City of Malls

K had to go to Jakarta for work last week,
so we decided to spend the weekend there
and live the big city life for a few days.

On Friday, A explored the old port built by the Dutch during colonial days. He wandered some of the only narrow streets in Jakarta. (The rest of the city is massive

urban sprawl: huge highways and eight-lane roads, glass high-rise towers, malls that take 1 hour to cross, and five-star hotels, all interspersed with large monuments erected by the two dictators who reigned through most of Indonesia's independent years.)

This was inside of a mall. Rockfeler Center lookalike?












The "Welcome Monument"


A hired a local 'guide' to give him a tour of old Dutch buildings, large cargo ships, small fishing neighborhoods, and a big fish market.

Hangin' out at the docks...

She sells seashells...

Saturday morning marked the beginning of the decadent birthday festivities. We certainly know how to spoil ourselves. K was awoken by a call from the hotel restaurant, asking when we wanted our (free!) birthday cake! Hooray for birthdays! The message on the cake was the best part:






I hope Mr. Chamberline didn't miss his cake.







We unintentionally created a European getaway weekend for ourselves...started out the day heading to an exhibit by a Romanian artist at the French Cultural Center. We then had a strange afternoon: attempting to find a gallery of local artists, failing, giving up and heading to the hotel for a massage.
Dinner was at a supersleek Italian restaurant in a mall. (It's hard to find a restaurant that's not part of a hotel or mall.) The all-white decor and ambient techno music could have been mistaken for a SoHo spot. We shared 3 courses, prepared by a real-live Italian from Italy who introduced himself later: carpaccio & parmesean, homemade ravioli, and branzini. Delish!


...and it was only the beginning. Really, we spoiled ourselves. Sunday brunch was at another swanky spot. It consisted of a huge appetizer buffet, 30 FRENCH CHEESES. (yes, 30! not quite 31 for my 31st!) and free-flowing sparkling wine.


K & A pose in front of the cheeses






















K, digging in.

Needless to say, we didn't have a particularly productive afternoon. We set out to WALK to some PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION to check out the Chinatown neighborhood. We almost made it, then stepped into a nearby mall to cool off. And look at what we found:

That's right, folks. A four-story multi-colored tube slide in the center of the mall. A was in heaven-we had to try it! We took the escalators to the top of the mall...where we discovered a movie theater hosting a French film festival! K was in Frenchie-heaven!

Off we went down the slide (fully equipped with windbreakers, knee pads, elbow pads, and helmets), then back upstairs to take in a VERY French flick about a guy and gal who meet while visiting their dying loved ones in the hospital.

We finished off the day with a late-afternoon margarita (K had been craving one since our arrival in the tropics) in a Mexican restaurant that we happened upon in...yessir, yet another mall. What a spectacular weekend!