Jakarta Diary: The Journey To Anyer From Jakarta

Jakarta Diary By Azeman Ariffin JAKARTA, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysian jazz queen Sheila Majid once made popular two Indonesian destinations through her song “Antara Anyer dan Jakarta” (Between Anyer and Jakarta). The song tells the story of two people who fall in love during their journey between Anyer and Jakarta. In reality, travellers can expect to experience one of two feelings when journeying to Anyer from Jakarta for a holiday. There may be excitement, or there may be wails of frustration because of the massive traffic jam they may to endure. Traffic can be so bad that the 150-kilometre trip can take up to five hours. It is therefore unsurprising that one will even have enough time to fall in love during such a lengthy journey. Recently I drove to Anyer, located in the province of Banten, and found myself among the thousands of people heading towards the same place. The district is popular a beach tourism area. The traffic coming in and going out could be as long as 10km during the weekends, with tourist buses joining the queue as well. Driving at maximum speed of 10-20kmph in most stretches really puts to test one's patience. Sometimes, traffic would even stall for nearly 30 minutes at junctions or industrial areas to make way for lorries and trailers. However, the stress from such a tedious journey could easily melt away on arrival, owing to the mesmerising beauty of the nature in Anyer. THE ORIGINS Anyer was originally Kota Sudi Mampir, which meant “stopover town”. It was opened in 1667 during the reign of the Banten Sultanate. It was a considerable port in the 19th century, as ships traversing the Sunda Strait would stop over at the busy city. The population of thousands then earned their living through farming, fishing and the trade with foreign merchants restocking their ships’ supplies at the port. However, the town was completely destroyed when Mount Krakatoa erupted in 1883, with the islands surrounding it, including the Krakatoa Island, disappearing into the earth. Only several people in Banten were said to have survived the eruption. However, life was difficult for them as all manners of shelter had been demolished and plant life destroyed. It was some time before the town started to recover, albeit slowly. Traders and travellers from districts around Banten such as Pandeglang, Serang, Ciomas, Mancak, and outside of Java such as Padang, Lampung, Batak, and Riau moved in and started building their lives there. Life started breathing into Kota Sudi Mampir again, and although changed, the town started becoming busy again. Its name was changed to Anyer which meant “anew”. Muslim missionaries then arrived at the town and spread the teachings of Islam. One of them was a scholar from Sunda named Jasim. He was well-liked by the community due to his kindness and generosity in aiding the underprivileged in Banten. It was said that if he went to the sea to fish, he would donate his catch to others. He also awed the people of Banten when he prayed on the boat, as they had never seen anyone do that. Jasim’s mild mannerisms and benovelence eventually attracted many of the Anyer people to embrace Islam. They emulated his helpfulness and kindness in dealing with each other andthis ultimately led to better socio-economic conditions in Anyer. Ten years later, Jasim went to haj and upon returning, built the Anyer Mosque. In commemorating the contributions of such missionaries to Anyer, its people named several roads after the scholars, such as Jalan Haji Jasim dan Jalan Kisepuh. Today, many of the people of Anyer are high-income earners due to the booming tourism sector. They own chalets, restaurants and run water recreation businesses. However, one of the businesses run seem rather unsavoury. Aside from having to pay for parking to touts, visitors are also charged per head to enjoy their time at the public beach. Although the legality of their business is in question, these touts nevertheless issue receipts after payment is made. BEAUTIFUL ANYER Despite this, the Anyer Beach continues to attract local and foreign tourists. Its white sands, clear waters and proximity to the capital city of Jakarta makes it popular among holidaymakers. Besides swimming, visitors can also enjoy jet skiing and snorkeling. Surfing is also one of the more popular activities there as big waves can be found at some parts of the beach. Many opt to spend the night in Anyer so as to enjoy the gorgeous sunset and sunrise at the beach. Also popular is dining on seafood at the restaurants by the seaside. Some of these restaurants set up gazebos for large groups to dine under as they enjoy their surroundings and the sound of crashing waves. One can also drive to the Carita Beach, not far away from Anyer. From there, visitors can view what is left of Mount Krakatoa, the Child of Krakatoa that is still spewing up lava until today. -- BERNAMA