Lost in the old walls of Batavia on a fun bike ride
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Only a few hundred meters from the starting line, about 10 bikers collided in a heap of metal. With doctors quickly tending to the three riders who suffered minor injuries, the others dusted themselves off and got back in the saddle.
With a motorcycle escort proudly leading the way, the riders soon began to feel a bit uneasy as they entered a very crowded, smelly and slippery fish market, with market-goers staring at them as they tried to get by.
Oops, wrong route: They were, in fact, heading to the sea. Riders were forced to backtrack through the market, with a couple taking the unexpected opportunity to bargain for a bag of squid.
Then it was back onto the streets to face the three-wheeled menace of bajaj and public transportation minivans.
Amazingly, they overcame all the obstacles, savoring the chance to get a glimpse of Jakarta's heritage sites.
"Quite enjoyable and hopefully healthful," a biker said happily.
No, it was not a Project P-style lampoon of the Tour de France, but the Tour de Kasteel Batavia, a fun bike ride held last Sunday by the Jakarta History Museum, better known as the Fatahillah Museum, located in West Jakarta.
According to head of the museum, Tinia Budiarti, the bicycle tour was intended as a fun way for Jakarta residents to revisit or familiarize themselves with old parts of the city, especially those that once stood inside the walls of the old city's "Kasteel" (fortress).
"The museum wants to show the public that learning about history does not necessarily have to involve books, but can also be done through fun activities that involve the whole family, like this fun bike ride," said Budiarti.
The tour took in five museums and several heritage sites within a two-kilometer radius of the Fatahillah Museum.
Despite the confused escort, frustrating traffic jams, suffocating air pollution, piles of garbage on the street and the frightening site of glistening sludge-filled rivers, it was an interesting morning out.
The museum provided an extra draw of Rp 3.5 million (about US$425) and other prizes, mostly vouchers for a night in a five- star hotel.
However, it was not the fastest participants who won the prizes, but whoever answered the most questions correctly at five checkpoints.
The multiple choice questions left the sweaty riders trying hard to recall their history lessons from years ago.
Typical questions were, "When was the Jakarta train station built" and "Who is the head of the Fatahillah Museum?"
"Hey, this isn't a test for someone who is applying for a job in a museum, is it?" said Riki, a 26-year-old employee at a company in Kebayoran Lama.
Whenever a rider marked an answer, others would peek and throw in doubtful Who Wants to be a Millionaire-style remarks, like "Are you sure that's your final answer?"
Of course, they weren't.
But nobody cared, for the next checkpoint was waiting. They passed their answers to the organizer and hit the road.
Along the route, they pointed out interesting structures and asked questions about them, such as the Kota Intan bridge and Syahbandar tower.
They were also very excited when they entered the old harbor of Sunda Kelapa, where numerous traditional ships from across the country were docked.
The five checkpoints were arranged in a way that required the participants to visit Fatahillah Museum, the Bahari Maritime Museum, the Wayang Museum, the Ceramics Museum and the Art Museum.
Unfortunately, not all of the museums were prepared for the riders, with no guides available and only some of the sections open.
"There should be a guide to escort us through the museums and explain the collection and the history of the building," said Wati, a 50-year-old woman from Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta.
Others considered the tour a small taste of things to come.
"Visiting museums turned out to be interesting. I'll be back with my family, but we will take a car," said Bambang Gunadi, 30, an employee at a factory in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, who won first prize for the most correct answers.
He said he would seriously consider taking his family on a museum tour instead of a vacation.
"It is important for us to learn and recall our history. Who else will learn about Jakarta if not us?" he said.
"There should be more events like this," he added, to nods of agreement from the other riders.
The Fatahillah museum is to hold a night tour on July 27, where a group of 50 visitors will be guided through the museum by a prominent historian, telling of the urban legends surrounding the nearly 300-year-old building.
The registration fee for the night tour is Rp 50,000. Contact tel. 692-9101 or Inanti at 848-4544, or e-mail office@acpcomm.com.
However, here's hoping that this time the guide, unlike on the book tour, does not lead the participants in the wrong direction and they end up creating their own urban legend ... Boo.