Jakarta

Over Chinese New Year we went to visit Jack and Jan in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is the first time we have gone to visit them and we had a great time. Elyse was a trooper. After we landed in Jakarta we waited in lines, waited for a taxi, and then had about a 2 hour taxi ride to the apartment. We arrived after her bed time, but she settled in and slept until 9 the next morning.

Jack and Jan live in a nice apartment complex. Elyse loved walking around the grounds which were decorated with Balinese statues and had ponds with turtles and fish. One day she went out with Grammy and "crashed" a New Years party and then another day she splashed around in the puddles.

That next day we went to Jakarta's National Monument. There was a huge line, but a man noticed us as "foreigners" -we did stick out a bit- and offered to take us to the front of the line (for a price of course). So, we took him up on his offer and we were guided to the front and got up to the top of the monument very quickly. At the top we could see a lot of the city. Elyse, of course, got a lot of attention and a few pictures taken of her. At the base of the monument there was the Indonesian Constitution and the history of Indonesia in dioramas. It was interesting.

On Sunday we went to Jack and Jan's church and met some great people. In the afternoon we went to a nearby mall and got souvenirs.

Monday Toby and I had a day to ourselves since Elyse got to spend time with just her Grammy and Gramps. Toby and I went to a place called Taman Mini. It is a large park that has structures resembling the different houses/temples etc. tribes of Indonesia. As we walked around it came to my attention the I am married to a celebrity. Many times during the day Toby was approached by locals. They wanted their picture taken with him. I was included in the pictures as well, but I think they were just being polite. (that's not the way I remember it-tjh)

We went back to the mall after Taman Mini and bought some more souvenirs and had some Starbucks. The following day we were on our way back home. Although it was a quick trip, we had a great time.

The View From Jack and Jan's Balcony

Motorcycles are family vehicles. Can you see the baby?

Elyse enjoyed being on the balcony. Here she is trying to see the view.