I left the office at 16:00 to Bus station in Kampung Rambutan. I wanted to go to the Museum by busway. It was the second time I used this transportation means and the first time without a friend accompanying. So, a little bit nervous. I arrived at the bus station at 17:00 and started to look around searching for the busway ticket window. I departed at 17:30 from Kampung Rambutan to Kampung Melayu bus station through Corridor VII – via Tanah Merdeka, Makro, RS Harapan Bunda, Kramat Jati Market, Junior High School 49, PGC, BAKN, Christian University of Indonesia, BNN, Gelanggang Remaja, Department of Finance. The bus ran slowly :(
Reaching the busway station in Kampung Melayu, I changed Corridor V to Matramam. From there, I took Corridor IV to Dukuh Atas. Kity had been waiting there since around 18:00 while my bus was slow and trapped in traffic congestion. I finally reached Dukuh Atas around 18:40. Oh my God. We would be late as the event would be on time, they said. Kity and I, then, took Corridor I to Stasiun Kota Jakarta which is very near from the Museum. Actually we planned to go on foot to the Museum from the busway station, but as we had to catch the scheduled time, we went there by bajaj.
Arriving at the West Gate of the Museum, we saw many people, but could not find any members of the OC. After looking around and asking several people, we decided to follow the direction sign board, and finally found the venue around 19:30. We thought we were late, but thank God, we only missed the briefing. The tour was just about to begin when we finished registration. The participants were divided in 2 teams and each lead by a tour guide.
Museum Fatahillah is also well known as Museum Sejarah Jakarta or Museum Batavia. It is located on Jl. Taman Fatahillah No. 1, West Jakarta with 1,300 sqm. This building which was previously a city hall (Stadhuis or Balai Kota) was built from 1707-1710 as instructed by Governor General Johan van Hoorn. It was similar with Dam Palace in Amsterdam. It has three stories and consists of office, judgment room, underground rooms which were used as prisons, both for men and women. The tour guide told that Prince Diponegoro and a heroine from Aceh, Cut Nya’ Dien, were among of those prisoners. The building has the 17th architecture; the floors are painted in yellowish brown; the window and door frames are made of teak and painted in green color.
When we came into the room by room, many old antique furniture were displayed, such as chairs, beds, and big round tables. They are made of teak and each has hundred years of age. Amazing! This kind of wood is famous of its strength and resistance to termites. There are two methods of maintenance, i.e. the daily maintenance, such as cleaning the dust every morning before the museum opens, and the periodically 6 months to handle specific problems, such as ‘graffiti’ occasionally done by visitors of high school students.
During the explanations about the museums; its history and artifacts, the guide sometimes told us the horror stories. Well, as the museum keeps many old things, the atmosphere is spooky. He told about ghosts of certain figures of the old times that occasionally showed in front of the certain visitors, or a picture of a Dutch governor whose eyeballs could move toward left or right….Hmmm…the artist was incredible, I guess :). Oh ya, I saw the portrait of Governor Daendels. Wheww…He had to be very handsome :) well, the guide said that he was indeed the most handsome governor; the most successful one. And the cruelest. What a combination!
We also came inside the prisons. First, we came into the female prison. The height of the door was only 140 cm…not too low for my height. I walked inside confidently without bending my back. I got my head knocked. When we were inside the underground prison, all of us squatted listening to the guide. Suddenly I had an idea to stand up and guess…The height of the room is just exactly same as my height hehehe...Sometimes, being low is a bless wakakaka....After that, we came inside the prisons for men. The height of the room is higher than the female prison, of course, but both are dark and stingy.
Finishing the museum tour, we visited the Exhibition of Jakarta after Reformation which was also held in the same complex from 27 May to 27 June 2008. It shows the pictures of the national Crisis and May Riot in 1998, the 4 presidents elected after the reformation, the chaotic condition, the tolls and sacrifices for the democracy, and the current government.
The tour ended around 20:45 and then we had a dinner, quizzes….hurray…I won one of the prizes. I got a light brown SM purse. And finally all of us posed for the July edition magazine :)
My friend and I went home. I slept in my friend’s house as it would be too late for me to go back to mine.
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