depok: sweaty backpacks, golden domes, and the eternal traffic jam on margonda raya
okay look. i’m writing this while squished between three people on an angkot that smells like fried tempe and existential dread. welcome to depok, where the air’s 76% humidity and 100% ‘why did i think this was a good idea.’ i just checked and it’s 27.85°C but feels like 31 because the universe hates us all. hope you like that kind of thing.
this city’s basically jakarta’s sweaty little sibling who went to college. it’s all concrete and students sprinting to lectures at university of indonesia (which is huge and mildly intimidating - someone told me you need a map just to find the bathrooms). also there’s a golden mosque called mesjid kubah emas that looks like it won a design contest for ‘most extra religious building.’
fun fact: depok was built by dutch colonizers who really loved plantations and naming things after high ground. now it’s 2 million people crammed into 200 km², which explains why everyone here walks like they’re late to a fire. if you get bored, jakarta’s chaotic mess is just a short drive north, or bogor’s rainy vibes to the south. someone told me the jagorawi toll road at 5pm is where hope goes to die, but haven’t verified that yet.
the food’s... fine? it’s mostly standard indonesian fare - nasi goreng, sate, the usual suspects. no ‘famous’ dish unless you count instant noodle stalls near campus. but hey, the nature reserve (taman wisata cagar alam depok) is oddly peaceful if you ignore the guy selling socks outside.
pro tips: don’t drive on jalan margonda raya unless you enjoy bumper cars irl. motorcycle taxis are your best friend. also, the commuter train to jakarta costs 3k IDR but might require ninja-level balance during rush hour. bring water. always. the heat here doesn’t play.
would i live here? maybe if i enjoyed being gently roasted alive while stuck in traffic. but as a pitstop between jakarta’s chaos and bogor’s gardens? yeah, sure. just wear breathable fabric.
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