change
from your usual mundane and predictable 5 star hotel

We were in Jakarta a scant 2 days, mainly because our time was constrained by our exit ticket.  To make a long story short, Mundain unwisely attempted to enter Indonesia without a return ticket.

Needless to say, the mundane couple was rejected at the airport check-in until we purchased a ticket exiting Indonesia. Racing against time, with the imminent departure of our flight, we hurriedly purchased a ticket departing Jakarta.

We later regretted this impulsive ticket purchase when we realized that we only left ourselves one short week to explore Jakarta, Bali, and Yogyarkta. Furthermore, we had to backtrack to Jakarta to catch our flight out of the country, thus wasting time and airfare.

To add insult to injury and humiliation, Mundain was forced to listen to the Mrs. chirping in my ear "I told you so".

All that aside, we enjoyed our blitz through Jakarta, endured its notoriously snarled traffic, saw the contrast between the old and new...traditional and modern...rich and poor...

street life standards are a bit lower than 5 star

Pressed for time, we opted for a city tour...

...in the hope of broadening my cultural horizons

Mundain the mundane ready to be "edumacated"

...to better understand local beliefs and objects of worship

...to more fully appreciate the architecture...

Mrs. Mundain was captivated by the beauty of our surroundings

Balinese longhouse

serene gardens and waterworks....

our informative and passionately patriotic  tour guide 

Sumatran architecture

indoor temple for ancestral worship

ah so,.....Mundain, the enlightened one...

Despite our abbreviared stay in Jakarta, we Mundains gleaned a bit of Indonesian culture through a guided tour of the city. Our English speaking guide was passionate and thorough in explaining the historical and cultural significance of the sites we toured. 

But most importantly for me...through her friendliness and demeanor, and her constant genuine stressing of harmonious living between  Indonesians of all ethnicities, religions, cultures and heritages as mottoed in the Indonesian Constitution...I began to see Indonesia in a positive light and came to have a small understanding of her makeup and struggles as an emerging nation.