Jakarta

On my last day in Indonesia, the driver took me around Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and the main city on the island of Java. Parts of this country were colonized by the Dutch, then the Japanese during the WWII, and then the Dutch again (remarkably, Indonesians don't harbor hard feelings towards the Dutch and absolutely detest the Japanese, saying that the former basically looted the country during the war). The Jakarta Old Town is built in the traditional Dutch colonial style with white stonewashed buildings and red roofs.

Even though most of the other museums were closed, I managed to make it to the puppet museum. Puppet shows are a big part of Indonesian culture. The museum curator showed me various types of puppets and explained the intricate and long process of making them. (If I recollect correctly, the puppet itself is made out of buffalo skin). I also got to have a delicious rice noodle lunch at the famous Old Batavia Hotel.

The driver then took me around other parts of the city. I saw the beautiful Presidential Palace, an old protestant church in Indonesia (built by the Dutch), the largest mosque in the world, and Jakarta's sprawling Chinatown. Airport was next, followed by a miserably long flight back home.