Tartaruga previously gave a [brief write-up](/2005/02/07/axe-jakarta) about our Jakarta tour. I thought I’d do it justice by writing a proper editorial. That and it’s the CNY holidays and I want to stay up as late as I can.

### Friday–Grupo Bantus goes to Jakarta

It was a rather disappointing start to the journey. Azrina got her passport rejected at the ticket counter, just one month under the minimal 6 month expiry date requirement. (Capoeiristas please note: check and renew passports) I was kinda hoping An Nur and Azrina would come along to babysit Jamal, but alas meu deus thought it would be amusing if I would instead! Well at least the girls can redeem a holiday to Bali for themselves. Anyone up for that?

> Jamal assured me however that this was a luxury compared to some airlines where you can actually bring your pet goat along with you.

When they said Air Asia was no frills. They really meant it. It was rather charming actually, being in an unairconditioned waiting lounge and airplane. Jamal assured me however that this was a luxury compared to some airlines where you can actually bring your pet goat along with you. Jamal didn’t trust the plane, so he got the lifejacket ready. Unfortunately we forgot to return it to the seat. Oh well.

The immigration was making a fuss about our place of residence in Jakarta. I told him I’d SMS him our whereabouts once we find out from our hosts, since he was so concerned. He wanted Malaysian Ringgit. Thank goodness we were obnoxious enough to get past.

Jakarta is a sprawling city of 70 plus million people. That’s three times (I think) the population of Malaysia in one city! The airport looked exactly like the old Subang Airport. Some of the senior citizens in class like Quecka, Tartargua and myself might remember.

We were greeted by Andrew–our host from Grupo Bahia, and an old friend of mine, Irfan. They brought us to the training centre to join everyone else at the workshop that they were conducting. There we were greeted by Mestres Cicatriz and Torpedo, and Instrutors Jensen and Luciano. We had a quick roda after the workshop, though we didn’t play much because of the 1-hour jetlag.

> His house is like the Incredible Hulk. Big and green with lots and lots of rooms.

We adjourned for food soon after. McDonald’s never tasted better. Anyway, we were off to our new abode for the next few days, casa Andrew! His house is like the Incredible Hulk. Big and green with lots and lots of rooms. We were housed in the Hacienda (the rooms had names because it was a guest house).

The air must’ve been kicking up the allergen cells in our bodies. Thank goodness Pharmacia Coelho was open. So I prescribed Tartaruga some anti-histamines. Everyone was pretty tired after the day’s activities, but Jamal and I were determined to maximise our holiday. So we stayed up all night chatting with Andrew.

### Saturday–Grupo Bantus attends the Batizado

Which was a mistake as we had to get up pretty early for the Batizado the next day. Actually I can’t remember if it was early but I was pretty tired so it must’ve been not late. Anyway, we headed back to the Grupo Bahia Jakarta training centre, across to the basketball court where the Batizado was held.

> The Batizado commenced with a really nice Angola game between Rafael and Luciano. It was slower, rather like chess compared to Regional, and twice as deadly.

There we met up with a few of the members, chit chatted, had some snacks, and warmed up for the Batizado. The Batizado commenced with a really nice Angola game between Rafael and Luciano. It was slower, rather like chess compared to Regional, and twice as deadly. But it was nice watching Rafa playing “drunken master”. that’s because Angola is very much about malandragem, not unlike the drunken fist which encourages the practitioner to be unpredictable. Jensen and Mestre Torpedo also opened the Batizado with a game of capoeira Angola.

> Instructor Luciano was mischievious, Mestre Cicatriz purposeful, and Mestre Torpedo well… let’s just say we now know how he got his name.

There were a few grupos from around the area attending the Batizado and Mestre Cicatriz graciously invited all of them to play. The games were fast and furious. With all the mestres and instructors participating in the roda. It was very entertaining as well as enlightening to watch Mestre Cicatriz, Mestre Torpedo and intrutor Luciano’s games. Though brothers, their own brand of Grupo Bahia Capoeira was very diverse. Instructor Luciano was mischievious, Mestre Cicatriz purposeful, and Mestre Torpedo well… let’s just say we now know how he got his name. Jamal thought it was a very good time to put on the lifejacket.

Which was funny cause everyone thought Jamal was a visiting mestre. He’s just got this cool, Angoleiro mestre look about him. Mestre Torpedo took a special liking to him. He kept speaking in Portuguese and grinning at Jamal.

We helped out on the instruments, while the mestres and instructors conducted the Batizado. They do it a little differently from us. Batches of six students come to the front of the bataria and get their cordao. They proceed to play with each other in the roda before playing with the mestres.

