Day of Decadence

After two months of living solo in Jakarta, Mike arrived to spend his vacation with me. Not only was this his first visit to our new home here, it was also his 43rd birthday. So I put together a special welcome package for him - a day of decadence, Indonesia-style.

Our day started with a soothing massage at the lovely Ritz-Carlton Spa. Since it is literally downstairs from our apartment, we didn't even have to get dressed after our leisurely breakfast. Instead, we hopped in the elevator and went straight to the sauna rooms - still in our robes. Body oils and scented perfumes were followed by lunch at the Koi Gallery & Restaurant in the trendy Kemang neighborhood.

Our meal was topped off several blocks away at the Dharmawangsa Hotel, my first home in Jakarta. There we imbibed on their legendary chocolate martinis, accompanied by a particularly tasty version of Mike's favorite dessert - Tiramisu. Notice that the martini glasses have been dipped in chocolate, which is excruciatingly delicious. The best part of the cocktail is licking every bit of the chocolate off the glass. My first visitor, Kip, will attest to that as he started the trend when he helped me test the martinis in advance of Mike's visit.

Wayang, traditional Indonesian puppet theater, was the way we ended the day. Although we could not understand a word of the performance, we did enjoy it and were amused to learn that the story intertwined parts of the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic, with the puppeteer's hopes for the Obama presidency.

We did not have time for a movie at the Velvet Room in the Blitz Megaplex, where you curl up in bed and dine with 16 other couples while enjoying a good film. We will have to wait until later in the week to try that bit of decadence.