Getting out of town - Bogor

One month in and still in the process of obtaining an apartment and vehicle, it was time to take a break and get out of the city, enjoy the countryside, and wander in the great outdoors - or as close an approximation as can be had from Jakarta in a rental car with two small people! A quick discussion on the relative merits of going Saturday vs Sunday (ie. which day was more likely to have slightly better traffic) and we bowed to local knowledge (otherwise known as the driver), and an early start Saturday was agreed. To maximise morning efficiency, a late night ensued readying provisions for the expedition. Obligingly the kids dismissed the need for alarm clocks and after the usual chaos of trying to feed, clothe and wash one 3yr old and an 8mth old the stroller was loaded up and transportation called. Safely ensconced in the car along with bike, ball, stroller, baby sling and new powered eski (chilly bin!) full of fruit and (turkey) bacon & egg sandwiches it was southward bound for Bogor!

Eamon enjoying Kebon Raya

Bogor is the town (city?) closest to Jakarta. In fact it is slowly being consumed by the metropolis and relegated to a suburb with new estates servicing the needs of commuters to the Big Durian (as Jakarta is also known - for those fortunate folk who have never encountered this tropical delicacy, it's a fruit roughly the size of 2-3 coconuts with the unappealing aroma of vomit. Supposedly it tastes good - I'm not in a position to comment....anyway, back to Bogor). Bogor is home to a couple of million people, the National Botanic Gardens (Kebon Raya), and the President of Indonesia. The gardens cover about 100 hectares and are a popular destination for locals & foreigners alike. The city (town?) is somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes from Jakarta (75 minutes the day we went) along a toll road modelled after the US interstates. In fact, aside from the banana trees and slightly dilapidated houses, it really could have been the highway from VA Beach to Richmond.

Security for President Yudhoyono's Palace

Cactus garden

Bogor was reached around 9am. Kebon Raya is easy to find although an open entrance gate may require a loop around the outside. The park was already quite busy, with plenty of people out and about enjoying the weekend and a number of different groups utilising the space for team building games, prayer meetings and warm and fuzzy get togethers for company employees. As Rory was somewhat over the car, we piled out along with all our gear (our driver helpfully ensuring that even those items we hoped to leave with the vehicle were piled into the stroller) and left him to find a parking space somewhere within mobile phone range.

Kebon Raya is a lovely break from the city. Although only a couple of hundred metres higher than Jakarta, it was definitely cooler, the air just that bit fresher and the chance to walk through green space something to be relished. Eamon had a great time zooming around the paths and roads on his bike and Rory enjoyed looking up at the trees and the chance for a nap. The park contains a number of features including orchid house, zoo (or possibly a zoo museum), small lakes, mosque, cactus garden and soccer field an can be explored on foot or by car. There is also a cafe which is supposed to be quite good - unfortunately the previously mentioned company love-in had commandeered it the day we visited.

Rory taking a turn pushing the stroller

A brief foray into the streets around the gardens resulted in a hasty retreat as we swiftly realised that Bogor (or this part at least) is no place for a stroller, particularly one laden with all manner of picnic-ing gear and a small bicycle. Sadly concluding that sustenance would need to be found in yet another mall (or the roadside rest area which was our driver's suggestion) we piled back into the car. The nearby mall, however, did at least, provide a slightly more authentic glimpse of Indonesia than you experience in malls in Jakarta. Our lunch, provided by a promising looking cafe was, unfortunately, accompanied by fairly poor service including a waiter who tried to argue that "with toast" in the menu didn't mean the scrambled eggs Eamon ordered should actually be accompanied by any bread products!

Street stalls outside Kebon Raya

After lunch we headed back to Jakarta, somewhat disappointed we didn't get the chance to explore the city properly. It also brought home that no matter where we go here, we are going to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, and that exploration is going to be a very slow, limited process with two young kids in tow. Good thing we have plenty of time to return!