Note: Unlike most of the other tours in this book, having a car makes this tour easier because of the distances between places and the notable reduction in taxis and public transportation. You can still get around fine without a car, but it will require additional patience and flexibility.
OTHER Once into the Muara Angke neighborhood, don’t worry too much about road names and which way you are going. Just stroll around and enjoy the adventure. Even better, rent a becak and have them pedal you around for half an hour; that’s sightseeing in style!
Be aware that except for the standard Bluebird/Express taxis, the beat-up, no-name types that ply this area often don’t use a meter. Be sure to check when getting in, and if they don’t want to use the meter, bargain for a price. Even if you don’t like their final price, don’t get huffy, just pay up.
1 MUARA ANGKE FISH MARKET
The tour starts at the Pasar Ikan Muara Angke (Muara Angke Fish Market). For those coming by taxi, get dropped off just before entering the Muara Angke kampung, which starts after crossing the canal bridge from Jl. Pluit Karang Utara to Jl. Muara Angke. There are a number of boats in the water here, as well as a sign in the shape of a boat reading:
Pemukiman—Nelayan (Fishermen’s Settlement). For those arriving by car, it’s best to park near the bridge and begin your explorations on foot. Note: The area can look overwhelmingly dirty, chaotic and uninviting. Give it some time and it will become less crowded and more enjoyable the farther you get.
Cockles for sale in the Muara Angke market.
A worker boiling squid at the rough-and-ready Muara Angke Fish Market.
HEADS UP
Some of the streets along here may be flooded in the rainy season. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear, such as sports sandals, old trainers or even flipflops.
After crossing the bridge, take an immediate right to check out the cool fishing boats. People can charter these boats to chug around the Java Sea, cruise around the Muara Angke Nature Reserve or visit some of the Thousand Islands, including Pulau Onrust and Pulau Rumput (see p. 188). The fee depends on your bargaining skills, but plan to pay at least Rp500,000, as fuel doesn’t come cheap these days. Most of the boats here are working boats, however, and not intended for tourists, so don’t expect life jackets and a complimentary bottle of water.
Continue on past the boats and take a right on Jl. Pendaratan Ikan. Follow this road, checking out and chatting with the seafood sellers, all the way to its terminus at the sea. On the right is a giant warehouse where mass amounts of seafood are delivered, weighed, sorted and distributed. On the left is more of the same. Just wander about, take pictures and perhaps even pick up dinner. Keep an eye out for the trucks laden with giant slabs of ice and watch them unload the perspiring, rectangular blocks using long, metal hooks.
2 FISH SNACK CENTER
Also along Jl. Pendaratan Ikan is a long stretch of otak-otak sellers. This tasty snack is made from steamed fish wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled over charcoal. It’s a specialty from Sulawesi, but many other regions have their own variations. Past these vendors, on the left, is the Pusat Jajanan Serba Ikan (Fish Snack Center), which caters to those looking for a fresh seafood dinner. Near here is the largest concentration of fresh seafood sellers in the area, most of whom display their collections on tables, in Styrofoam coolers or in large, three-legged bowls. Catches include crabs, clams, lobsters (including females loaded with eggs), squid, shrimp, mussels, snails and a large variety of fish, from snapper to sardines. This is a great place for photographs, but be sure to smile and ask before taking a person’s photo. As with all markets, especially fish markets, the action is hottest when it’s cool—early in the morning. Try to get here around 6am, if possible.
FAST FACT
According to local legend, the name Muara Angke may come from Tubagus Angke, a warlord from the kingdom of Banten. Other derivations include the Hokkien word ang for ‘red,’ referring to when the nearby river ran this color after the Dutch slaughter of the Chinese in 1740. The word muara means estuary.
3, 4 FISH DRYING RACKS I AND II
After reaching the end of the road, turn back and watch out for Jl. Pelelangan on the right, which is just before the fire station. Turn right and walk up the road, passing a football field and some apartment blocks. On the right are shrimp ponds. On the left you’ll spot the vast Fish Drying Racks, each covered with splayed-out fish that have been soaked in salt water and left to dry under the baking sun.
Wander up and down between the racks, play hide-and-go-seek with the local kids, talk with the workers and try to estimate how many kilos of seafood they have racked up. If it starts to drizzle, they will quickly unravel tarps to keep their precious stores dry. The long bamboo tables here are only the tip of the iceberg. Pushing up and into this neighborhood will reveal hundreds of the same. (Take a look at a Google Earth map of the place to get a better sense of the scale.)
Another thing to look out for are the boiling vats of salt water filled with squid that sit above brick, wood-fired ovens. Workers repeatedly dump in buckets of these tentacled creatures, boil them for 15 minutes, scoop them out with sieves and load them on to wooden carts to be hauled away. The job is a hot and sweaty one, but the dangdut soundtrack keeps workers’ hips rotating and gives them something to sing along to.
HEADS UP
The fish drying done here was once all natural. In recent years, however, some unscrupulous business people started using formaldehyde rather than salt to help preserve the fish. A recent crackdown has helped to curb the practice, but it certainly hasn’t ended.
Back on the road, continue straight and follow the road to the right as it turns. Up on the right is another vast sea of salted and dried seafood—a photographer’s delight. Stroll among the tables and take it all in while still staying out of the way.
Fishing boats crammed cheek to jowl along the Muara Angke Canal.
You can continue walking from here, but a ride on a becak at this point is highly advisable. There should be a number of them plying this route, so wave one down, point forward and say Jalan jalan, which means he’ll just pedal around, most likely sticking to the main road. That road will soon turn left and follow the sea wall which edges the Java Sea. This is a favorite spot for local kids to strip down and leap off the docks into the water. The becak driver will stop anytime he is asked, so don’t be shy about having him pull over if there are things to be seen or photographed.
The road will again hook to the left and go upstream, along the Kali Muara Angke (Muara Angke Canal), which reveals the very poor side of a fishing family’s life. Watch for the large groups of women and children shucking clams or working at other money-making tasks. On the right are fishing boats, which usually pull out around 7pm and do not return until early morning. It’s possible to join these guys on an overnight fishing trip for a big adventure, and a price. If this seems a bit over the top, an hour-long or half-day jaunt on one of these boats can be arranged, either just around the area, up the coast, or even to some of the nearby islands. There is no set price, so bargaining is necessary.
The road will eventually turn left on to Jl. Muara Angke. Pass a school on the left and travel through the small Muara Angke Market before reaching the bridge where the tour began.
5 MUARA ANGKE WILDLIFE RESERVE
After crossing the bridge over the canal that takes you out of Muara Angke, take a taxi or ojek or drive your car along Jl. Pluit Karang Barat to Jl. Mandara Permai and turn right. Take this road to the roundabout and head west on Jl. Pantai Indah Utara 2. Just up ahead on the other side of the road is the entrance to the Muara Angke Nature Reserve, marked by the large wooden sign Pusat Pendidikan Konservasi dan Lingkungan Margasatwa