Visit Jakarta

Jakarta




Trying to characteristic Jakarta is like being caught in riptide: you' re pulled in one direction

by western-style high-rises glass and concrete urbanisation an elit of indonesia academics and

intellectuals, only to find your selft bogged down in teh proverty of the kampung of immigrant

peasants who have come into the city in search of work.


Jakarta is a city which asks for neither affection nor commitment; other than scratch out of

living pedding thing - bodies political power, diplomacy or becaks there is no reason to stay here

and certainly little reason to actually like the place for it self . Yes This is where the rest of the

archipelago gets its marching orders; this is where they decide how many transmigrants will

be sent to colinise the outer island, or which former colony (eg West Irian, Est Timor ) gets

thumped this year or which foreign company gets to dig up rocks in he middle of the Sulawesi or

devastate Kalimantan's rainforest.


History


Jakarta has been the centre of colonial and independent government since the 17 th

century.

There have been least three towns in the area of kota or old jakarta, all of them centered

around the present-day port of Sunda Kelapa at the mount of Sungai Ciliwung. The erliest

known settlement was called Sunda Kelapa. It was a major port town of the last Hindu kingdom

of west java ruled bay Pajajaran Dynasti and it was here the Portuguese first made Contact

with Java in 1522 . The second city was created by Gunungjati, the muslim general of Demak

who took control of sunda kelapa in 1527. Known as Jayakarta 'vicorious in Javanese, it survived

unmolested for almost a century as a fief of the Banten Sultanate, but today none of structures of

this old town remain. what there is, dates from the Dutch period.


At the beginning of the 17th century both Dutch and English merchant had trading posts in

jayakarta. It became a centre of rivalry between these imperial powers which was futher

confused by intrigue between local rulers. Late in 1618 the British, backed by the bantenese and

the Jayakartans, besieged the Dutch VOC(vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) fortress Early

the following year, however, the Bantenese turned against the british and the Jayakartans and

occupied the town. Nothing much happened over the next few months but the VOC personnel,

holding out their fortified post decided to rename the place Batavia after an ancient Germanic

tribe of the Netherlands.



In May 1619 the Dutch, under jan Pieterszoon Coen, stormed the town and reduced it to

ashes.

A stronger shorline the town and reduced it to ashes. a stronger shoreline for tress was built and
batavia eventually became the capital of the Dutch East Indies. It had to be defended on a

number of occasions, agains Banten in the west and Mataram in the east. but it was never

conquered by an Indonesia power. Although the long- running Dutch struggle with Mataram

began when Sultan Agung attacked Batavia in 1628, the javanese suffered enormous losses and

finally withdrew after executing their failed commanders. Agung's second siege in 1629 was an

even greather debacle, and after this devasting defeat Batavia was never again threatened by

an army of Mataram.



Dutch colonial rule came to an end when the japanese occupied java and the name

Jakarta was restored to the city. The republican government of the revolution retreated to

Yogyakarta when the Dutch returned after the war but in 1950. when indonesia

independence was finnaly seccured, Jakarta was made the capital of the new republic.



Money

In Jakarta there are major office of all the Indonesian banks and some overseas bank are

also represented. At major bank ot at moneychangers, there's no problem changging foreign

money and travellers cheques, but it's worth shopping around. The rates vary slightly between

banks and the Indonesian banks may offer a lower rate of exchange banks are found on and

around jalan Thamrin and most are open from 8 am to noon Monday to friday, and from 8 to 11

am saturday.



Place to Eat

Jakarta Probly has the best selection of restaurant of any major indonesia city, although a

meal in a better-class restaurant tends to be expensive. Plenty of street hawkers and night

markets cater for cheaper meals.





Place to Stay - Top End


The Mandarin Hotel

on Jalan Thamrin - Jakarta


The Sahid Jaya Hotel

Halfway Between Jalan Thamrin _ Jakarta

The Hotel Sari Pasific

On Jalan Thamrin at number 6. Jakarta