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Chapter 2

North Jakarta

North Jakarta has a grittier, working-man’s neighborhood feel. With its mix of Chinese culture, Dutch architecture, shipping ports, fishing industry and seaside tourism, it is a fascinating area to explore. North Jakarta is a mishmash of economic brackets and ethnicities. It contains areas of absolute poverty where people forage for a daily pittance, while other areas, right next door, consist of megalomaniac mansions with armies of servants catering to the lavishly wealthy occupants.

Industrially and commercially speaking, north Jakarta is crucial to the city’s economic pulse. There are factories and industrial parks, and hundreds of tiny fishing boats launch from the coastline every day in search of the seafood to feed the city. Larger boats come in and out hauling goods to Indonesia’s other islands, while massive barges and freighters work out of the Tanjung Priok industrial port, disgorging and receiving goods.

Industrial growth in the area has been hard on the environment. Waterways have become polluted, mangrove forests have been paved over and most estuaries have been reduced to sludge. Happily, it’s not all bad news: reclamation efforts are underway and the area is also home to a couple of good nature spots.

For entertainment, north Jakarta is worth dozens of visits. There are historical sites, museums, outdoor cultural performances, temples, markets, places to shop and a solid spread of dining options. That being said, there is also a high concentration of the seedier side of late night entertainment: brothels, massage parlors, gambling dens and darker nightclubs.

For those with kids, or who are kids at heart, Ancol is a sprawling seaside fun park. There are roller coasters in the Dufan theme park, sharks in SeaWorld, and succulent seafood at Segarra. There is the Atlantis water park, an art market with artists at their easels, and sailing boats available for hire. Don’t forget your shorts: Ancol is bicycle-friendly with dedicated lanes and an excellent spot for walking. The Ancol Marina is located here for those wanting to launch off to the Thousand Islands for a weekend getaway.

Two coastal areas, the Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke (Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve) and the Angke Kapuk Mangrove Forest Tourism Park, have been protected and restored so the man-groves can do their job in hosting marine, terrestrial and aviary life, slow the rate of erosion of Jakarta’s northernmost border and serve as educational corridors for Jakarta’s youth. Look out for the three troops of monkeys consisting of around 100 individuals while enjoying an early morn-9ing bird watching session with Indonesia’s nature group, Go Wild! Indonesia.

Tourists in Fatahillah Square, the original old town square in the center of Jakarta.

Young boys diving from a bamboo pole jetty in the Java Sea.

Want to go for a stroll through maritime history? Step back in time at the Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa (Sunda Coconut Harbor) and gain an insight into what Jakarta looked like when it went by the name Batavia and was one of the most important seaports in the world. From Sunda Kelapa, take a small fishing boat over to Pasar Ikan, a fish market hundreds of years old. Climb the worn stairs of the old Dutch Watchtower and stop at the Maritime Museum where the treasures of the East Indies were once stored before being shipped off to Europe.

Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Square) is ground zero for a look at historical Jakarta and the days of Dutch rule. Café Batavia serves good food in a century-old restaurant overlooking the square, which once held nearly daily executions.

Go into the old City Hall where the gavel used to sound the verdicts of law, prisoners were shackled in the basement, the sick were nursed to health, and behind which thousands of Chinese were slaughtered in 1740.

Regular events and festivities are held in Fatahillah Square at the weekends, to which the historical buildings make a dramatic backdrop. There are musical festivals, art shows, outdoor theater and performances of the traditional Kuda Lumping dance with its trance-induced performers eating light-bulbs and cracking whips.

Don’t miss Chinatown and all its secrets. From the wet markets to the incense-scented temples to the 24-hour pulse of Stadium, Jakarta’s most historic club, Glodok is a neighborhood no adventurer should miss. Much of the magic lies in the narrow lanes threading through the neighborhood: wending past traditional medicine shops, tasty pork noodle eateries, cobra sellers and creaking-wheeled pedicabs laden with goods from the market.

