Jakarta’s “Old Town” and the Harbor

On the fourth day, the last two members of our four-person travel group arrive. We visit Jakarta’s “Old Town”—a somewhat run-down district where a few buildings from the 17th century have been preserved along the canal, dating back to the time when the Dutch East India Company established the city under the name Batavia.

From there, we walk toward the harbor. Along the way, the surroundings become truly dirty and somewhat suspicious, and a couple of locals try to act as our guides, but we manage to shake them off. Eventually, we reach the sea and arrive at a local marina, where we enjoy a plentiful meal at the yacht club.

After that, we head to Jakarta’s Chinatown and take a short walk around. We also pass a Chinese church—many Christians have come here from China. We end the evening on a hotel rooftop terrace, drinking tea. No alcohol is served at all, even though the place looks very much like a bar—after all, this is a Muslim country.