Indonesia: Around Jakarta's old Kota District and Sunda Kelapa Port

I'm back in Jakarta, Indonesia. And one of the first places I visited was Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also known as Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), the seat of government of Indonesia under Dutch colonial rule. It's a heritage district which is very much intact, having been saved from any WWII bombings which devastated Philippine cities like Manila. Sadly, most of the buildings are unused and in a state of decay. But a visit to the old Kota District makes an interesting walking tour.

I asked the taxi to drop me off close to Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Square) where the former Stadhuis (city hall) of Batavia still stands. This structure built in 1710 houses the Jakarta History Museum (Museum Sejarah Jakarta), which is also called the Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum.

Among the items you'll find in the museum are objects from the Dutch East Indies Company, historic maps, paintings, ceramics, furnitures and archeological objects from the prehistoric era. Entrance to the museum is Rp2000.

Also around Fatahillah Square are two other museums namely the Wayang Museum and the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum.



The Wayang Museum is a showcase of Javanese wayang puppetry. The current building is located in a site previously occupied by the Old Dutch Church built in 1640. The church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1808. The garden of the Wayang Museum is the former yard of the Dutch church, the burial place of Governor General Jan Pieterszoon Coen and other governors general.

The current building dates back to 1912, initially functioning as a warehouse of the Geo Wehry and Co. The building got its current look in 1938 when it was adjusted to Dutch colonial architecture.

Inside the museum are various kinds of wayang, such as wayang kulit and wayang golek. Entrance to the museum is Rp2000.


The Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum (Museum Seni Rupa dan Keramik) is a showcase of paintings of local artists and ceramics of Indonesia. The building where it is currently housed was completed in 1870, and was used as the Court of Justice. Entrance to the museum is Rp2000.


I took an ojek (motorcycle for hire) to Sunda Kelapa, the old port of Jakarta which has been in continuous use since the 12th century. It was the main port of Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran. The old Sunda Kelapa port only accommodates pinisi or Makassarese schooners, a traditional two masted wooden ship. There are guides in the tourist information office who can take you up the boats. But you'll have to haggle for the guide fee.


Nearby is the old Uitkijk Lookout Tower which offers a great view of the Sunda Kelapa Port.


I took an ojek back to Kota (Rp10000) and was dropped off at the Jakarta Kota Train Station, another heritage landmark. The station, completed in 1870 and renovated in 1926, is a combination of Western Art Deco and local architecture styles.

Outside you'll notice some of the traditional modes of public transport in Jakarta, the bajaj (pronounced as bajay, their local tricycle) and the mikrolet (the local version of the multicab).



Walking around, you can see a lot of the buildings still standing. In 1972, then Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin issued a decree that officially designated the Jakarta Kota area a heritage site, as part of efforts to preserve the city's architectural heritage. Slowly, the different buildings are being restored. But the slow progress has left many of the buildings in a state of decay.

At least Indonesia is lucky it still has something to restore. For Manila, not much is left. Which is why we fight hard to preserve the little that is left. It's close to impossible to bring back what is no longer there.

Cebu: Sizzling beef and pork pochero at Abuhan Dos

After hearing so much about this sizzling pochero from Cebu City, I finally got to try it out at Abuhan Dos. Pochero is actually the Cebuano term for bulalo. So what they actually serve is sizzling bulalo. You can order the pochero the regular way with soup. Beef Pochero comes in large (Php373) and medium (Php304) bowls. While a bowl of Pork Pochero is Php186.


The Sizzling Beef Pochero comes in large (Php384) and medium (Php315) servings. While the Sizzling Pork Pochero costs Php192. We got ourselves a sizzling plate each of beef and pork pochero which comes with a generous serving of mushroom sauce in a bowl. The pork pochero is better for me. It's actually recommended by the locals.

Also among the specialties of Abuhan Dos are Balbacua (Php165), a traditional Cebuano oxtail broth, Kare-kare (Php196), Callos (Php226), Lengua Estofada (Php226), Bicol Express (Php111) and Caldereta (Php226).

Abuhan Dos
176 F. Ramos Street, Cebu City

Bulacan: What can be called traditional Bulacan food?

Last week, I got invited to deliver a lecture at a Bulacan heritage food forum and cooking competition in Paombong, Bulacan. I was quite interested as to what can be considered traditional dishes of Bulacan. I was surprised to find out that there are some similarities between Pampanga and Bulacan when is comes to traditional food, particularly bringhi and the various frog dishes.



There was Batute, Adobong Palaka and Aligasin at Damuko sa Tuba. Bringhe ng Tagumpay is like the Pampanga bringhe although this one is wrapped in banana leaf cones that make servings good for one. Also on the table was Lumpia ng Kalayaan, Hamon Bulakenya and Asado de Carajay, On the seafood list was Nilasing na Hipon, Alimango sa Misua, and Alimango ng Hagonoy which are from the coastal towns of Bulacan.

What other traditional Bulacan dishes do you know of?

Pahiyas, Agawan and Mayohan, Quezon festivals for San Isidro Labrador

Quezon is known for the various festivals held in celebration of the feast of San Isidro Labrador. These are the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Agawan Festival in Sariaya and Mayohan Festival in Tayabas. We got to visit these three Quezon towns plus San Pablo, Laguna.



We visited the town of Sariaya first and marveled at their grand Art Deco mansions. Three of them were declared Heritage Houses by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, namely the Natalio Enriquez House, Rodriguez House and Gala-Rodriguez House.



The Sariaya Church and the different houses were all colorfully decorated with local produce and goodies for the agawan which would happen later in the day.



