February 26 2026 Day 52 – Tanjung Priok (Jakarta) Day 2, Java, Indonesia

The following image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom. Not the most scenic view this morning. Jakarta has one of the busiest ports in all of Indonesia, and there is activity 24/7. The port is often busier at night than during the day (which makes sense given the chaotic and heavy daytime city traffic), and we could hear the activity while trying to sleep last night.

Today is a free day until we are due back on board at 6pm. I booked a private Viator tour with a local guide for the four of us – Cheryl, Bob, and our cruise friends Greg and Kara. We were excited to head out and see more of the city, but had an immediate hiccup in our plans because the tour guide wanted us to pay her directly before she committed to confirm our tour. After explaining that we had already paid Viator, she continued to ask that we pay her, but of course, we wouldn’t. Finally, she confirmed the trip, and we met up after another Grab ride to the Indonesian National Monument.

Fifi was our guide’s name, and after we moved beyond the money issue, we found her to be a fantastic tour guide. Her knowledge of her country’s history and her English were excellent, and like all Indonesian people we had met, she was very friendly and accommodating. We modified her standard tour so as not to duplicate places we visited the day before.

She took us to the top of the National Library Building (15th floor) for a 360-degree panoramic view of the city, including the adjacent National Monument. The city has had incredible growth in its 80-year span since its independence – look at all the high-rise buildings. It is a major commerce, trade, and finance hub in Southeast Asia. Of course, many pockets of poverty remain throughout the metro region. The views from the top floor were fantastic.

We then walked to the National Monument, including a local market, guarded by a couple of neat statues.

Next, we toured the historic Dutch government center. Many of the historic buildings are still in use today for commercial and institutional uses, including the train station, which was bustling. The cement spheres in the fifth image are old Dutch cannon balls. We stopped for a snack – our first local Roti buns, sweet, warm, thick rolls. Tasty good. There are numerous Circle-K stores in the city. No idea why.

We walked around for some time, taking in all the history of the area (the Chinese massacre, the old city hall and prison, etc.) While we were standing in a courtyard listening to Fifi talk about the significance of the area, a woman started to listen in and walked up to Fifi to tell her that she was Dutch and wanted to apologize for the atrocities her country had caused to the Indonesian people in centuries past. Fifi was gracious and somewhat moved talking with the women.

Next, we moved on to learn more about the art of Wayang Kulit shadow puppetry and storytelling. We visited a puppet-making workshop and learned more about the artistry involved in carving and painting the puppets. Each piece is made of aged water-buffalo leather which is cut into the shape of one of the many characters in the plays. Then, an intricate design is achieved by punching holes through the leather (for light to pass through and create shadows on the screen). The puppets are attached to a “stick” which is made of carved water buffalo horns. The performances are similar to our hand puppet theater except that the puppet figures are rear-projected onto a screen, not directly viewed by the audience. Typically the storytelling is about themes of good versus evil.

The rightmost (or likely last) image is a video.

We returned to Chinatown to the Glodok Market which was lively and packed with merchants and visits. We stopped at a food court for a light snake of deep-fried jackfruit and a beer! Chinatown is actually quite large and many of the shops are along long, narrow alleyways off the main street. Our last stop of the trip was the Buddhist temple called Dharma Bakti, the oldest Chinese temple in Jakarta, built in 1650. It consists of several buildings and areas for different types of prayer, medications and fortune telling.

In the last image, Cheryl is walking through the streets of Jakarta carrying an open can of Indonesian beer. She was insistent that I document this rule-flaunting action (primarily for her children). Cheryl: For the record, the tour guide assured me that it was perfectly legal to drink in public places.

temple

After we returned to the dockside terminal, we took a group photograph.

Fifi apologized again for the initial payment snafu. She showed Cheryl her Viator page showing a $0 payment amount for the last three weeks of tours, which prompted her to ask for direct compensation. She shared that she has had numerous problems with slow payments, and her family needs to be paid more quickly (she is the mother of three daughters). Cheryl committed to giving Viator feedback, explaining what happened, and asking for improvement. We parted on very good terms.

Random images from the day. The first image shows the stark contrast between city buildings: a well-maintained Dutch structure in the background with a barely functional building in the foreground. Image 2: more suspect power electrical wiring. Image 3: Dunkin in Indonesia??? I did not try one of the donuts, or anything else for that matter…

Regular readers of this blog have learned that Bob has developed an unhealthy obsession with ferel birds. Turns out Jakarta has ferel cats. We saw them everywhere during our visit. From the internet: “Cats are highly revered and cherished in Muslim culture, considered ritually clean, and often welcomed into homes and mosques.“

Enrichment: Lost Kingdoms of the Archipelago. Explore Indonesia’s ancient kingdoms—their rise, power, decline, and lasting impact on modern Indonesia – Susan Braud

Susan primarily covered the Srivijaya, Sailendra, and Majapahit kingdoms. All three had a significant influence on current Indonesian culture because all three kingdoms were at the center of global maritime trade. All three left significant monuments and contributed to art and culture. All three emphasized religious co-existence and cooperation. The Srivijayaian prompted the spread of the Malay language and the expansion of Buddhism. The Sailendra Dynasty blended a significant part of Indian culture. The Majapahit contributed to Indonesian architecture. Islam was introduced by Arab Muslim traders beginning in the 13th Century and it is the dominate religion now (87%); however, Indonesians are very respectful of all 200+ religions practiced within their country. Interestingly, the islands have different dominant religions. For example, Java is primarily Muslim (97%) and Bali is primarily Hindu (87%).

Enrichment: Discover how islands act as natural laboratories, producing endemic species, accelerated evolution, and fragile ecosystems shaped by isolation – Richard Lovelock

An interesting presentation on how life evolves on isolated islands. How species get to the island. He covered the conditions that are needed for species to evolve. He walked us through a typical timeline of that evolution. He also covered Foster’s rule of gigantism and dwarfism. This talk was timely as we are heading to Madagascar, whose flora and fauna is 90% endemic (only found in that one place on Earth).