We had a really nice post Batizado dinner at Menteng. Jakarta is big on avocado. They blend it and top it off with chocolate condensed milk. We loved it. We also loved the fact that Grupo Bahia wanted to partayyy! So we headed to the X-Lounge. It was big. It was bad. And it had really good music and some really expensive orange juice.

### Sunday–Grupo Bantus are supreme beings of leisure

We got some well deserved rest today. We woke up late. Except for Tartaruga who had to catch his flight. The rest of us went to the nearby stall which sold Mee Bak So. This was where we had most of our meals and snacks from now on, especially Jamal. All of us had two helpings of the most excellent Mee Bak So. It’s a bit like wan tan mee, but with chicken mince and beef balls. We also had copious amounts of avocado juice. And Jamal topped it off by having Ais Campur which is their version of ABC. Only with real fruit.

> I shall have to wait for some other time to get torpedoed then.

Some went for a swim. Some headed back into the Hacienda for some shut-eye. Later in the afternoon we headed to a mall for an open roda. Everyone was invited to the roda, the other grupos that were at the Batizado too. They didn’t show up however.

Funny. I would find it a privilege to get into the roda with Mestre Torpedo. Quecka and I maximised our time and played as many games as we could with every student. It was really really good fun! The mestres didn’t play though. I shall have to wait for some other time to get torpedoed then.

> I wanted to soak in the diesel fumes, sit at dingy stalls and order some local cuisine.

They all went to this place called Chopstix for dinner. No way I am having mall food. Even more so when it was Chinese! I wanted to soak in the diesel fumes, sit at dingy stalls and order some local cuisine. So we headed back to Menteng because there was this burger stall with steak burger that looked really good. It wasn’t open. So we had a walkabout to check out the rest of the area. The food was just as good elsewhere. There’s this huge fried rice thingy called Nasi Goreng Gila because they put in mad amounts of like sausages and stuff.

We took a cab and he drove us to another part of town for some sightseeing. This lasted 15 minutes before we took another cab home. Jamal and I hung out the little stall in front of the house. The locals stayed up all night playing card games, guitars, drums and catching up. We all got along very well. They even gave Jamal a nickname–Tinggi. Jamal is well loved by Mestres and the locals. He is truly the man about town.

We decided to call it a night before realizing that the night has just begun inside the house. It was a Grupo Bahia house party! The rest of the night was a bit of a blur, but let’s just say we had ingenious amounts of fun with Vodka and yes, it was another late night. Made even more so by the fact that I was hooked to this drink called Teh Botol. It’s basically teh o’ ais in a bottle. But I think it had way too much caffeine in it.

### Monday–Grupo Bantus bums out even more

It was a day of Mee Bak So again. We then hung out at the swimming pool. Jamal and I had a rather interesting toilet experience. Being stuck in one without water or paper. Let’s just say we had to vacate to the shower room next door. We are officially mattress (because we shared a mattress, genius) and toilet mates now. The pool was a great place to practice backflips and soak in the sun.

Quek had other plans for the day. Visiting some relatives-to-be (hehe) or something like that.

Feeling thirsty, Jamal and I headed back to the Mee Bak So stall for a well deserved Ais Campur. After telling the store owner that it was our last day, he gave us extra fruit in our Ais Campur. Everyone else joined us soon after. So we just hung out around the suburb. Jamal and I were playing basketball with some neighbourhood kids.

> Rafa and the mestres chit chatted the night away as well. When Brazilians meet, they talk a lot.

The night was a rather mellow one. We had dinner at a nearby nasi goreng place that had MAD satay kambing and proceeded to our usual late night hang out at the stalls. We played music. We chit-chatted with the locals. We took photos with our new friends. Jamal’s got them. And we plan to send it to them as well. Rafa and the mestres chit chatted the night away as well. When Brazilians meet, they talk a lot.

### Tuesday–Grupo Bantus says goodbye

We got up an hour early because we forgot about the time difference. But that only meant we could at least have some time to take a much needed shower (we did shower throughout the trip despite me not mentioning it up till now).

Diah who dropped by to visit us in KL gave us a ride to the airport. As always, the journey never feels as far as when you first came.

Other than an obnoxious air stewardess from Air Asia, and a pilot that nearly clipped the plane wings on landing, it was a safe return to Malaysia. Open burning never smelt better. But all in all, Jakarta was a fun trip. Thank goodness we had a week to recover.

For more tales, buy us a teh tarik at the mamaks after class people. This is as long winded as it can get. See you all at class!