Jakarta - Shopping Heaven

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

It was a really short trip but worth every penny or should I say worth every Rupiah. Jakarta reported to had a visit by George Bush and university students having several picket sessions. But when I arrived, everything seems calm and the road is busy, I mean really really busy. Twice as much busier than Kuala Lumpur.

I manage to check in to Santika Hotel located in Pertaburan road. A little shock at the counter as there is no reservation under my name. The rate is far expensive than I planned earlier (around USD81 per night rather than USD49) but time is running out, I just pay the deposit, RP 1600000. I tried to call my boss, darn I just couldn't get through the roaming network. I thought Hotlink should to guide me better.

The next task is to find the meeting place somewhere in Palmerah road stretch. I decided to take a taxi just by the hotel lobby. "This is easy" I said but the driver seems had no idea of the place and later on he simply drop me in the middle of no where. Crap... with no map and no exact address, I wander of by the street and off to some large market.

I walked until I find the main entrance of the office and I thought I was finally there. But it was not. The guard help me stop a taxi (there call it mini bus or something), a Toyota Unser with no. 9 on the windscreen and ask me the driver to send me to the exact place. And again I thought I would be there in no time. I'm wrong again, when the last passenger get down and I'm the only one left I ask the driver, "are we there yet ?" the driver was shocked and he is completely forgotten to drop me. He quickly apologize and send me to the exact place.

By the time I arrived at the meeting place, my boss called and ask me to get back to the hotel as there is no one at the office by this hour. Crap, all this sweat is out for nothing. But at least I already know the place. This whole mess is just because I can't use the Hotlink's roaming facility. The next day onwards, I simply direct the taxi driver to the exact place.

With 3 days 2 nights trip in a foreign country what would you do? The best I could imagine is shopping. That is exactly what I do, I ask the bell boy where is the best place for souvernier, textile, electronic and so on, he gave this list

1. Sarinah Plaza (Souvernier stuff)
2. Semanggi Plaza (Famous local mall)
3. Sogo (Only the elits goes there)
4. Mangga Dua (Get your DVD here for only RP6000)
5. Majestik (Famous textile street - Like Jalan TAR in Kuala Lumpur)
6. Roxy Mall (The whole mall selling cellphone - nuts)

One thing about Jakarta (currently) every vehicle entering mall or hotel must go through the security post equipped with bomb/explosive detector. What do you think, feel scared or secured?

Generally Jakarta still a save place to travel especially for shoppers and the people here had a great hospitality attitude.