A stroll down Jalan Surabaya. Jakarta Indonesia

A visit to Jakarta, Indonesia is not complete without a visit to Jalan Surabaya, the street that has a small part of every part of Indonesia.

Jalan Surabaya is a 500-yard stretch of road that is lined with all sorts of antiques, both real and fake. The pieces are an eclectic and sometimes kirsch collection of Dutch, Javanese, Balinese, Muslim, Christian and Hindu artifacts, and include batiks, paintings, brass ware, vinyl LPs of yesteryear, salvaged accessories from ships, old coins, porcelain, puppets, lampshades, old phones and gramophones, wood carvings, jewellery, utensils, and books, among so much more.

The street mart, that opens at 10 a.m. is quiet today and I enjoy the stroll. Typical of Indonesian hospitality, they warmly invite me to browse in peace.

For a while I am distracted by a litter of kittens and the owner of the shop invites me into his home/store to show off more of these felines. We share a common love for these furry creatures, and he smiles and nods at my enthusiasm, only because neither of us understand each other!