I was in Surakarta, and on my way from the airport, I remember thinking this looks just like Coimbatore. The people looked a bit different, but the roads, the flora, the buildings—everything was Tamil Nadu-coded.
I was the only person in Surakarta without a scooter. I’m not kidding, and people were staring while I walked to places. Everyone else was glued to their scooters even at storefronts. I know they weren’t staring because of my looks; some people I met told me I looked Indonesian.