[Soma]

(04-08-2013 12:50 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

There´s always Jalan Jaksa. The backpacker/expat/African "businessman"/shore whore hang out. A rough place if you like that kind of thing. Go to Memories bar, an old Skywalker hangout.

At first, when rolling dolo, I'd pregame at Memories and chat up the expats and other randoms to get in a social mood. Decent, low-key place for a cheap beer or six. A few too many annoying gays and pros later on, though. Close by, Melly's is ok too for a beer.

Funny story: I was struggling to find a decent, easily accessible place to do laundry so I decided to try out Jalan Jaksa. I walked up and down the street and asked a bunch of people, but surprisingly no dice. Just as I was going to get a taxi away, out of nowhere a little old lady pops out from a side street and offers to do it for me at a very reasonable rate. In my hungover, tired, and very sweaty state I agreed. She pointed at some random street food vendor and told me to ask her tomorrow for my cleaned clothes, and then disappeared from whence she came with 75% of my travel wardrobe. As I was leaving I realized, with no contact info or even any indication that the food vendor knew the old lady, that this might not have been my wisest decision. After a pretty worrying night I show up the next day, talked to the vendor, she makes a quick call and sure enough my clothes reappear a minute later fresh and clean. I've never been so relieved in my life to pick up laundry.

Jalan Jaksa, due to the lowest accommodation prices in the city center, is becoming increasing popular with people coming in from the Jakarta suburbs to stay for a night or two over the weekend, as driving home after a night out could literally take them hours.