Exploring Jakarta with Jakarta Good Guide

I always love exploring cities. Because I think it is very fun to visit city landmarks and interesting spots, see different culture in every places I visited, tasting local food, and discovering "hidden treasures"

I have been living in Jakarta since 2014, tough I went to my parents home in Bogor at the weekend. One of my wishlists while living in Jakarta is exploring this Capital City of Indonesia. And thanks to my friend who introduced me to Jakarta Good Guide, a tour guide organization that will guide you exploring Jakarta by walking!

And it's time for walk. I was asked by H, the Jakarta Good Guide member to meet up at Museum Polri, our walking tour this time was Blok M area. At Museum Polri (or Police Museum) we were guided by the policewoman who looked grumpy but actually funny (wajah galak tapi hati lawak :p).
She was very informative and made the tour around the museum very fun. Since the policewoman cannot speak English (but she can speak Chinese), the foreigner was guided by a member of Jakarta Good Guide

The Statue of Sutarman, the first Head Police of Indonesia, he was so tall almost 200 cm

Quotes from Hoegeng, one of the most honest police in Jakarta:
"It is good to be an important person, but it is more important to be a good person"

Fingerprints, Photo, some information of the first criminal defendants in Indonesia

After Museum Polri, we continued our walk through Mabes Polri (Indonesian Police Headquarter) in front of the Headquarter there is Gajah Mada statue, which has a unique history behind, The face of Gajah Mada actually was taken from Kombes Pol M. Yasin. The statue maker almost meet the deadline to make the statue, but he could not finish becaus he was not sure how Gajah Mada's face should be, then he asked M. Yasin to lend his photo, then voila the statue of Gajah Mada was finished on time with M. Yasin face on it.

The Giant Gajah Mada Statue

We then continued our walk to Al Azhar mosque, then to ASEAN headquarter, our guide also told us the history of the ASEAN making and the current situation of ASEAN agreement, we then went to Martha Tahahu park, who died when she was 17 years old, Martha's father was executed by the dutch, the dutch actually was planned to executed her too, but since she was so young, the dutch let her alive. Martha then lead the army to fight the dutch, but her army was lose, and she was exiled. On the way, on the boat, Martha refused to eat, and died on the way to the island. The dutch then entomb her in the sea with tribute.

Next to Martha Tahahu park there is Blok M area. Blok M is one of the most famous area in Jakarta. In the early 1990s Blok M was the first area where with shopping mall in South Jakarta. Blok M was on of the housing area planned by the dutch. At first there are 19 blocks from A to S for housing area, but now only three left, including Blok M. At Blok M, there are several parks, shopping area, and lot of Japanese restaurants. The Japanese restaurants around Blok M has the original taste from Japan, which makes lot of Japanese visiting this place, and maybe that's why this area was called Little Tokyo. The walking tour actually should finished at Taman Ayodya, the first park with WiFi in Jakarta, but since it was raining. The tour stopped in front of the first 7-eleven in Indonesia which located near SMAN 6 & SMAN 70. The guide also told the stories of those two high school and the interesting places around there.

The tour was interesting and the guide was quite informative. This tour is a good choice if you want to refresh your mind, and refresh your memory (of history, of course). Jakarta Good Guide is a Good Alternative of Exploring Jakarta. Cannot wait for my next trip!

If you wanna join you may check their schedule on their website: https://jakartagoodguide.wordpress.com/ 

At Ayodya Park, went to this place with my new friend from the trip, D.