In a city with so many desperately poor people, the ostentationous of the Buddha Bar in Jakarta doesn’t strike a particularly pleasing cord.

The building, though, is an architectural wonder: originally built by the Dutch in 1913 as a place for leisure, it was used as the office for the Islamic group Madjlis Islam Alaa Indonesia (MIAI) shortly after Indonesia won independence and then as the Indonesian Immigration Office.


The Bataviaasche Kunstkring building as it was in the late 1940s.


And from almost the same spot where I stood 70 years later – as the home for the upmarket Buddha Bar.

As the building was renovated at huge cost to the taxpayer, many locals say that it should rightfully be open to the public - perhaps as a library or something. But such arguments hold little sway in money-grabbing Jakarta and the building was instead handed over to a bunch of rich and well-connected people - including the former governor’s daughter – after which they set up the Jakarta Buddha Bar in the building.

The Buddha Bar venture has also been controversial for other reasons as well and there were calls to close the bar down because religious symbols are being used in a place where people “get up to no good” and drink loads of booze.

But the music is good and noone has ever heard the large Buddha inside the bar complain (although He might if he had to pay the lofty drink prices!), so the bar remains open till this day.

Buddha Bar Jakarta, Address Jl Teuku Umar 1, Menteng. 10350 Jakarta

Art Deco buildings are very rare in Indonesia. This is because this type of architecture was only in vogue for a relatively short period of time (from 1925 until the 1940s).

The Art Deco style is easily identified by its use of geometric shapes. These shapes are often repeated many times over, and to pleasing effect. Unlike many other art forms, the Art Deco style carries no political or philosophical baggage and is only grounded in aesthetics. But even so, this doesn’t detract from the art form’s unique appeal in my view.

The most famous Art Deco building in Jakarta is the train station in Kota, West Jakarta.


The station was originally built around 1870 but given a thorough renovation in 1926.

During the colonial times the station was popularly known as the BEOS station - as an abbreviation from the Bataviasche Ooster Spoorweg Maatschapij or the East Batavia's Train Transportation Company – and that name has stuck to the present day.


Yep, it’s still a fine old station - even today. And long may it stand!

It’s certainly not easy to find neo-gothic style architecture in Jakarta, but one building constructed in this style is the Jakarta Cathedral, originally built as the Catholic Church in 1828 but later upgraded to a cathedral in 1901.

Here's a pic of the original church:


And here’s a bird’s eye view of the church surrounded - rather incongruously it seems given the state of the capital today - by a hell of a lot of trees! What we would give for a few of those today!


For better or worse (probably the latter), Catholicism is Indonesia’s most notable import from Portugal, a fierce trading and ideological rival of the Dutch in times long gone, and the Dutch, in their infinite wisdom, chose to ban the religion in the country from 1602 until 1799.

But when Louis Bonaparte was appointed as the King of Holland on June 5, 1806 by his brother, the Emperor of France aka the very evil Napoleon Bonaparte, the ban was quickly lifted after agreement was reached with the Vatican in 1807.

The Jakarta Cathedral is located close to Monas and just a short distance from the huge Istiqual Mosque whose construction was completed in 1978.

And here's a picture of the cathedral as it looks today:

Harmoni is not just another chaotic traffic junction in Jakarta, but an area of great historical interest, taking its name from a wonderful Dutch building that was built in 1810.

Used as a meeting place for the Societeit de Harmonie, the majestic building stood on the corner of Jalan Veteran and Jalan Majapahit until it was raised to the ground (oxymoron or what?) in March 1982 and the land used as a car park for the State Secretariat.

But it is said that if you go to the carpark today and listen very very hard, you can still hear the voices of raucous Dutch revelers getting rat-arsed on G and T’s with the sound of the band playing on in the background…

Or maybe not.

The Harmoni junction in the 60s…

… And my photograph from almost the same spot 50 years later...


If you look very very carefully, you’ll see there is a small statue on the bridge of Hermes who, as you should know, is the trader’s guardian angel (actually it’s a replica as the original has since been moved to the Fatahillah Museum in case it was nicked).

Although the statue may have been placed on the bridge to afford protection to the traders crossing it, no one is really sure where it came from although one credible report says the statue was brought over from Hamburg in 1920 by a store owner called Karl Wilhelm Stolz who placed it in his garden in Meester Cornelis (now Jatinegara).

But then, in his later years, he sold his business and gave the statue to the Batavia government in gratitude of being allowed to run a business in Batavia (how times change eh?). It was then, in the 1940’s, that the statue was placed on the bridge.

And as for poor old Karl Wilhelm Stolz? Well he died in March 30, 1945, as a Japanese POW and is now pushing up daises (or whatever wild flowers they happen to have in this part of the world) in Semarang.

And long may he rest in peace...

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country.

But head north to far-flung Manado, and you will find what is now said to be Asia’s tallest statue of Jesus Christ.



And standing nearly 100 feet tall it’s certainly a whopper - although still someway shorter than the Jesus you can find in Rio de Janeiro.

And who built it?

