8degreesoflatitude

Those of you who regularly read my posts will know that I’m a sucker for markets. Clean, A/C’d malls have their place from time to time, but for the most part I’m never happier than when I’m getting down and dirty and bitten to death in the various markets that I’ve come to know and love here in Jakarta. I’d be lost without them; they add the colour, excitement and smells that are distinctly lacking in the high-end malls.

The antiques market in Jalan Surabaya is no exception. This 500m strip of tiny shops and stalls is situated in the ‘Beverley Hills’ area of Jakarta known as Menteng. What I especially love about this place are the stallholders. They are a jolly bunch of souls, and despite the fact that this time I went with an almost empty wallet, they were still happy for me to take photographs and idle…