A Walk Through the Neighborhood

Jakarta is not conducive to walking. The sidewalks are in disrepair if they exist at all and there are no crosswalks. Basically, if you want to cross a road you have to hold up your hand and stop the traffic yourself! You definitely cannot walk at night. I tried to walk home from a nearby mall in the evening and almost stepped in a big hole in the sidewalk that I could NOT see the bottom of!

There are some neighborhoods around our complex that are not too congested and it is safe to walk on back roads and avoid the dangerous sidewalks.

Neighborhoods surround the skyscrapers in Jakarta

Our apartment and the surrounding neighborhood.

Michael and I took a walk one morning near our apartment. After a 20 minute walk I had enough photos to show you the stark differences between the rich and the poor in every neighborhood. Beautiful houses sit side by side next to homes that are in complete disrepair. Literal mansions are directly across the street from Kampungs (Indonesian villages). Many people live right on the polluted rivers that run through Jakarta and because city water is not provided, they get their water directly from these rivers and have to use it for cleaning and bathing. The majority of groundwater in Jakarta has been contaminated so Indonesians and expatriates have to purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking.

We walked through the neighborhood for about 10 minutes and passed by homes and  street vendors until we reached the closest mall, Senayan City. It is so amazing how the traditional sellers exist among the stunning 64 malls that are in Jakarta! We also walked past Binus University, which is actually one of the study abroad colleges affiliated with UNC Wilmington!

The temperature is about 85 degrees every day, so we never have to worry about grabbing a coat for a walk! Other than the dangerous sidewalks and the traffic the streets of Jakarta are very safe. All along our walk everyone smiled and greeted us warmly. Children are busy playing and adults are busy making a living. Not much different from a daytime stroll in a US city! 😉