This is me standing in front of the entrance to the Pasar Malam Besar ("Evening Market" in the Indonesian language). As I entered I was transformed by the sounds of crickets and various aromas of spices and flowers.
This is probably the world's largest Eurasian festival in the world. Its roots lie in the Dutch East Indies. Eurasians are the descendents of a mixed breed primarily between the Dutch and Indonesians. It's kind of like a big family reunion and a time to check in with one's roots in the form of dance, music, crafts and of course FOOD ! My husband and I were there in 2005 and really enjoyed it. The series of tents looked like Cirque So Le. One does not have to be Eurasian to attend - in fact, many other ethnic groups attend plus the Dutch and other Europeans because it's so colorful and festive and has great food. It is worth seeing at least once in a lifetime. Click on the green link above for more details.
1 comment:
Where was this "Big Evening Market" held? I sure would like to attend one of those.
I have memories of visiting pasars around Blok M in Jakarta, and another one near Tanjung Priok. My Dad was very good when it came to "tawar" (haggling), and more than one tukang (merchant) discovered that this supposed easy mark was not an American tourist but a hard bargaining Dutchman. Aduh!
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