Exploring Indonesia, Part 1

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in Asia. And it sounds exotic. So when my husband had a business trip there I decided to use up our Mabuhay Miles and tag along. The flight took four hours total including the 40-minute stopover in Singapore. When you enter Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, be prepared to line up at least one hour in immigration. The airport is understaffed and a bit chaotic. If you don't have airport transfers, be sure to go directly to the Silver Bird or Blue Bird taxi counter. And tell them "argo" which means meter. Always get taxis that are willing to turn the meter on. Otherwise, you will be ripped off. Taxis are quite expensive in Indonesia. Be prepared to pay double the amount for the same distance here in Manila.

My husband and I were surprised to see that Jakarta is so clean and well-lit. The roads were wide and huge trees, fountains and parks abound within the city. Very pretty.

We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta. The hotel staff is very accommodating and friendly. The hotel is a little old but their service is impeccable. We paid US$90 for an extra night. Pretty reasonable. It has the usual hotel comforts, king-sized bed, desk, chaise, ref with drinks and chocolates, toiletries. We stayed there for seven days. Their breakfast buffet is very good with an assortment of Asian and continental dishes plus a wide selection of breads and cheeses. I love the breads with pine nuts. Yummy. Be prepared for a pork-less menu in all the hotels and restaurants since they are a Muslim nation.

My husband's co-workers asked, why go to Indonesia? There's nothing to see. I beg to differ. Granted, Jakarta is as exciting as stale bread. But there are other wonderful places that you can go to. Some are within reasonable distance from Jakarta, some are quite far.

My first option of coarse is to browse the mall right across the hotel. Plaza Indonesia. If you can splurge on high fashion and uber name brands, this is the mall for you. For mere mortals like me, I opted to explore the food court located at the lower level of the mall. It was lunch time and I was eager to sample Indonesian cuisine. I'm adventurous. So, I went to a kiosk with a lot of locals and British expats lining up. It's looks like the best selling kiosk in the food court. So, I line up and make turo-turo the stuff that I like. Plus I get 2 free side dishes (names I cannot pronounce or spell). I choose a harmless looking curry with side dishes of togue and slew of vegetables with peanuts, they looked so yummy. I sit down and prepare to eat my meal. Whoa! Holy Molly! I thought my lips will fall off. Man, those things are lethal. I couldn't taste anything but the hot peppers. The Brits were looking at me because I was probably blowing steam out of my ears.

At dinnertime with hubby and his co-workers, we decided to explore the streets of Jakarta and ate a small restaurant (the name eludes me). We order an assortment of nasi goreng and told the waitress, not spicy please. I've learned my lesson, their idea of mild is not suitable for international standards. This time, I enjoyed my meal. Kinda like eating yang chow but with a little more pizzaz.

Get ready to inhale Kretek or clove cigarettes (they smell like burned Vicks) everywhere you go. Including inside air-conditioned restaurants and malls. Yep, malls.

The following day, I opted to try a dish called "Ketoprak" it's like pancit but with whole peanuts, peanut sauce and cilantro. Looks and sounds interesting. Plus, it comes with free kropek in assorted colors. I told them not spicy. When I tasted it, it was like eating pancit for dessert. Super sweet. And it has sliced suman mixed in the sauce. Not a pleasant taste all in all. I stuck to nasi goreng and assorted bread, my entire trip. Talk about carbo loading.

Indonesia has a beverage called Teh Bote. Which my husband loves. It's like iced jasmine tea in a Coke sakto bottle. Very refreshing. I noticed also that their drinks are served in small bottles and containers. They're not very keen on super-sized drinks. They're not big on using gloves on fresh fruit juices either (even in an upscale mall like Plaza Indonesia). Be warned. Stick to bottled drinks.