After nearly 27 hours of traveling (including BART, flights, layover, taxi), we are finally here in Jakarta. It’s around 33 degrees C, which is around 92 degrees F, and with high humidity being so close to the Equator.

On the drive to our hotel (Mercure), huge gaps between the rich and the poor are blatantly obvious in the infrastructure of the West side of Jakarta. The expressway (tolled) from the airport is in newly paved condition, yet the connecting local roads and broken sidewalks have not been maintained in some years. A large number of swamps and rundown shacks are scattered about on either sides of the expressway. The rich seem to live in the newly built 3-bedroom condominums.

It’s an interesting feeling seeing the big developed business buildings sandwiched in what are mostly unmaintained residential and shops. Each building seemed to care about its own color and style, and as a result, there is no consistency to sight.

Like many developing countries, Jakarta faces problems in traffic jam, urbanization, waste management, lack of proper housing and pollution. Something I learned- Jakarta is the eleventh largest city in the world (although it’s officially a province).