One day off in Jakarta, Indonesia

Even though it looked and felt like I was in Manila (as Jakarta's streets and people look similar to where I grew up in), the experience was definitely memorable. This was my very first operating flight/layover and I had it with 2 other awesome Filipino crew!

The hotel - it was nice. at that time I couldn't compare it to others since this was my first layover. Everyone said it's haunted coz its old but I don't remember seeing any ghost or feeling anything weird in my room. hehe...

When we arrived from the airport, we decided to go to the spa to get a massage since this layover/hotel is also famous for it. The spa was ok and the employees were nice enough to give us tips and instructions on where to go for shopping in Jakarta. I also love the ginger tea that they served while we were waiting for the masseuse. Too bad we couldn't buy one since it is out of stock!

Anyway, I opted for the chocolate massage which was highly recommended by most of the female crew whom I know have been here. at first I was hesitant because I'm not used to being seen naked and being touched by another person I barely know but the masseuse was really nice and sweet which made me feel even more relaxed. The massage lasted for 45 minutes and was well worth of every penny that I have paid for.

After the massage, my friend and I went to the hotel restaurant and had the dinner buffet. It was pretty cheap for a buffet plus we had discounts so I didn't hesitate. The only problem was, they don't serve pork! I was excited to go to this layover because finally, after 2 months of staying in a muslim country, I would finally be able to eat pork in Indonesia! but as it turned out, Indonesia is a muslim country as well. LOL!!!

The next day, we went to Mangga Dua. It's an area in the city proper that is a home to many malls. We chose to go to ITC Mangga Dua - one of the cheapest places. =)

"anak" means child in Filipino as well :)

ITC Mangga Dua is like Greenhills shopping center in Manila. One building ( I don't remember how many floors they have though) of cheap clothing and shoes! We saw fake designer bags everywhere we looked! There were also cheap and stylish clothes (not branded nor fake). Just like in Greenhills or 168, you can haggle prices. I think I spent 100 euros there. LOL!

After 2-3 hours of shopping, we went back to the hotel to prepare for our flight back to base.

More pictures taken at the hotel: