Soekarno's last... erection*?!

*erection is the local translation for construction or edifice

If we had any doubt that Indonesia was the hottest place under the sun, they’re gone now. A morning trip to the national monument raised, one of the last of President Soekarno’s era,  provided many of us a chance to show off our new batiks, the traditional dress of Indonesia. Some chose to rock the short sleeve version, akin to a sports coat and chinos, while others opted for the long sleeve which is equivalent to a suit. You stay classy San Diego Jakarta.

The national monument towers over the center of Jakarta, built to remember the Indonesian struggle for independence. It towers over the city and bears a golden flame atop symbolizing the never extinguished spirit of the Indonesian people. Monas, as it is called by the locals, is a must-see for any tourists, so up we went. As we waded through the throngs of people we soon realized what is like to be a minor celebrity. Amazingly our batiks didn’t fool any of the natives to our true colors, and all eyes were upon us. Dozens of uniformed school children ran by in a chorus of “Hi! Hi! Hi!” and a group of mothers at the monument swooned as they snapped pictures with each member of our group individually, especially LT Prager. I suppose being white and 2-3 feet taller than everyone else is kind of a big deal.

We arrived at the top after two hours of drop-dead heat. The unbearable stream of sweat down our calves and patches of sweat on our pant legs led us to a bit of nostalgia and the ultimate truth—Plebe Summer never ends.  The view of the city was magnificent, and provided us our first true glance at the pollution of Jakarta, as a haze obstructed the skyline of the sprawling city. Kate “Hawkeye” Okker-Edging caught a glimpse of the good old stars and stripes waving below and led us to the American Embassy for a quick chat with CAPT Stacpoole and some new contacts. After a speedy jaunt in a Blue Bird Taxi we found ourselves back at the hotel after a short three hour trip through the famous downtown Jakarta traffic. Never again will I complain about the beltway.