Melting pot Jaksa will forever shine<\/p>\n
When fresh-faced student backpackers land in Jakarta on their
\nglobetrotting travels, budget restrictions usually preclude a
\nstay at the Hilton or the Grand Hyatt. And so, it is to Jl.
\nJaksa, just south of the national monument, that they flock,
\nquite literally, in their tens.<\/p>\n
The poor lambs then have to run the gauntlet of the expats on
\nthe slide, dipsomaniacal English teachers, local gangsters,
\ndentally challenged ladies of the night, bestubbled transvestites
\nand over-optimistic blowpipe salesman who have made the street
\ntheir own. Yes, it is in Jaksa that initial conclusions about
\nIndonesia are usually drawn by the tie-dyed, visa-upon-arrival
\nbrigade. Many, unwittingly interpreting Jaksa as a metonym for
\nthe whole country, will come away from their experiences slightly
\nshell-shocked and with a strong sense of the weird and confusing
\nnature of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
But how fair is it to castigate Jaksa as a Bintang-soaked
\nrepository for the city's transnational lowlife?<\/p>\n
The street is undoubtedly the cheapest place to drink in town
\nand this will always be a factor in its popularity. However,
\nthere's no reason why one shouldn't, with adequate preparation
\nand a clean change of underwear at hand, enjoy a life-affirming
\nevening on the infamous strip. Jaksa is a laid-back, mellow kind
\nof a place in comparison with its famous, chaotically packed
\nequivalent in Thailand -- Bangkok's Khao San Road. Just grab a
\nbajaj to the top end of the street and saunter from bar to bar
\nuntil you reach the bottom end, exhausted but enlightened.<\/p>\n
The first bar on Jaksa is also the newest. Absolute Bar
\nresides where P's Place used to and has the mosquito-repelling
\nadvantage of being both inside and air-conditioned. Drinks are as
\ncheap as they come here and ex-P's Place groupies should head
\ndown and check out the minimally stylish decor (and the vodka).<\/p>\n
Opposite Absolute, BFC Bar's tree stump stools and tables do
\ntend to make one feel like an outsize garden gnome but the place
\nis cheap, usually busy, and attracts a good cross-section of
\nlocals and foreigners.<\/p>\n
Further down, Memories and Betawi Cafe occupy the center of
\nthe street and can certainly pack them in although they have a
\nrather, shall we say, down-home approach to decor and ambience.
\nNext to these two, Ali's bar houses Jaksa's ethnic African
\npatrons. Africans elsewhere in Jakarta tend to be, for various
\nreasons, slightly suspicious of their Jaksa-frequenting brethren,
\nbut at least Ali's Place plays infectious African pop music and
\nhas a party atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Further down, Pappa's Cafe is open 24\/7 and is a cheap and
\ncheerful place in which to drink yourself unconscious. It also
\nserves the dodgiest Spaghetti Bolognese you'll ever encounter.
\nForget Al Dente, you can break your teeth on this stuff.<\/p>\n
Would-be gourmets should instead head for the deservedly
\npopular Ya Udah Bistro next door, which serves delicious European
\ncuisine at great prices.<\/p>\n
Opposite YUB, Romance is Jaksa's other indoor, mozzy-free
\nenvironment and is pretty miniature inside, although good fun if
\nyou can manage to annex the place with a group of friends. You
\nwill then be home and dry at the end of the strip, with only the
\nbearded ladyboys who hang around the end of Jl. Wahid Hasyim to
\nslalom through before a taxi home and a Panadol enema.<\/p>\n
Swanky restaurants and bars may wax and wane in Jakarta but
\nJaksa will forever shine as a rather dog-eared beacon of
\nunpretentiousness. It is a true multicultural melting pot and the
\nperfect antidote to the terror\/war-on-terror tedium of our times.<\/p>\n
Terrorists will never destroy this street, why would they
\nbother? The mix of locals and bules are doing a good enough job,
\nslowly wearing it down on their own terms.<\/p>\n
--Simon Pitchforth<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/melting-pot-jaksa-will-forever-shine-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }