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Using a
bit of artistic license I've lumped Luar Batang, Pasar Ikan and Sunda
Kelapa on to this one page. Effectively anything that lies to the north
of the Toll road and that in the 16th Century was underwater. The name
Luar Batang means Outside the Log which is an evocative sounding title
referring to a time when entrance to Batavia could be blocked by the
simple expedient of placing a log across the river. Inside was the city,
outside was, well, here.
Once upon a time there was
Pajajaran, a kingdom centred in and around Bogor. Being reliant upon the
sea for trade they developed Sunda Kelapa, a couple days downstream of
the Ciliwung, as their port and the Dutch, when they turned up uninvited
saw no reason to move, especially as the Bantenese weren't too keen on
them. What remains in this area of North Jakarta is a legacy mostly of
the Dutch.
Take for example the VOC
Cafe. This beautifully renovated building with its air conditioned bar
and dining facilities was once the scene of back breaking work as ships
loaded and unloaded their wares in sweatshop conditions that would have
liberal Amsterdam up in arms today.
Just opposite the
Watchtower on the same side as the warehouses stand something far more
recent. The Pantara (Pantai Utara or North Beach) monument was erected
in 1996 as a reminder of Jakarta's aquatic past.
Down one side of the one
time warehouse flows, barely, one of the many canals that were used to
transport man and merchandise in those far of days. Across the road is
the old Watchtower of more recent vintage, dating back to the mere 19th
century. For many decades a flag pole here was used to send and receive
messages to vessels floating in the crowded shipping lanes of the Bay
but that was done away with, I wonder whether contemporary heritage nuts
bemoaned its passing, to be replaced by this sturdier building at the
crossroads of Ciliwung and canal.
Follow the path that runs
alongside the Watchtower and hang a left and here you'll find some more
old Dutch warehouses. Today they hold a tidy and useful Maritime Museum,
or Museum Bahari. Within white washed walls which once represented the
city walls of Batavia this museum suffers from lack of investment and
intention. Jakarta, and once Batavia, sits at the heart of a vast
archipelago built on the sea trade. Sitting in air conditioned offices
in Sudirman it is all too easy to forget the heritage of this city now
seemingly represented by the the hideous Monas was on the waves and not
the tarmac.
The best time to get here
is early morn before the traders set up their stalls and pretty much
erase the wall from sight making it all to easy to miss or ignore. Note
the last remaining lookout post. If onlt these walls could talk...
 
Kampong Luar Batang
Continue past the walls
after of course walking round the exhibits, turn left and then take the
narrow alley way. This uneven path, you would forget about being in
Jakarta round here, and you reach a Bridge of Boats but don't worry you
don't have to cross the canal here. You could of course but the more
sturdy looking bridge works just as well. Look north to see the canal
join the Ciliwung and make out the ships from the outer islands berthed
at Sunda Kelapa. I have no idea where Pasar Ikan ends and Luar Batang
begins, I guess nobody except the post man and I can't see him losing
too much sleep over it.
The guide books have the
frequently renovated mosque as the main attraction but for me just
walking round these narrow streets was worth the effort of getting to
this distant part of town.
Sunda Kelapa
The old port, long
replaced by Tanjung Priok which lies a few miles east along the coast,
frequently attracts old schooners and phinsis from Sulawesi and
Kalimantan. Getting on the berthed boats is no problem, nothing ever is
when money is available but I would recommend taking one of the very
unstable looking low sided boats for a quick tour round the harbour. We
paid 20,000 IDR for about 10 minutes when I managed to sit very still
and take some pretty unimpressive pictures. I get seasick taking a bath,
I sat petrified in the boat praying some boy racer wouldn't have me
rocking in his wake. The Phinsi Cafe by the entrance offers cold beer
but for some reason that was never explained to me we didn't get in.
Getting There and Away
Taxi! You could probably
walk here from Kota railway station by Taman Fatihillah. A good way of
getting round would be the local bicycle taxi. A regular taxi with a
cushioned seat behind the rider. The usual bajajs and buses fill the
streets, less so in Luar Batang.
Sources:
Historical Sites of
Jakarta - A Heuken |
