Jakarta – Wayang Museum

Day 64 – Jakarta, Indonesia

I started my day by asking where to find someone to sew my future new pants, thinking that I would be directed either to a local seamstress doing odd jobs or to a tailor shop. And I was indeed directed to a local craftsman: a seamster (that would be a male seamstress), working out of a small installation on a wheeled contrivance, with an ancient sewing machine with a mechanical foot pedal. It is so far from our modern sewing machines that I was more than impresses. He sewed my seams right away, with his friends making conversation and all smiling all around, giving me a seat and helping when our mutual English vocabulary failed and insisting I take a picture. The whole work costs me 40,000 roupies, or 2.4 euros. A steal.

Sewing in the street

(Alas, the pants don’t fit me so well, that will teach me to cut and assemble garments by ear instead of buying and using reliable tools, such as a measuring tape.)

I went on my way through the Chinese quarter, buying a sewing thimble (and try asking for a thimble without sounding like you are asking for a symbol) at a ridiculously low price, and stopped at a tea house recommended by my travel guide. The house is a historical house restored at the beginning of the 20th century with windows fitted with small panes, it is triangular as it the wedge between two streets at sharp angle, and the floors have different levels. The food was good, also, though I didn’t care much for the chrysanthemum tea I ordered.

I followed by a walk to the Dutch Square, so-named because it is surrounded by Dutch buildings such as the ancient city hall and so on.

Dutch City Hall

My goal was the puppet museum, the Wayang Museum, which indeed houses many puppets… and all too few English descriptions! Still, I enjoyed what little I understood and most of what I saw. (Fortunately, I had seen an exhibit about Javanese shadow puppets in Copenhagen that had a lot of more helpful explanations, and let’s not forget the exhibit in the British museum that I was lucky to catch on the subject. I love how my travels connect in that way.)

Painting of a shadow puppets scene – Wayang Museum

I had a look around and took a few pictures (look them up in the gallery), then went back to the hostel after a confounding run-in with traffic. Try to cross a road when there are no traffic lights and unending traffic. It leads to lots of walking, and trying to stick to a local crossing the road.

My hostel in the sumum of luxury. My individual bed is in a pod, not exactly a capsule but it is in its own box with a curtain at the foot closing it from the room. It is wide, especially since it is bordered on one side by a lockable cupboard that acts also as a shelf, more than long enough for me, it has its own light, a non-working-but-not-needed-anyway fan, a regular power outlet (of the European variety), a second power outlet with a universal interface, so it works with all kind of plugs, and a smallish locker underneath. A big locker is available further in the room, so that’s three lockers. There is a desk and a mirror in the room.

There is a kitchen area for moderate cooking (basically, toaster, water kettle, drinking water, knife and cutting board, a fridge, dishes and cutlery), several tables and chairs, and a space that cleverly looks to be open to the sky. There is a local lexicon on one wall.

Lexicon

On another floor there is a common area with a TV and DVDs (and the sport schedule) and books to exchange. (I was happy to find a guide focusing on Indonesia until I saw it was in German.)

The reception will help you ordering food, buy tickets, and a hundred other small things.
Of course, I would prefer if the internet connexion didn’t broke every evening, preferably when I need and use it!