So, you have been riding on several Cho Cho Train in shopping mall as well as during the Dutch train exhibition at Erasmus Huis. How about riding on the real train in Jakarta?
Well, if you still remember, this is not the first time for you to get into real train. You have been taking the MRT in Singapore. But it will be different experience altogether. There are more variety of train passing in Jakarta train station. There are Local Economy train, which is very classic. Or, the cargo train, with long blue carriage. And then, the one that you will ride on: The Commuter Line. Plus, an experience of getting down into the track.
On Saturday, 2nd November 2014, Mom drop us at Rawabuntu train station. Mom got to do few things, then she will pick us up around our destination: Stasiun Jakarta Kota. We have plenty of time to spend in Rawabuntu, so after a short briefing by Dad as your tour guide today, we took some picture. Things went well, until a Rangkas Jaya train passing by.
The noise of train passing by caught you off guard. “Takut”, you said while holding Dad’s arm. ” Ga pa pa”, Dad said. When it is announced that the next train will took us to Serpong, Dad took you down to the track, crossing the platform. This time, the Commuter Line train come in, and we took a short ride to Stasiun Serpong.
Instantly, your fear was replaced by joy of riding on the real train. We alight at Stasiun Serpong, waiting for the Commuter Line that will took us to Jakarta. Each time a train pass by, you will say “Kereta Datang”. “No, not yet Ethan, that is not our train”.
Finally, our train come. You got a seat, or more correctly, standing on the seat and sticking your nose on the window to the north. The track to Jakarta run in parallel with Jakarta – Serpong Toll Road. Soon you start to call out each and every vehicle that you know: “Taxi, Truck, Truck Tangki, Truck Sampah, Bis”. This invites two other kids to stick their nose on the window, as well as smile from adults nearby.
Each time we stop at the station, you called out: “Udah sampe”. “No, not yet”, I said. At Stasiun Palmerah, Dad answered: “Satu lagi ya”. And finally we arrived at Stasiun Tanah Abang to transit.
And Dad made a wrong plan. Dad thought that we can took a train from Tanah Abang to Stasiun Jakarta Kota. Turns out that we need to make another transit at Stasiun Manggarai. “Oh well”, Dad said. “Looks like you are going to have a longer train ride”.
The additional ride prove to be much enjoyable. The ride from Stasiun Manggarai to Stasiun Jakarta Kota is running through elevated track. Many beautiful sight of Jakarta is visible from the height, from Monas, to the road and vehicle running below. On most of the ride, you refuse to seat, and choose to stand holding the hand rail. This reminds me of your first train ride in Singapore.
We finally arrive at Stasiun Jakarta Kota, after a much longer train ride than anticipated. As we close to enter Stasiun Jakarta Kota, you told dad, “Mau pipis”. Owkay, I thought. We are still in the train, which is still stuck waiting for the Station to clear up. And the train don’t have any toilet. A plastic water bottle suddenly come to mind. “Sabar ya”, I said, try not to put the plastic bottle in action. Thankfully, the train start moving. And the first thing that we do after we disembark from the train is to find a toilet for you.
Welcome to Stasiun Jakarta Kota, and congratulation for your first train ride in Indonesia.
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