Yes, I just got to Jakarta yesterday, but today I’m off to Surabaya, in East Java. In fact, my local business partner has me on a plane every day this week. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Where is Michael today?”

Surabaya is Java’s second largest city, after the capital of Jakarta. It’s mainly an industrial town, without a lot to see, although by all accounts there is some great beaches, mountains and hill resorts just a few hours away, depending on what direction you go. I’ll be coming back here again soon, so I’m looking forward to having more time to see some sights on my next trips.

For now, I’ve got to get ready to board another plane tomorrow.

I’m back in Jakarta again, which means I’ve just spent several hours in traffic, and that’s only from the airport to the hotel! Traffic here reminds me of Bangkok in the old days, 15 years or so ago. Actually, I think Jakarta traffic may be worse than Bangkok ever was.

Now they’re trying a new policy called “3 in 1″ during rush hours. If a car doesn’t have three people in it, it’s not supposed to be on the road in certain parts of the city. They’re also at work on “Skytrain” rapid transit system similar to Bangkok’s elevated train system.

Maybe, just maybe, one of these days I’ll see more of Jakarta than just my hotel, some shopping malls, and the back seat of a van. I mainly come here on business, and it takes all of my time getting from one place to another, leaving no time - in around a dozen visits so far - to see anything that’s not business related.