Jalan Jaksa- Jakarta Backpacker's Tourist Place

As all backpacker districts, Jalan Jaksa is home to many bars and cafes where travellers can let their uncombed hair down. There are about 5 places that serve as restaurants during daytime and turn into cafes at night.

Jalan Jaksa on a Saturday night attracts a lively crowd of backpackers, locals and expats, intermingling in every possible way. Locals mostly see Jalan Jaksa as their way out of the somewhat restricted environment of Indonesian society and as a perfect place to spot foreign girls. Expats seem to have the same agenda, but their target being Indonesian girls.

On the south side we have the Romance café, a dark tinted small place where indeed romance is the last thing one would expect to happen. Ya Udah, the popular bistro is a quieter place for a beer, opened til 02.00 on weekends and charging 16.000 for a large Bintang Further down the road on the right side a dodgy dark place that goes by the name of Ali's bar is mostly frequented by Africans in town for 'business'.

Next to that the Memories café is a boisterous two storey bar with life music and a crowd to match. There's a lot of dancing and screaming going on til late so people seem to enjoy hemselves here.

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On the opposite of the street BFC café and bar is one of the best options, spurring an outside terrace with nice lighting. Beers are around 15.000 Rp. And simple meals are served all night long. Inside there's a pool table and some less cozy seating arrangements.

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At the end of Jalan Jaksa there's a popular café called Absolut Bar, with a more neutral atmosphere, a mixed crowd and a large collection of booze behind the bar. It actually consists of two small storeys, and on the top floor they squeezed a pool table in, so the place fills up fast, and the temperature increases with every visitor.

Jalan Jaksa's nightlife is neither classy nor very special. By day it already has a slightly seedy atmosphere and by night, this only seems to get worse. It is however the perfect opportunity to meet up with other travelers and locals so put on your dancing shoes and trot off to one of the fine establishments this area has to offer.

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Apart from hotels Jalan Jaksa has several places to get some decent grub for small cash. Although most places serve standard backpackers fare and Europeanized Indonesian food, portions are big and have more comfortable sitting arrangements than the street side warungs.
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Ya Udah on Jalan Jaksa No. 49 is a Swiss run bistro with an interesting menu offering both Indonesian dishes as Swiss rosti and a section called 'sausage eldorado' with a list of, you guessed it, sausages ranging from French merguez to German frankfurters . It also has a small bakery near the entrance with homemade pies and whole wheat bread. A light and airy place with friendly service and moderate prices.(breakfasts at Rp. 20.000-30.000 and mains at Rp. 30.000-40.000)
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Pappa's on Jalan Jaksa No. 41a is a dark and scruffy establishment that features loud music, uninterested staff and watery curries. The atmosphere is further enlightened by the loitering Indonesian girls and their middle-aged foreign 'friends'. (curries from Rp. 16.000-25.000)
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Memories on No. 17a has a similar menu, but has a slightly better décor. It has two floors and at night transforms into a popular café, with a rough raunchy ambiance. Expect the same clientele as Pappa's, prices are slightly higher.
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Next door's Margot Café is part of the hotel of the same name. It is one of the most popular digs in the neighbourhood and is good enough for simple breakfasts and snacks. This place as well serves as a crowded bar at night.
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Jasa Bundo is a padang restaurant with the typical décor of plates displayed in the front window and white tiles with simple tables and chairs. The food however is excellent, especially the spicy shrimps and terong (aubergine). Too bad prices are steep, even for padang food standards, which usually is more expensive than regular Indonesian food.
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If you want the real thing and think your stomach can handle it, there's an excellent warung called Miraos at Jalan HA Salim, parallel to Jalan Jaksa on the way to Sarinah mall. It is packed during lunchtime with office workers lining up for a quick bite before returning to work. You choose the dishes by pointing them out and have to remember what you got on your plate because payment is afterwards and they rely on your memory to create the bill. Prices are cheap; expect to have a full plate for around Rp. 10.000
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Finally, for those who are tired of the Jalan Jaksa ambiance (how could you ever?) there's a recently opened restaurant on Jalan KH Wahid Hasyim No. 87 with a gado gado to die for. It is called Gado Gado Boplo and both the smart interior as the food is excellent.
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Prices are comparable or even cheaper to those in Jalan Jaksa, but the food is way better and the change of environment is refreshing to say the least. (mains Rp. 11.000-20.000)
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Enjoy Jalan Jaksa!

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Holiday in Macau - About Macau

A Brief History

Fishermen from Fujian and farmers from Guangdong were the first known settlers in Macau, when it was known as Ou Mun, or "trading gate", because of its location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou (Canton). During ancient times port city was part of
the Silk Road with ships loading here with silk for Rome.

