Kota, salak, and the hills

Kota (which comes from the Indonesian: Kota Tua Jakarta), is a small area in North Jakarta.  It is also known as Old Jakarta and Old Batavia.  Kota is the Indonesian word for "city", and the area today known as "Kota", or "Jakarta Old Town" is the area formerly known as Batavia.  In 1619 the Dutch forced the English to retreat and they renamed the city Batavia - it was a centre of VOC trade activity in Dutch East Indies.
(During World War II, the city was renamed from Batavia to "Jakarta" (short form of Jayakarta) by the Indonesian nationalists after conquering the city from the Dutch in 1942.)

Fatahillah Square is the centre of Kota, and many historical buildings can be found around this square, a legacy from the Dutch colonial era.  Unfortunately, nowadays, many of the remaining historical buildings and architecture are steadily deteriorating; at best they could be described as "dilapidated".  However, there is still much hope in restoring the area, and in 2007/08, several streets surrounding Fatahillah Square were closed to vehicles as a first step towards the rejuvenation... but I must say there's still lots of work to be done.

The former city hall of Batavia, and what was also the office and residence of the VOC governor general, is located on the south side of Fatahillah Square and is now the Jakarta History Museum.  The building was built in 1710.

Completed in 1870, this grand building (on the east side of Fatahillah Square) was the original Court of Justice of Batavia.  Today it is the Fine Art and Ceramic Museum.

Bank Indonesia Museum is the former Javasche Bank.  Bank Indonesia was founded in 1953 from the nationalization of De Javasche Bank (Bank of Java), a Dutch bank dating from colonial times which regulated and issued the Netherlands Indies gulden.

Set in a 200-year-old building on the northwestern corner of Fatahillah Square, Batavia Café is the area’s lone "fine-dining" establishment (?), and does good business with expats and tourists who want a taste of late-colonial Batavia.  Yes I was one of those tourists, and I thought the food was at best adequate, and pricey, but the atmosphere was wonderful.  Walking inside was like stepping into another time zone - you instantly experience the disparity between the noisy, smelly Fatahillah Square and the genteel, warmly lit art-deco-inspired interior of the Batavia Café.

Much more popular with the locals though are all the food stalls in Fatahillah Square from which you can order Jakarta street food like kerak telor (omelet) and bakso (noodles).

It appears you can also get your orthodontic work done by a street vendor in Fatahillah Square too if you'd like!

Just west of Fatahillah Square, is the Kali Besar canal – you’ll never believe this stagnant waterway was once a nexus for trade in old Batavia. A number of 18^th century houses still stand on the canal’s banks, although many of these are now rather decrepit.   Despite the fact that the canal is stagnant and in places was quite the assault to the nose, I must admit I did enjoy strolling along the banks and just watching the local life there.

This drawbridge of Dutch design was constructed in 1628 by the Dutch government to connect the communities on both sides of what was a very active canal.  The Kota Intan Bridge was made of wood and equipped with leverage to get the lower side of the bridge up when there was a ship or boat passing by.  The Kota Intan Bridge has been restored (although since the canal is no longer used it doesn't get much use as a drawbridge any longer).

Toko Merah (Indonesian "Red Shop") is a Dutch colonial landmark in Kota.  Built in 1730 as the residence of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, it is one of the oldest buildings in Jakarta The building's red colour contributes to its current name.  From 1743 to 1755, the building served as a Navy Academy and it is thought to be the oldest navy academy in Asia.  

And now for a couple of completely unrelated things before I leave Indonesia...

Firstly I thought you might like to see what a salak is.  Salak is a species of palm tree native to Indonesia.  The fruit grow in clusters at the base of the palm, and are also known as snake fruit due to its scaly skin. They are about the size and shape of a ripe fig.  The pulp is edible. The fruit can be peeled by pinching the tip, which should cause the skin to slough off so it can be pulled away. The fruit inside consists of three lobes, and one or all of the lobes will contain a large, black, inedible seed. The lobes resemble, and have the consistency of, large peeled garlic cloves.  The taste was both sweet and a bit acidic, and the texture was a cross between a slightly over-ripe apple and a pear.

And to finish up my time in Jakarta I thought you might like to again see the view from my friend's apartment.  You might notice something a bit different this time though - as opposed to the photos I took on my first day in Jakarta (you can see them in a previous post) today was an exceptionally clear day and you can actually see the hills in the background.  Beyond these hills, about a two-hour + drive from Jakarta is the island of Krakatoa, one of the most infamous and destructive volcanoes the world has ever seen.  And since I always seem to have a "next time" list everytime I leave a country, exploring the volcanoes in Indonesia is definitely on the list for my next visit.