One thing you really can't miss while walking around Surabaya, Indonesia is the manhole covers – they're absolutely remarkable. Not quite on the scale of Japan, where there are literally thousands of unique designs, but in Indonesia, you'll only find this kind of artistry here.

And you have to thank the former mayor for that – Tri Rismaharini. The first woman to hold this position in Indonesia! During her 10 years in office, she managed to significantly improve the city's infrastructure, reduce the frequency and duration of flooding during the rainy season, and Surabaya won the award for the best city development in the country eight times in a row.

Unlike most of her peers, Risma had an architecture background and wasn't a career politician at all. That's why her changes actually made the city better and won over the locals. While she won the 2010 election with just 38.5% of the vote, by 2015 she absolutely crushed her only opponent with 86% to 14%. Fast forward to the 2024 election and there was only one candidate running – and they actually got fewer votes!

The new mayor just doesn't have that same popularity: flooding has started increasing again and the environmental index is dropping. That said, from what I've seen, Surabaya is still noticeably more comfortable than the other Indonesian cities I've visited.