T

he ambiance of the country's 64th celebration of Independence day felt strong Monday as residents held annual competitions in their neighborhood units, blocking nearby streets to create spaces.

Various competitions hit the streets, from betel pole-climbing (panjat pinang) competitions to sack races and marble-on-spoon races.

Kali Malang, a riverbank in Cipinang Melayu, East Jakarta, became one of the city's centers of attraction during the country's anniversary as the residents held the annual Kalimalang Festival.

Thousands of people, standing or sitting alongside the riverbank, watched dozens of children and men who eagerly struggled to climb the betel poles planted in the riverbed, to grab dangling prizes.

They laughed every time a team member falling from the slippery poles, which were smeared earlier with oil lubricant, into the brown river water.

"This game is always funny and engaging. I think this is the best game in every Independence Day celebration," said Hasyim, a resident of Jatiwaringin, Bekasi.

Held from Aug. 15 to 17, the festival also featured other events, like bazaar, music performances and traditional art performances, like barongsai (Chinese traditional dance) and gambang kromong (Betawi music ensemble).

"Besides giving the residents a fun celebration, this festival is also aimed at reminding them that despite the city's social and cultural diversity, we have to always unite to help this city remain strong," Raymond Agustinus, the festival's committee head, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the committee, who prepared 12 poles, allocated Rp 2.5 million (US$250) in total for the prizes at every pole. They ranged from clothing, water dispensers and DVD players, among other stuffs.

A similar event was also held in North Jakarta, where the management of Ancol Dreamland Park prepared 264 betel poles, inviting visitors to participate in the panjat pinang competition.

Not all were able to enjoy the day Hundreds of residents who decided to visit the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta were disappointed after learning the park was closed. They mostly complained about the lack of information about the closure.

"If only I knew Monas was closed today, I would have not brought you here. I would have suggested other places," a father softly said, trying to calm down his disappointed son.

Attached to the southern gate wall were two small pieces of paper in Indonesian and English, saying Monas would be closed Monday due to the ceremony of the 64th Independence day at Merdeka Palace.

Some people thought the park would be open after the ceremony was over and waited outside, while people who knew about the closure just sat on the sidewalks with gloomy faces.

"I think the closure was related to the recent bombings. Last year, the park was open, although we were prohibited to enter a certain area," said Erwin, a visitor.

Meanwhile, a group of people marked the festivity by holding a protest in front of a 36-square-meter hand-painted cloth along Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

The painting, made by two artists from Yogyakarta and Jakarta, depicted high-ranked politicians climbing a betel pole to grab presents.

The Jakarta Police's traffic management centre (TMC) reported no congestion in the city's seven inner turnpikes on Monday.

Despite the smooth traffic, the Transjakarta shelters in Harmoni in West Jakarta and Senen in Central Jakarta were packed with passengers because passengers could not disembark at the Monas shelter, also due to the ceremony at the Presidential Palace.