Jakarta Diary--the View on the Way to the Hotel

At first glance it was as if I never left the country. Jakarta, or what I saw on my way to the hotel, looks so familiar.

Until I noticed the driver was seated on my right.

One of the interesting landmarks near the airport.

This reminds me of trips via expressway to Pampanga, a province north of Manila.

This wouldn't look out of place in Makati, the country's central business district. The skyscrapers, though, seem grander.

Jakarta is an hour behind Manila. We arrived around 5 pm, just in time to experience the gridlock, Indonesia-style. Again, this reminds me of home.

Our hotel is located near the Selamat Datang (Welcome) monument, featuring statues of a man and woman on a pedestal. This was built in time for the Asian Games in the '60s.

The monument, near the hotel, was fitting, as I slept in the embrace of a city that is both familiar and unfamiliar.