Even after China ceased to be a world trade centre, Guangzhou prospered from seaborne business with the countries of Southeast Asia, so the local entrepreneurs welcomed the arrival of Portuguese merchant-explorers. They followed in the wake of Jorge Alvares, who landed in southern China in 1513, and set about finding suitable trading posts.

In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao, "place of A Ma", in honour of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changes into
the name Macau, and with the permission of Guangdong's mandarins, established a city that within a short time had become a major entrepot for trade between China, Japan, India and Europe.

It also became the perfect crossroad for the meeting of East and West cultures. The Roman Catholic church sent some of its greatest missionaries to continue the work of St Francis Xavier, (who died nearby after making many converts in Japan). A Christian college was built, beside what is now today's Ruins of St Paul's, where students such as Matteo Ricci prepared for their work as Christian scholars at the Imperial Court in Beijing. Other churches were built, as well as fortresses, which gave the city an historical European appearance that distinguishes it to this day.

Portugal's golden age in Asia faded as rivals like the Dutch and British took over their trade. However the Chinese chose to continue to do business through the Portuguese in Macau, so for over a century the British East India Company and others set up shop here in rented houses like the elegant Casa Garden. As Europe's trade with China grew, the European merchants spent part of the year in Guangzhou, buying tea and Chinese luxuries at the bi-annual fairs, using Macau as a recreational retreat.

Following the Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong was established by Britain and most of the foreign merchants left Macau, which became a quaint, quiet backwater. Nevertheless it has continued to enjoy a leisurely multicultural existence and make daily, practical use of its historical buildings, in the process becoming a favourite stopover for international travellers, writers and artists.

In modern times Macau has developed industries such as textiles, electronics and toys, as well as building up an a world class tourist industry with a wide choice of hotels, resorts, sports facilities, restaurants and casinos. As in the past, Macau's economy is closely inked to that of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, in particular the earl River Delta region, which qualifies as one of Asia's "little igers". Macau provides financial and banking services, staff raining, transport and communications support.

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of hina since 20 December 1999, and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the rinciple of "one country, two systems". The tiny SAR is growing in ize - with more buildings on reclaimed land - and in the number and iversity of its attractions. The greatest of these continues to be macau's unique society, with communities from the East and West complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.

Location and Area

The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a part of China's territory. It is located on the Southeast coast of China to the western bank of the Pearl River Delta, at latitude 22º 14' North, longitude 113º 35' East. Bordering on Guangdong Province, it locates 60km from Hong Kong and 145km from the city of Guangzhou.

The Macau Special Administrative Region has an area of 29.2 sq. km, comprised of the Macau Peninsula (with 9.3 sq. km and connected to Mainland China), the islands of Taipa (6.7 sq. km) and Coloane (7.6 sq. km) and the reclaimed area COTAI (5.6 sq. km). The three bridges connecting Macau to Taipa are Nobre de Carvalho (2.5 km long), the Friendship Bridge (4.5 km long) and Sai Van Bridge (2.2 km long). The longest one (Friendship Bridge) leads directly to Macau International Airport located on the Island of Taipa. The Sai Van Bridge, which was opened on 9 January 2005, is the first cable-stayed bridge in Macau.

The double deck bridge has six lanes in the upper deck and two in the lower, which will open under inclement weather conditions. The islands are connected by a causeway which is 2.2 km long.

Besides the Barrier Gate (Portas do Cerco), the visitor can access Mainland China through the COTAI Frontier Post. Immigration and Customs are located in the reclaimed area between the islands of Taipa and Coloane.

The Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown 2009

Description
The Venetian® Macao Tennis Showdown 2009 will once again make tennis history when it reunites two of the greatest players to ever play the game, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi at the CotaiArena™ on October 25th, 2009. The historic encounter will be the first match up between the two legendary rivals since Sampras defeated Agassi to capture the 2002 US Open. Fans will also be treated to two of tomorrow's brightest talents, Junior World No.1 Yuki Bhambri and American Ryan Harrison in an afternoon of spectacular entertainment.

Important Information
Please contact +852 6333 6660 for further details.

Bhambri and Harrison will kick of the afternoon with a timed 45-minute singles match.

Followed by Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi - two sets and a ten point tie-breaker if one set all.

Followed by Pete Sampras / Yuki Bhambri vs Andre Agassi / Ryan Harrison or Andre Agassi / Yuki Bhambri vs Pete Sampras / Ryan Harrison - One set of doubles. (Pairings determined by draw at the "Meet the Players" Press Conference on Saturday, October 24th, 2009)

The legendary rivals will join future champions for an exciting doubles clash.

Date / Time
25 Oct 2009
2.00pm

Venue
CotaiArena™
The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel

Ticket Pricing
MOP980, MOP780, MOP480, MOP280