For culinary adventures, Jl. Mangga Besar cooks up something dramatically different. Snake meat is the specialty, but turtle, dog, monitor lizard and bat can be eaten along this road. Interspersed with the exotic dining spots are jamu kiosks selling traditional health drinks to cure all ailments.

One trip to north Jakarta is not enough. It’s a big area with innumerable back streets to explore and activities to sample. It can be challenging to get around and overwhelmingly crowded and pungent at times, but it’s where the original soul of the city and its commerce is found and the souls of the city’s founders are buried.

Walking Tour 1

MUARA ANGKE AND ANGKE KAPUK

Mangrove Forests and a Fishermen’s Market: An Exploration of North Jakarta’s Varied Coastline

1 Muara Angke Fish Market

2 Fish Snack Center

3 Fish Drying Racks I

4 Fish Drying Racks II

5 Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve

6 Waterbom Jakarta

7 Angke Kapuk Mangrove Forest Tourism Park

The two main neighborhoods west of Pluit are the yin and the yang of Jakarta, and they demonstrate the incredible way two very different human habitations can lie at one another’s doorsteps. To the east, the Muara Angke neighborhood is a rough-and-ready fish market. Here, you can discover what an industrial fishing village feels like, as rubber boot-wearing workers trundle by pulling carts laden with frozen squid. You’ll see dump trucks filled with massive blocks of ice which are unloaded on to workers’ shoulders, and fishermen either heading out to sea or unloading, sorting, weighing, washing, packing, cooking or eating their catch.

Moving deeper into this kilometer-wide by kilometer-long piece of land, which is surrounded on all sides by water, takes you to the expansive seafood drying racks that cover a large part of the area. Thousands of fish, squid, prawns and other sea life are spread across hectares of land to dry in the sun before being processed as snacks and cooking ingredients.

Exploring the canals that lead to the sea brings visitors face to face with a flotilla of traditional fishing boats and the seafaring men that run them. The right price can get you on one for a trip along the coastline.

Just around the corner from the Muara Angke neighborhood is one of Jakarta’s few nature reserves, the Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke (Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve), which serves as a sort of buffer zone before really slamming into the upper-class neighborhood to the west. Home to a plethora of sea, land and air creatures, including nearly 100 wild monkeys, the reserve boasts a long boardwalk that stretches out into the mangrove forests, providing a glimpse into an estuary life almost lost in this rapidly industrializing city.

Heading up the road, in a westerly direction are the more exclusive, suburban neighborhoods of the ever-expanding upper class. Waterbom Jakarta is also located here, and it’s not a bad place to zip down the waterslide or cool down with a lazy drift along the ‘Wild River.’ Finally, to the far west, at the edge of the upscale housing developments, is a large mangrove reclamation project, the Angke Kapuk Mangrove Forest Tourism Park. Stroll among the lengthy rows of newly planted trees and catch glimpses of the wildlife that call them home. Rent a small boat and guide and enjoy the sight of herons gliding effortlessly through an evening sunset.

WHO? It’s all family-friendly, except for the Muara Angke Fishing Village. This low-income neighborhood is not particularly clean, it can smell and is not set up for tourism—in fact, it’s an industrial area. For those looking for a pleasant day’s activities, it’s recommended that you skip the fishing village, and instead start at the nature reserve.

HOW LONG? Full day.

HOW FAR? 12.5km, includes walking (5km)/driving/ becak ride.

GETTING THERE Head to Kapuk Muara and Kamal Muara, just west of Pluit. By car, take the Pluit-Tomang toll road to the Harbor toll road. Exit immediately on to Jl. Jembatan Tiga and head north; turn left on to Jl. Pluit Indah. At Jl. Pluit Barat Raya, turn right and take it to Jl. Pluit Utara Raya, turning left. By Busway, take corridor #9 to the Penjaringan stop. Continue north by ojek /taxi to Jl. Pluit Utara Raya; this road goes west, directly to the Muara Angke entrance.

