TO BOGOR CITY by TRAIN, COOL IN THE WEST OF HECTIC JAKARTA CITY

Hectic, hot weather, crowded, traffic Jakarta Metropolitan city, capital of Indonesia may negative affected to Jakarta citizen. But don't worry too much, just go out to neighbor town, eastward, 90 minutes drive by train to Bogor city, well known cool and a lot of rain, that is why, called Rainy city .

Take advantage of cheap, convenience, on time train, schedules regularly from early till 10 pm, Economic class train just Rp. 2.000  and Air condition train, less than US.$ 1 or Rp.7.000,- for 90 minutes drive. You may carry your bike, pay as one person ticket. Totally one person pay Rp. 28.000 return ticket, included a bike. 

The start point station begin in Jakarta kota station, old down town, west Jakarta. You may take a taxi or Bus way.. If you stay in South or Central Jakarta, nearer going to Manggarai staion in South Jakarta. Not too far from Bus way stop at Manggarai too.

Enter the train at Manggarai Station, South of Jakarta, after pay the ticket at the counter, go to line 6 (six) in farther west side. To make sure you enter the right car, Air con car, look to the one with automatic doors in both sides. The cars with open doors belong to the second class, the cheaper one. If you are a man, make sure not enter the last cars, the cars assigned especially for women.

In order to get a seat, my advise, go to start point station in Jakarta kota, West Jakarta. As train enter Manggarai station in the south, maybe all seats occupied. But don't worry, later in a half way, you could get a seat, some passengers reach their destinations.On the way back to Jakarta, start point station is Bogor station, than you get so many vacant seats to choose, that will be filled  in by the new passengers in the next station.

Two mayor destinations in Bogor, but this time will not go through in details, we may go to the net searching first Bogor Botanical garden (Kebon Raya Bogor) and the second is Bogor Palace.

Botanical garden with various kind of trees, old, big trees, flowers in green environments, will keep you intend to stay longer in the chairs in open air in the  garden for visitors to break to enjoy the green environment as far as you can see.

Second is Bogor Palace, under Central Government administration, bordered with Botanical garden in the center of the city. Once you step down from the train, walking or pedal your bike out of the station you may see the Palace. The Palace fenced around but clearly you can see the building far away from the main road, standing firm in white color and high ceiling, built in Dutch era. No one President ever lived here. In the green yard a lots of deers freely play not to scare to the cars passing or people come close to approach in the fence.

My imagination return back to Dutch era hundred years before, when The Netherlands colonized Indonesia. Some high officials may preferred lived in the cool air, just like in their country or spend the weekend in silent and green environment. The town designed in order, rounding the Palace. Today you can see an old building across the Palace, a mayor office.Just opposite the Palace at least  3 (tree) Catholic churches . And in the back side of the Palace is Botanical garden.
Across the street facing the castle, see an old building Dutch old type an office belong to Bogor mayor look like as an office for the staff of the Dutch governor in the Duttch era. The town lay out designed from Dutch era and now crowded by the cars and the growth of citizen in the last few decades after freedom in 1945

In the main road, in between the Palace and the Botanical garden grow business houses and building including modern mall and western restaurant. To take a break you may have lunch or a cup of coffee and take a close contact with local people who speak local language, Sundanese beside general understandable Bahasa Indonesia.

You may go back to Jakarta late at night at 10 pm, but if you intend to reach Jakarta before night fall, take 4.10 train and you will be in Jakarta at 5.30 pm.
Since no information of every stations stop, memorized 2 - 3 stations before destination station. Stop in Manggarai station for example just memorized 2 station, Tebet and Cawang before Manggarai.

Many Jakarta citizen never aware of the cheap, convenient, on time public train to outside to spend the weekend or spend overnight in different environment, to refresh our mind back to work on happy Monday.