travelogue: day 1_kl to jakarta......

Hard to believe that the much awaited day was finally there, after months of planning what to do, months of reading about Indonesia and months of euphoria on the adventure of traveling alone, I was actually feeling a tinge of reluctance to leave that morning. Don't know why... The thrill of waiting was much more exciting.

The LCCT-KL. I was expected to check in 2 hours before departure for International Flight. By 0730am the airport ws already full.

Had Coffee Bean's breakfast set. It was actually either the breakfast at McD or CBTL, and since both serve crap breakfast and bottomless coffee for almost the same price, I'd rather have crap breakfast and GOOD bottomless coffee. By the way, the service here at LCCT-KL Coffee Bean sucked big time. And the bread was so.... hmm... I expected crap breakfast anyway...

The flight was delayed for about 1 1/2 hrs.

Arrived Jakarta at about 1240pm, after a 2 hrs flight. There is a 1 hr time difference between KL and Jakarta so I gained 1 hour here.

Came out of the airport straight into the Jakarta jam. The taxi ride from the airport to Central Jakarta is Rp170,000. I asked to be sent to the area surrounding Jalan Jaksa - the favourite place for tourists and budget travelers.

Trying my paparazi skill. Took a shot of this guy selling roasted peanuts in the middle of the traffic jam. There's also people who'd bring a small guitar and sing you a serenade right in the middle of the jam for a couple of silver coins.

The view from my hotel room. Stayed in a 3-star hotel called The Paragon Hotel, for Rp310,000 a night.

The streets of Jakarta.

My first meal in Jakarta was at this place called Ayam Goreng Ibu Suharti. Is this the local vesion of KFC, featuring a wanita-tua-senyum-senyum mascot instead of lelaki-tua-senyum2 of KFC?

Not exactly a fast-food restaurant, this place offers fried chicken rice, pecel (a kind of picked vege salad) and coconut drink with gula jawa. The set meal comes with a slice of anemic watermelon.

After that I went around the shopping mall next to the restaurant, and was really impressed by the selections of Jazz CDs available. I was told that it's like this all over Indonesia, and that they have great appreciation for Jazz music. Why can't Malaysia be like this...

I was told about a gig going to be held at a nearby Starbucks, so I went back for a shower and out again to catch the show.

The performance that night was by Beben Jazz's group, and they did their up-beat interpretation of my request for O'er the Rainbow. Beben is the one on guitar with his hair pulled back.

Ended my first day in Jakarta tired but happy. Glad to have had a jazzfull first day. I knew I was going to love it there.