inside the oudstadt

    the 'old town' as most people named the place or the 'oudstadt' in dutch is a colonial quarter situated at the verry heart of the city of semarang, a major port city during the dutch colonialism era. here you can visit the old church of imanuel, an old protestant church consecrated in 1794. more interestingly at inside the domed church you can see the huge music instrument called orgel or the baroque organ. today's interior is the result of an 1895 restoration and practically no changes have been made since then. the church is built on an octagonal plan, the nave encircled by eight large corinthian columns, with four entry porches of greek inspiration. the church is a hybrid of neoclassical and renaissance styles.

    too bad not all building has been well restored due to administration and financial reasons, but ironically that creates an interesting photographic objects, just like one of the alley used as a fighting cock market, there some big banyan trees even grows at the wall of those abandoned buildings let the roots attached to the wall like a giant tentacles. somehow remind me to the ruins temple at the angkor complex.

    heading north from this old quarter you'll find a polder just in front of the tawang train station, initially it was used to anticipate the rob water, fyi semarang level is a bit below the sea level. that's why some part of the oudstadt is constantly flooded with sea water.
   
    another building that has been well taken care is the building situated just across the street of the domed church beside the ex-nilmij building which now operating as a fine restaurant, 'the ikan bakar cimahi', serving indonesian best cuisine especially grilled fish. though we were spoiled by the glamour of colonial style interior, but the price of the food in this white-gold painted building is absolutely affordable. for a large size grilled fresh water fish; gurame, sauted kangkung, a glass of hot tea and a glass of bandrek (ginger-milk-palm sugar-cinnamon) plus a bucket of rice, only cost me rp 70k (us$8).