Note: Unlike most of the other tours in this book, having a car makes this tour easier because of the distances between places and the notable reduction in taxis and public transportation. You can still get around fine without a car, but it will require additional patience and flexibility.

OTHER Once into the Muara Angke neighborhood, don’t worry too much about road names and which way you are going. Just stroll around and enjoy the adventure. Even better, rent a becak and have them pedal you around for half an hour; that’s sightseeing in style!

Be aware that except for the standard Bluebird/Express taxis, the beat-up, no-name types that ply this area often don’t use a meter. Be sure to check when getting in, and if they don’t want to use the meter, bargain for a price. Even if you don’t like their final price, don’t get huffy, just pay up.

1 MUARA ANGKE FISH MARKET

The tour starts at the Pasar Ikan Muara Angke (Muara Angke Fish Market). For those coming by taxi, get dropped off just before entering the Muara Angke kampung, which starts after crossing the canal bridge from Jl. Pluit Karang Utara to Jl. Muara Angke. There are a number of boats in the water here, as well as a sign in the shape of a boat reading:

Pemukiman—Nelayan (Fishermen’s Settlement). For those arriving by car, it’s best to park near the bridge and begin your explorations on foot. Note: The area can look overwhelmingly dirty, chaotic and uninviting. Give it some time and it will become less crowded and more enjoyable the farther you get.

Cockles for sale in the Muara Angke market.

A worker boiling squid at the rough-and-ready Muara Angke Fish Market.

HEADS UP

Some of the streets along here may be flooded in the rainy season. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear, such as sports sandals, old trainers or even flipflops.

After crossing the bridge, take an immediate right to check out the cool fishing boats. People can charter these boats to chug around the Java Sea, cruise around the Muara Angke Nature Reserve or visit some of the Thousand Islands, including Pulau Onrust and Pulau Rumput (see p. 188). The fee depends on your bargaining skills, but plan to pay at least Rp500,000, as fuel doesn’t come cheap these days. Most of the boats here are working boats, however, and not intended for tourists, so don’t expect life jackets and a complimentary bottle of water.

Continue on past the boats and take a right on Jl. Pendaratan Ikan. Follow this road, checking out and chatting with the seafood sellers, all the way to its terminus at the sea. On the right is a giant warehouse where mass amounts of seafood are delivered, weighed, sorted and distributed. On the left is more of the same. Just wander about, take pictures and perhaps even pick up dinner. Keep an eye out for the trucks laden with giant slabs of ice and watch them unload the perspiring, rectangular blocks using long, metal hooks.

2 FISH SNACK CENTER

Also along Jl. Pendaratan Ikan is a long stretch of otak-otak sellers. This tasty snack is made from steamed fish wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled over charcoal. It’s a specialty from Sulawesi, but many other regions have their own variations. Past these vendors, on the left, is the Pusat Jajanan Serba Ikan (Fish Snack Center), which caters to those looking for a fresh seafood dinner. Near here is the largest concentration of fresh seafood sellers in the area, most of whom display their collections on tables, in Styrofoam coolers or in large, three-legged bowls. Catches include crabs, clams, lobsters (including females loaded with eggs), squid, shrimp, mussels, snails and a large variety of fish, from snapper to sardines. This is a great place for photographs, but be sure to smile and ask before taking a person’s photo. As with all markets, especially fish markets, the action is hottest when it’s cool—early in the morning. Try to get here around 6am, if possible.

FAST FACT

According to local legend, the name Muara Angke may come from Tubagus Angke, a warlord from the kingdom of Banten. Other derivations include the Hokkien word ang for ‘red,’ referring to when the nearby river ran this color after the Dutch slaughter of the Chinese in 1740. The word muara means estuary.

