Sunday August 16, 2015
The Alila Hotel provided an extensive international breakfast and good coffee. We had an orientation session with Jumena, our tour leader, and then set out to explore Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Many businesses were closed and Sunday traffic was light so we quickly reached the market.
This was an actual “village” within the city of Jakarta, where families lived, worked, shopped, attended schools and prayed in the mosque.
Before we turned into the narrow alleyway, Maria warned us that the indoor market was “dark, hot, slippery, smelly, and different.” Live chickens were in small cages, meat hung waiting for buyers, bags of rice were piled high, etc. etc.
Back outside, a colorful tent was being set up and decorated for the circumcision of a young boy in the Muslim tradition:
Pictured below is one of many canals in Jakarta which were built by the Dutch during colonial times.
A children’s parade with drums and chanting danced past our group:
We walked along the main road toward the village mosque:
The beautiful and peaceful grounds of the mosque:
The Imam spoke to us about his mosque and answered our questions. He was very gracious.
We visited a group of women who had formed a community health organization which disseminated information regarding family planning, child care, health issues, and provided a free pre-school for neighborhood children.
Afterward, we rode in several three-wheeled motorized “bajaj” – one or two people in each cab – to Fatahillah Square. Fun!!
Lunch was at the famous Batavia Cafe which was built 200 years ago and provided a glimpse of Dutch Colonial Jakarta.
Fatahillah Square:
The Main Train Station:
Unbelievable traffic on our way to the museum:
Interior Courtyard of the National Museum:
Dinner at Lara Djong Grang: 
