On February 10, 2019, we went to our final outing in Indonesia before we leave on Saturday. Together with Dinda Asyifa and Ralph Benjo Azas, we went to Bogor.
Bogor is located in the south of Jakarta, in the province of West Java. It is called the “Rain City” because of the weather in the area due to frequent rain showers. It is also the center for the study of natural sciences, evident in the institution on health and nature that surrounds the city.
We went to the Tanjung Barat Train Station at around 7:00 am to ride the train to Bogor. Here, we met Dinda and with her as guide, we rode the train and took us estimated 30 minutes to arrive at Bogor Train Station. We walled through the streets of the city to go to the Presidential Palace and the botanical gardens. Along the way, we passes through the Bogor Catholic Cathedral which is one of the oldest churches in Indonesia.
As we go to the fence that divides the presidential palace with the botanical gardens, we spotted a deer that was being fed by carrots by other tourists. I felt amazed because it is my first time seeing a deer and I found it that they are calm and friendly also to humans, a way of interaction to natural creations. As we continued walking, we passed through the different offices that studies about biology and health.
After a few minutes, we reached Bogor Botanical Gardens. It was established in 1817 under the directive of the Dutch colonizers, it has been the home of various species of flora (plants) and fauna (animals). There are almost 14,000+ variety of tress within the gardens and it can be seen through the presence of large and tall trees that are old.
We were able to go to the Dutch cemetery where some of the Dutch governor generals, botanists and other significant people that helped in the development of Bogor. The highlight of the tour will be the presidential palace that is famously known as “Istana Bogor” that has been bounded by a pond from the botanical gardens. This is one of the presidential palaces in Indonesia. In its garden was spotted different replica of monuments such as of the “Little Mermaid” from the story of the same name. We were also explored the Main Garden where we were able to see the large water lily pods, in which locals believed that if someone make a wish, throw a coin and landed on one of the lily pods, then that wish will come true. We also went to the Mexican Garden where a variety of cacti species were found.
The conservation of the plants and animals were one of the focus in Bogor. It has been important since that it renew what we are using – energy and air through the by-product of plants which us oxygen. They are also witnesses to history as their appearance shows their age and can be related to the situations in the place when it has been planted. These are the reasons why taking care of nature is as important as sustaining our needs, for it can bring history to the future generations.
We ate also our lunch there: Nasi Padang, Nasi Ayam, Taho (fried tofu) and vegetables, which are being sold inside the park at affordable prices.
We left the park at around 1:30 pm (13:00) to go to the train station. As we travel, we spotted flocks of deers being taken care of at the compound of the presidential palace. We left the train station at 3:00 pm (15:00) and arrived at our homestay at around 5:00 pm (17:00)
Journey Beyond Borders 