3, 4 FISH DRYING RACKS I AND II

After reaching the end of the road, turn back and watch out for Jl. Pelelangan on the right, which is just before the fire station. Turn right and walk up the road, passing a football field and some apartment blocks. On the right are shrimp ponds. On the left you’ll spot the vast Fish Drying Racks, each covered with splayed-out fish that have been soaked in salt water and left to dry under the baking sun.

Wander up and down between the racks, play hide-and-go-seek with the local kids, talk with the workers and try to estimate how many kilos of seafood they have racked up. If it starts to drizzle, they will quickly unravel tarps to keep their precious stores dry. The long bamboo tables here are only the tip of the iceberg. Pushing up and into this neighborhood will reveal hundreds of the same. (Take a look at a Google Earth map of the place to get a better sense of the scale.)

Another thing to look out for are the boiling vats of salt water filled with squid that sit above brick, wood-fired ovens. Workers repeatedly dump in buckets of these tentacled creatures, boil them for 15 minutes, scoop them out with sieves and load them on to wooden carts to be hauled away. The job is a hot and sweaty one, but the dangdut soundtrack keeps workers’ hips rotating and gives them something to sing along to.

HEADS UP

The fish drying done here was once all natural. In recent years, however, some unscrupulous business people started using formaldehyde rather than salt to help preserve the fish. A recent crackdown has helped to curb the practice, but it certainly hasn’t ended.

Back on the road, continue straight and follow the road to the right as it turns. Up on the right is another vast sea of salted and dried seafood—a photographer’s delight. Stroll among the tables and take it all in while still staying out of the way.

Fishing boats crammed cheek to jowl along the Muara Angke Canal.

You can continue walking from here, but a ride on a becak at this point is highly advisable. There should be a number of them plying this route, so wave one down, point forward and say Jalan jalan, which means he’ll just pedal around, most likely sticking to the main road. That road will soon turn left and follow the sea wall which edges the Java Sea. This is a favorite spot for local kids to strip down and leap off the docks into the water. The becak driver will stop anytime he is asked, so don’t be shy about having him pull over if there are things to be seen or photographed.

The road will again hook to the left and go upstream, along the Kali Muara Angke (Muara Angke Canal), which reveals the very poor side of a fishing family’s life. Watch for the large groups of women and children shucking clams or working at other money-making tasks. On the right are fishing boats, which usually pull out around 7pm and do not return until early morning. It’s possible to join these guys on an overnight fishing trip for a big adventure, and a price. If this seems a bit over the top, an hour-long or half-day jaunt on one of these boats can be arranged, either just around the area, up the coast, or even to some of the nearby islands. There is no set price, so bargaining is necessary.

The road will eventually turn left on to Jl. Muara Angke. Pass a school on the left and travel through the small Muara Angke Market before reaching the bridge where the tour began.

5 MUARA ANGKE WILDLIFE RESERVE

After crossing the bridge over the canal that takes you out of Muara Angke, take a taxi or ojek or drive your car along Jl. Pluit Karang Barat to Jl. Mandara Permai and turn right. Take this road to the roundabout and head west on Jl. Pantai Indah Utara 2. Just up ahead on the other side of the road is the entrance to the Muara Angke Nature Reserve, marked by the large wooden sign Pusat Pendidikan Konservasi dan Lingkungan Margasatwa Muara Angke (Muara Angke Conservation Education Center and Wildlife Reserve).

A few years ago, the mangrove forests and wetlands at Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke (Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve) were mostly an afterthought, abandoned to ruin and decay. The conservation group Jakarta Green Monster has since adopted the reserve. They have helped facilitate the construction of new buildings and have joined with the Department of Forestry to build a wonderful boardwalk that winds its way through the mangroves. Jakarta Green Monster also leads educational tours, conducts species identification and holds occasional volunteer clean-up days to rid the area of garbage. The group’s ongoing rehabilitation programs work to protect the plants, animals, fish and insects that call the man-groves home.

Boardwalk at Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve.