Jogjia vs. Phnom Penh

Terraced vegetable farms in Dieng Plateau, Central Java, Indonesia

One of the biggest advantages of living in Southeast Asia is the ability to travel at your own pace without a return ticket hanging over your head. The longer I'm here, the less the idea of a 6-month 'all-around the world' trip appeals to me. What can you really see in 3 days in each place? In Southeast Asia, each city (and many minor stops) has a nearly identical 'backpacker' strip of hostels, Western-friendly restaurants and grimy bars. The schtick gets old quick, especially the constant touting and scams.

During Khmer New Year, I visited some friends in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, or 'Jogjia'. Despite being home to the famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples, Jogia is only a minor destination in Indonesia. When I told people of my plans, most people followed up with: "And then you're going to Bali?" As beautiful as I'm sure Bali is, I was happy to avoid the aforementioned 'backpacker strip' and instead get to know Jogjia and take a few day trips. It's a pleasant city brimming culture (batik, traditional dance, period architecture, street art) and great food. It was also an interesting comparison to Phnom Penh. While Jogjia has the advantage of not being the capital (we also skipped Jakarta), it felt roughly equivalent in size and scale to Phnom Penh, just a bit less intense, more laid back. Instead of Range Rovers or McMansions, there are higher-end motorbikes and compact neighborhoods of small but sturdy single-family homes. While there were few exotic fancy restaurants, the quality of food at family places and roadside stalls was obviously superior to Cambodia. This was indicative to me of a more mature and balanced economy

This impression was even more pronounced in the countryside. We did an overnight trip to Dieng Plateau in Central Java, which forms the floor of a caldera complex between volcanoes. I was amazed by the condition of the road despite being the rainy season. But I was more shocked by the access to electricity and irrigation enjoyed by these remote areas. Farmers grow potatoes and other cooler-climate crops in terraces that sometimes reach the top of steep rock faces, with irrigation pipes snaking up alongside vertiginous steps. At sunrise, the valleys are dotted with the glittering home and street lights. In Cambodia, only an hour or two outside of Phnom Penh, people depend on car batteries for electricity. Despite the mostly flat land and the abundance of lakes and rivers in Cambodia, after harvest, most fields are dry and sand colored until June. The government has made some progress in these areas recently, but it has been slow coming.

This is not to say that I think of Indonesia as some paradise. My friends cautioned that Java is much more prosperous than the other islands. Indonesia is also notorious for corruption, topping the inaugural Corruption Perception Index in 1995. But in a way, that knowledge gave me some hope. If the farmers in Dieng have water and electricity despite the country's challenges, perhaps things will in improve as Cambodia develops.