Forget shiny skyscrapers or marble-floored malls, the most
amazing scenes of Jakarta take place in its kampongs.
In the city's oldest kampong of Luar Batang in North Jakarta,
creativity is the keyword to survive. As the sea is no longer the
perfect place to earn a living, residents of Luar Batang seek
other means to make ends meet.
Retired fishermen open game arcades on their verandas, fired
seamen rent out old, worn-out bicycle for kids while the rest try
to blend in with the rest of the city.
Lying just beside the old Sunda Kelapa harbor, Luar Batang is
originally a settlement built by seamen and fishermen who arrived
on their boats in Batavia.
During the early 17th century, the Dutch who took over the
area from former ruler Fatahillah required every boat to go
through customs check before entering the port.
While waiting for the issuance of their entrance permit, the
seamen built a temporary settlement outside the border -- a log
floated on the mouth of the Ciliwung river.
And that was how the area acquired its name, kampong Luar
Batang, which means a settlement outside the log.
The kampong may look cramped and dirty.
But, it is full of creativity and as vibrant as it always has
been.
