Bogor: Rain, Ghosts, and Seriously Overpriced Coffee
okay, wow. bogor. i’m sitting in this tiny warung - seriously, it’s basically a corrugated iron shack with a plastic table - and it’s raining. like, really raining. i just checked and it’s...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. it’s humid, of course, like, aggressively humid. i think i’m sweating through my shirt already.
I’m trying to wrap my head around this place. it’s… intense. it’s like, a weird mix of colonial history, a serious obsession with plants (the botanical gardens are apparently insane - check out the reviews on TripAdvisor, seriously, you need to see those pictures), and this constant, low-level drizzle. it’s supposed to be a ‘hill station’ or something, which i guess makes sense given the elevation. it’s definitely cooler than Jakarta, which is a massive relief.
I spent the morning wandering around the Presidential Palace. it’s actually pretty impressive, all grand and European-looking, a stark contrast to the surrounding chaos. someone told me that the Dutch really loved escaping the heat there, which, honestly, makes a weird kind of sense. it’s a bit creepy, though, knowing it was built as a summer retreat for guys who were, you know, colonizers.
Then there’s the botanical gardens. seriously, it’s overwhelming. like, thousands of plants. i got completely lost for an hour. i think i saw a guy wearing a pith helmet. it felt… appropriate. i also stumbled upon this little cafe that served the most ridiculously overpriced coffee. like, $8 for a small latte. i almost cried. i heard that the local food is pretty good, though - Sundanese cuisine, lots of vegetables and spicy sambals. i haven’t braved it yet, mostly because i’m terrified of the rain and the humidity.
I’m trying to figure out where to go next. if you get bored, Depok is just a short drive away, and Sukabumi’s supposed to be a bit wilder. i’m also considering just hiding in the botanical gardens until the rain stops. honestly, i’m not sure. it’s a lot.
It’s a weird place, bogor. a little bit haunted, a little bit beautiful, and definitely drenched. i’m going to go find another overpriced coffee. wish me luck.
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