From Sariaya, we visited the Tayabas Basilica, a National Cultural Treasure. At about 3 p.m., a procession of the image of San Isidro Labrador makes its way around town. As the image passes by every house, suman or glutinous rice cakes, are hurled out the balconies and windows in the hundreds, causing a mad rush among the procession participants. The more you get, the more blessings for the family and the more suman to eat!


The Pahiyas Festival in Lucban is the most popular and no doubt, the most colorful of the three festivals. The procession of the image of San Isidro Labrador usually makes its way around town first thing in the morning at about 7:30 a.m.



Every year, the procession route changes. And only houses along the procession route are decorated. Usually, it takes about seven years before the procession passes by a house again. So that gives a household enough time to save resources and prepare for the colorful and ostentatious decorations that are an inherent part of the Pahiyas.

The afternoon is reserved for a lively parade that makes its way around town. But unfortunately, this parade has been invaded by not so subtle commercial advertising. Anyway, I'll talk about the delicious Southern Tagalog food we ate in another post.

Surigao del Norte: Mabua Beach and more from Surigao City

Surigao del Norte is best known for Siargao Island and Cloud 9, one of the top surfing spots in the country. Surigao del Sur is also known for surfing, particularly Lanuza. While there are direct flights to Siargao via Cebu, major carriers also fly to Surigao City which has flights from both Manila and Cebu.


I was in Surigao City for a night. So I made use of the little time I had to visit its most popular beach, Mabua Beach, and the Surigao del Norte Provincial Capitol which is one of the few remaining heritage structures in Surigao City.

Mabua Beach is actually a pebble beach about 30 minutes away from the city proper. You can hire a tricycle to get there. There are some resorts in the area plus huts for day visitors.

Another beach worth visiting is Basul Island, a fine white sand islet close to the city.


Surigao is one of the gateways to Caraga's surfing areas. There are regular ferry services from Surigao to Siargao which take between two to four hours depending on the type of boat you'll use. Public transport is also available going to Lanuza. The trip can take between three to five hours depending on whether you'll hire a private van or take the bus. Private vans to Lanuza can cost you from Php3000 one-way.

Hong Kong: Victoria Harbour & Hong Kong skyline from Avenue of the Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline is best viewed from Avenue of the Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. So if you want a photo representative of modern Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui is the place to get it.


In the evening, the lights of the buildings make the panoramic views even more stunning. I remember way back in 2005, the buildings were part of a light and sounds show viewed from Avenue of the Stars. I wonder if it's still done now.


Another grand view of Victoria Harbour is of course from the top of Victoria Peak. So when you visit Hong Kong, make sure to have photos taken from those two places for memorable pictures!

Hong Kong: Hawker food and dim sum 點心 in Hong Kong

When in Hong Kong, make sure to try the hawker food and dim sum 點心! Near our hotel in Mongkok, there was this really attractive hawker stall right beside Langham Place which sold steamed and fried dim sum.

You basically bought it per stick which included siomai, beef balls, fish balls, fried tofu, sausages wrapped in bacon, and even fried pig intestine. It was served to you in a styrofoam container and you can choose which sauce to put. The price per stick was between HK$7 to 12. They had this really delicious dark brown shrimp sauce which we liked a lot. Which is why we had this for a midnight snack for two consecutive nights!


Another midnight snack we had was noodle toppings. But I wasn't really to delighted with it.


During our last day, my SSEAYP friend from Singapore, Joy Lim, took us for some dim sum in the Central area. She even had to call her friends to make sure that we had some of the best dim sum in town! (I'll post the address when I get back to Manila)



We had among others, siumai 燒賣 (Chinese dumplings), har gow 蝦餃 (shrimp dumplings), char siu bau 叉燒包 (barbecue pork buns), char siu sou 叉燒酥 (baked pork buns), cheong fun 豬腸粉 (steamed rice roll), paigu 排骨 (pork spareribs), sin jyut gyun 鮮竹捲 (tofu skin roll) and lo mai gai 糯米雞 (glutinous rice chicken).

What's your favorite Hong Kong food experience?

Tsui Hang Village
2/F New World Tower, 16-18 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong
Tel No. 25242012

Hong Kong: Getting up Victoria Peak 太平山 and the Peak Tram

Despite being to Hong Kong several times, I've never gone up Victoria Peak until now. Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island and provides spectacular views of Hong Kong and Kowloon, its harbor and skyscrapers.

There are several ways to get up Victoria Peak. The more popular, faster and direct route is the Peak Tram 山頂纜車, a funicular railway that started operations in 1888. Tickets cost HK$36 for round-trip and HK$25 for one way. Children from 3 to 11, and seniors pay HK$16 & HK$9 respectively. The Peak Tram operates from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight everyday.

They have a new viewing deck up Victoria Peak called the Sky Terrace which offers the highest and undisturbed views of Hong Kong. If you plan to visit, make sure you get the Peak Tram Sky Pass which is HK$56 for round-trip (inclusive of Peak Tram and Sky Terrace entrance) and HK$45 for one way. Kids and seniors pay HK$26 and HK$19 respectively. Entrance to the Sky Terrace alone is HK$25.


Up Victoria Peak, we got to enjoy the view at Lions Pavilion. Unfortunately, it was foggy so we didn't get to see the clear view.

Another way up Victoria Peak is by bus. Actually, it's a good idea to take the Peak Tram up and a bus down since the views during the bus ride are nice too. This is what we did. The bus down costs HK$8.40. The buses stop by entrance D1 of the Central MTR Station.

Taxis and private cars are also another way to drive up and down the Peak Road. For those with the energy, walking up the steep Old Peak Road from the Zoological Botanical Gardens is also an option.