After arriving at 12:30am local time and waiting anxiously to see if our bags arrived with us, we made it to the Aston Cengkareng City Hotel for a much needed sleep. We booked a private car through the hotel for about $17 CAD, which was probably best given the time of day we arrived and us not knowing much about where we were.
We couldn't see much on the drive to the hotel and what we did see looked quite shady, I'll admit I started to have some doubts. At one point we drove down a boulevard and there were about 10 different groups of young men hanging out with their motorcycles, intimidating in the dark.
Breakfast was a selection of American and Indonesian cuisine. There were hash browns (like McDonalds), omelettes, fruit, and yogurt; but there was also some Indonesian dishes: noodles (which I loved), a dish that was similar to chow mein, beef (soooo goood), rice, and a few others.
After a photo op in front of the hotel, we left for the city center.
Melanie had been looking up other places to stay, and found the Six Degrees Hostel. It took about 30 minutes and Rp. 65,000 to get to Six Degrees by taxi. Neither we nor our driver 100% sure where we were going but he knew the general area and after that it was like playing I spy. We pull up to this complex that has a Texas Chicken, ACA Asuransi, and a travel agent and wedged in between is this blue wall with an orange door and a small sign that says "Six Degrees".
We were informed upon arrival that they did not have any rooms available but would the next day. Thankfully though, the owner was able to work things out.
Ling pointed us across the road to a little restaurant shack for lunch and said the food was good and cheap. She was right! After our adventure of crossing the road we sat down in this little restaurant and a boy brought us some menus. Neither of us had any clue as to what the menu said but were able to figure out drinks due to the repetition of the word "juice" but other than that we were lost. I had "juice strawbery" (Rp. 8,000) and Mel had "juice manngo" (Rp. 9,000). We discovered that they were blended juice drinks and wow they were good. With everything being in Indonesian and us not knowing the language, we figured "Nasi Goreng Vega Tarian" was a safe bet (Rp. 13,000). Turned out we were right, it was vegetarian fried rice and it was wonderful! I am not a rice eater, I never have been, but man was that dish delicious. And it cost us all of $5 CAD after tip.
Six Degrees hostel is amazing! The owners are wonderful and they just opened this place about seven weeks ago. They decided to open a hostel and eight months later there were. Check them out on Google to get a good look at the place. I highly suggest it for anyone looking for somewhere to stay in Jakarta.
We ended up in a room with two bunk beds, sharing with Fabian (from Germany) and Fredrick (From Holland). The beds were very comfortable, even more so than the Aston Hotel and considering the price difference you would think the opposite. Having water pressure in the shower was a relief, you don't realize what a difference it makes until you experience a shower without it.
Mel and I made a trip to the Grand Indonesian to kill some time in the afternoon. The Grand Indonesian is the largest mall in the country and thats fitting I suppose since Jakarta is the country's capital.
Thats all for now. They are watching "Paul" in the cinema and I don't want to miss out :D
We were informed upon arrival that they did not have any rooms available but would the next day. Thankfully though, the owner was able to work things out.
Ling pointed us across the road to a little restaurant shack for lunch and said the food was good and cheap. She was right! After our adventure of crossing the road we sat down in this little restaurant and a boy brought us some menus. Neither of us had any clue as to what the menu said but were able to figure out drinks due to the repetition of the word "juice" but other than that we were lost. I had "juice strawbery" (Rp. 8,000) and Mel had "juice manngo" (Rp. 9,000). We discovered that they were blended juice drinks and wow they were good. With everything being in Indonesian and us not knowing the language, we figured "Nasi Goreng Vega Tarian" was a safe bet (Rp. 13,000). Turned out we were right, it was vegetarian fried rice and it was wonderful! I am not a rice eater, I never have been, but man was that dish delicious. And it cost us all of $5 CAD after tip.
Six Degrees hostel is amazing! The owners are wonderful and they just opened this place about seven weeks ago. They decided to open a hostel and eight months later there were. Check them out on Google to get a good look at the place. I highly suggest it for anyone looking for somewhere to stay in Jakarta.
We ended up in a room with two bunk beds, sharing with Fabian (from Germany) and Fredrick (From Holland). The beds were very comfortable, even more so than the Aston Hotel and considering the price difference you would think the opposite. Having water pressure in the shower was a relief, you don't realize what a difference it makes until you experience a shower without it.
Mel and I made a trip to the Grand Indonesian to kill some time in the afternoon. The Grand Indonesian is the largest mall in the country and thats fitting I suppose since Jakarta is the country's capital.
Thats all for now. They are watching "Paul" in the cinema and I don't want to miss out :D
Sounds like a great adventure Brit! Post some photos when you can.
ReplyDeleteHave fun. Love, mom