Kota Toea Batavia

I had an opportunity to join Sahabat Museum for a walking trip around Kota Tua Jakarta. Started really early morning to avoid the scorching heat of Jakarta at noon, we started the journey at 9 AM. After 7 Am ticketing and 8 Am briefing - a lot of beuracracy happened in the early morning.

To our surprise, the six of us were gathered with other thousands of Kota Tua aficionados. The town is surprisingly famous to have successfully gathered more than a thousand people. Young and old, friends and families. Like, literally there are few groups of parents and their kids came along!

The one trip that was supposed to be photography session with a pinch of historical exploration has become, a mere walking trip. We learn very few of what had happened in that city centuries ago. As in why the old dutch orphanage has become bricks of business houses (ruko) or another historical building has entirely vanished into trucks parking lot, etc.

It's actually a fun method to learn history without being covered up by some political agenda on the whatnot happened during years of foreign invasions and revolutions.

History is exciting! we just need to find the loop-holes in learning it.

such as, do you know that the Museum Bank Mandiri was long ago used as hospital? although tragically, people who went in 90% won't come out alive. some scary shit, eh? It's still that creepy inside it, even at day light!

Another tragic historical entity of Kota tua is Jembatan Intan (Diamond Bridge?). The bridge is unique, but sadly it serves no purpose by standing brightly red over a ghastly looking 'black' river. If anyone or cultural department of local government would have their hands dirty to fix and dolled-up this town, i'm sure Melbourne would be nothing compare to Kota Toea.

It's a wishful thinking.
To clear the trash flowing on river could take ages, let alone to fix the rundown dutch buildings along the roads... there's just not enough financial support for these abandoned legacy that we have scattered around the city to be restored to its previous glory.

such a great loss that even us don't have any clue on how to preserve these abandoned beauties.