One of Indonesia’s wealthiest businessmen, a property mogul called Ciputra.

But although rich, Ciputra ain’t that rich. And he’s certainly someway behind Indonesia’s richest tycoon, the effervescent Minister for the *Proletariat’s* Wallfair, Mr Weasel Wakrie, who has, according to some estimates, over 5,400 million dollars to his name.

Anyway, let’s just hope that the jut-jawed minister - who is a Muslim – doesn’t want to upstage Ciputra.

Cos then we really would be in trouble!

Great leaders always want to leave behind something that the people will remember them by. That’s why Indonesia's first president Sukarno liked building monuments to the revolution, a time when, ironically, idealism took precedence to using public funds to help feed the city’s many poor. Drive around Jakarta today and you’ll see loads of the bloody things. The Welcome Statue near Plaza Indonesia in the city center is supposed to send a message of friendship to foreign visitors, although the “Pizza Man” Statue near Blok M remains an enigma.

Being something of a stud, and with a voracious appetite for beautiful ladies, what would Sukarno want to remembered by? Why, his manhood of course! That’s why he built Monas (the National Monument).

And Sukarno certainly spared no expense in the honorification of his private parts: the monument’s “shaft” is covered with pricey Italian marble – alluding to Casanova? – and stands a lofty 137 meters erect, while, right at the top, the “head” of the monument is covered with 50 kilograms of highly inedible gold leaf. Sukarno was obviously very proud of what he had!

Unfortunately for Sukarno, though, this fabulous monument happened to be his last: he was overthrown shortly after its completion. Oh well, at least he’ll always be remembered. But whether he wanted to be forever known by his “last erection” is anyone’s guess!

Monas as it looked in 1969


And some 41 years later from nearly the same spot



Interesting facts about Monas

- At the base of the monument is a rather nifty museum in which 48 dioramas depicting scenes from prehistory up until the New Order (the last word?) are displayed in a very posh marble-lined room. In another room called the Independence Room you can see the Declaration of Independence. Cool.

- Wanna go to the top? Either use the slow lift or if you are a fan of the world’s newest sport – tower running – just dash up the staircase. The views ain’t what they used to be and are pretty much akin to looking through a steamed-up pair of spectacles because of the city’s horrendous air pollution.

- The large 20x25m pond provides the cool water for the air conditioning system in the monument.

- To the north of Monas, there is a wonderful statue of the Indonesian national hero Prince Diponegoro made by – you’ve guessed it - a foreigner (the Italian sculptor Cobertaldo)!

The Farmer’s Statue is another one of those cold-war-era inspired revolutionary monuments. But of all the statues scattered around Jakarta, this is probably the most “communist”. A gift from the former Soviet Union in 1963, the statue shows a farmer facing forward to join the revolution while his wife bids him farewell. Oh the glorious sacrifices that must be made for the nation!

There aren’t many ways to avoid Jakarta’s soul destroying traffic jams, but if like Krishna and Arjuna you are in possession of a chariot and eleven divine horses, you may be able to escape the maelstrom below by simply taking to the skies…

Nice...



Nice...



And my favourite:

Vivi has great pulling power; don't suppose the chap on the right will get too many votes

Get Carter was a legendary film by British Director Mike Hodges.

And here's a picture of Indonesia's Carter P. Siahaan.


But who's the other guy? His twin brother, perhaps?

Looks more like that Limp Bizkit dude than an aspiring politican...

The Irian Jaya Liberation Monument is another one of those over-the-top cold-war-era inspired revolutionary monuments scattered around Jakarta. The muscular man, breaking the chains of oppression, is meant to symbolize the 1963 liberation of Irian Jaya (New Guinea) from the Dutch. But the statue could also be of the Incredible Hulk of course!

One of the more bizarre statues in Jakarta is called Patung Pemuda. It’s located on the main thoroughfare leading south to the busy shopping district of Blok M. To most Jakartans the statue is simply referred to as the Pizza Man Statue, but it was actually built for other reasons than to promote the famous Italian bread based food. After all, why would an incredibly muscular Indonesian youngster (has he been going to Gold’s Gym I wonder?) want to hold a pizza above his head?



So why was the statue erected then? Well simply to symbolize the contribution of the youth to the development of the country – and including no doubt those that work in the many branches of the popular Pizza Hut restaurant today!

Gereja Sion, or better known as the Portuguese Church, is located on the corner of Jalan Pangeran Jayakarta and Mangga Dua Raya.

Admist the cacophony of modern day Jakarta, it is incredible to know that the building was completed back in 1695. The church was officially “blessed” on Sunday 23 October 1695 by Priest Theodorus Zas.

This church is the oldest building in Jakarta which is still used for the purpose it was originally built. Many of the religious items in the church are also very old.

In 1920, a fence was build around the church.

Today, thank God (!!!), the church is protected by government degree (SK Gubernur DKI Jakarta CB/11/1/12/1972) and so it should hopefully not be torn down to make way for another mall of which there are now around one for every 12 of the city's residents.

Gereja Sion tempo dulu:



Gereja Sion as it stands today (with added photoshop effects):