Old Artifacts New Faces

Author Background: Strong advocate that there should be just as many pictures as there are pages in a book. Writing and my happiness are inversely related. Class of 2019.

As the title of this post so succinctly puts it, day two and three of our Jakarta visit can be summed up using a combination of four simple words: old, artifacts, new, and faces.

Word combo one: old artifacts.

Our first destination was the National Museum of Indonesia, also locally known as the 'Elephant Building'. Similar to the other national museums I have meandered through, this museum offered a wide selection of displays ranging from prehistoric artifacts to ceramics to the formation of society. This museum is considered one of the best in all of SouthEast Asia. Unfortunately, the newer half of the museum was closed for renovations, but it was still an interesting experience.

pictures: [1] entrance ticket [2] mids in front of the elephant statue [3] history on the prehistoric bones found in Java [4] mids pretending to look studious when in reality all the plaques are in Bahasa [5] Hindu-Buddhist stone statue [6] ancient Sanskrit stone

Word combo two: new faces.

Following our early morning exploration of the museum, we were invited to visit the US Embassy to glean some knowledge about the world's largest archipelago. After a delicious lunch, our motley crew of Navy and Marine Corps attachés, midshipmen, and professor were ushered into the Embassy compound for two educational briefs.

In a room far too small and way too hot, we were met by three Department of State employees--- an economist, a public affairs officer, and...a law... criminal justice...guy. His official title eludes me at the moment. They gave us country rundown brief that included an overview of the economic state of the country as well as all the criminal activity that runs through Indonesia. Our second meeting was much more military focused and we learned about the cooperation between our two armed forces and potential future developments.

Then. We met the Ambassador. And took lots of photos. In our whites. Because the Academy loves summer whites. and. so. do. we.

pictures: [1] Ambassador Donovan [2] USS Houston. cool story. look it up. [3] outside the US Embassy

Word combo three: new art[ifacts].

Day three of Jakarta was comprised two activities, one of them being a visit to the National Art Gallery. I've included some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit below.

While waiting for our Grabcar, Jessica and I were approached by a small group of Indonesian college girls who asked to interview us for a project. They asked us about traveling and friends. It was a really sweet and fun encounter. Having never traveled in Asia with Caucasian people, I will say all the photo requests and extra attention in the streets is quite amusing.

pictures: ha sike. you thought I was going to caption all these photos for you.

Word combo four: old faces.

Well. Not really old, per say, but the ones that have been plastered all over this blog. For our last dinner in Jakarta, we treated ourselves to a nice rooftop bar and lounge in the heart of the city. Located on the 56th floor, the Skye Bar and Lounge Restaurant not only gave us a spectacular view of the Jakarta skyline, but also some delicious food.

pictures: [1] inside Skye Restaurant [2] edge of the rooftop bar at Skye

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I would say our stay in Jakarta was a success and I can't wait to come back here someday.