Jakarta’s morning haze and why I stayed up all night
woke up to my fan creaking like a grumpy old man and the smell of durian from three blocks away. the weather here is this weird soup of 28.95 degrees that feels like 35.26 because of that 83% humidity. sweat beads on my chin and I’m still half-dressed in a pajama top because who needs layers when it’s this wet outside?
last night i read this thread on a local forum someone posted about a hidden spot called Keranjong Market. turns out it’s half-empty stalls selling things you can’t find anywhere else-like dried mushrooms that taste like burnt tea. i followed a drifting scent of something spicy and ended up there. the vendor will only sell you a handful of cloves if you swear on your grandma’s photo. got me one. don’t ask why.
i hung out in this courtyard café called Kopi Pecek. the sign outside is falling apart but the coffee is strong enough to question your life choices. a middle-aged woman next to me kept quoting some random Yelp review about the owner being a con man. i didn’t believe her at first but then another guy muttered something about the pastis being ‘too strong for mortals.’ maybe they’re right. i ordered one anyway. it tasted like regret.
img src="https://unsplash.com/photos/jakarta-market?w=1080&q=80" alt="keranjong market chaos" width="100%">
img src="https://unsplash.com/photos/jakarta-coffee?w=1080&q=80" alt="kopi pecek debate" width="100%">
img src="https://unsplash.com/photos/jakarta-street?w=1080&q=80" alt="street scene at dawn" width="100%">
talking to the vendors, again and again, i heard this half-remembered rumor that the neighboring neighborhood, Cikini, has a new speakeasy. someone on a TripAdvisor thread said it’s run by expats who charge you in euros but give you lukewarm cocktails. how skeptical can you be? i ignored it. too hot to walk.
the neighbors here are… particular. one family’s cats walk in a line through my balcony every morning. they’re organized. very High Functioning. next door, a man blares Uzbek pop music 24/7. he says it’s therapeutic. i’ve never met him. he just waves. maybe he’s a ghost hunter. who knows?
someone else warned me that if I drive north, i’ll hit a traffic jam so thick it’ll swallow my car whole. another person said the air here feels like it’s holding its breath. both told me by the time I left the market, I’d be stuck wondering if I missed out on a potential cult or something. maybe I did. maybe I didn’t.
i checked the air quality app again. still 83% humidity. still 29 degrees. still this weird pressure in my ears like the city itself is holding its breath. it’s exhausting. i went back to my room, turned off the fan, and stared at the ceiling. there’s a crack in it that looks like a spiderweb. maybe it’s a metaphor. or maybe I just need more coffee. I don’t know. i’ll figure it out tomorrow. or never. who cares?
links: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Visit/Indonesia/Jakarta/Attractions?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=travelguide https://www.yelp.com/biz/kopi-pecek-jakarta https://jakarta-local-guide.com/forums/hidden-spots