Back in Bangkok
Saturday, July 28, 2007--Penang, Malaysia
I slept 11 hours lasts night. I had lots of dreams--being somewhere with Arne, teaching, etc. It was nice seeing Arne walking around, smiling, talking to others. It was HORRIBLE to be teaching!
I walked to the colonial center of Penang this morning. I went to the Penang State Museum, Little India, etc. I had been at the museum before, but I didn't realize it until I was back inside. There has been much restoration in the colonial area and along the streets lined with Chinese-style shops with homes above in the older parts of Penang since I was here before.
Heavy rain came before I got back to the hotel. REALLY heavy rain. And it didn't seem that it would stop, so finally I raised my umbrella and headed out into it. By the time I got to the hotel, I was soaking wet below the waist. I had to wring out my socks and my pants legs before hanging them to dry.
I got a very upsetting e-mail when I went out tonight. The title company in Houston that the agent is using for selling my two condos there has lost the power of attorney that I signed and sent them so that my sister could sign the paperwork for me at closing. They just casually sent another form and told me to print it, go to a U.S. embassey or consulte and get it notarized, and send it back to them via overnight mail. I went BALLISTIC! First, I was in a remote part of the world. The U.S. does not have embasseys and consulates just everywhere. And since the Lebonese embassey bombing and 9/11, it isn't possible to just walk into a U.S. embassey. It is a real hassle to go to one to get anything done. Second, I wondered if they had first gone through every active file they had processed since they received my form to try to find it. Of course, I'm sure they didn't. They wanted to throw the responsibility for THEIR error to be corrected onto my shoulders. And third, they didn't offer to pay the cost of the overnight delivery from Asia for the paperwork. If it costs $35 to send overnight within the U.S., can you imagine what it costs to send that way from Asia to the U.S.? I was ready to sue them if they didn't come up with a better way to deal with this problem. Because it has been a weekend, there has been no response from them yet (even though I am writing this on Monday night here in Asia--early Monday morning in the U.S.).
Sunday, July 29, 2007--Penang
I went out earlier today (at 9:30) in case the rains should arrive in the afternoon again today as they have for the past two days. I explored areas I already knew and new areas for a period of 4 hours. Penang is nice as I have said before. But visiting a place a second time just isn't as interesting and exciting as being there the first time. I'm already a bit bored here.
I returned to the hotel and read my newspaper in the afternoon. Then I finished reading The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. I have it 3 1/2 stars out of 4 and think it will make a great film.
I ate soup for dinner. None of the meals I have had in Malaysia have been as good as the ones that I had in Indonesia. I should have appreciated the food there more than I did. Food here is just a bit tasteless.
Monday, July 30, 2007--Penang to Bangkok
I didn't sleep well last night. I went to bed at 21:30. Then when I awoke and went to the bathroom around 2:30 in the morning, I began thinking about the problem with the paperwork for selling the condos in Houston. I couldn't get back to sleep. I never did. I eventually got up and did things around the room and then checked out of the hotel at 5:30, earlier than I had planned.
The flight to Bangkok was uneventful. It was quick getting into town because today is a holiday here. I was in my hotel within 2 hours of arriving at the gate. Usually, it takes at least 1 1/2 hours to take the main bus into town. I had to go through immigration, get my luggage, catch a shuttle bus to the airport station, catch the main bus, then catch a secondary bus to get me to the front of the hotel. It's amazing that I did all of that in 2 hours!
I met a nice Italian couple on the main bus coming into town. We talked all the way. They are on their first trip to Thailand, but they are planning to move around too fast. They are leaving Bangkok tomorrow to go inland and will be back for only one more night. That really doesn't give them time to see all the wonderful temples and the royal palace here in town. Oh, and they should see the Jim Thompson house, a wonderful compound he built from old teak Thai houses that he moved into the city from the countryside. Also, they will miss the weekend market.
I've relaxed most of the day. A teacher I've been writing (mathematics and English) who is from the Philippines and is teaching in a nearby town came into town and visited with me for a while in the afternoon. It was fun to talk to someone from the Philippines again. And it was nice to talk to a math teacher, too.
Spending Updates: I spent $1058.63 over 39 days in Indonesia for an average of $27.14 per day. The Indonesian amount would have been less, but it includes two visits to doctors, physical therapy treatments, lots of medications, and 4 air flight tickets I bought to get me from island to island. I spent $117.45 over 3 days in Malaysia for an average of $39.15 per day. Since leaving Texas, I have spent $2739.79 over 76 days for an average of $36.05 per day.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
I Declare My Ear Well!
Friday, July 27, 2007--Medan, Indonesia to Penang, Malaysia
Indonesians are among the worst in the world at lining up. They push their way to the front without feeling guilty. Yet the guidebooks all warn not to get fussy or lose one's temper because it means losing face when dealing with them. Don't they know they lose face by cutting in line all the time, by not letting people get OFF buses and trains before they start pushing in? Here at the airport, I had to physically extend my arm and brace it on a counter to keep a guy who should have been two persons behind me from pushing in front of me. They are HORRIBLE and have no shame.
The airport lets guys check in groups of passengers here. So much checking IDs as a security measure. It also means that I had to stand behind one guy while he checked in 20 passengers for the flight. It took 25 minutes! Then when I went to pay my airport tax, I was behind another guide who paid the tax for 35 people! I had to stand there and wait while the tax man stapled a tax receipt to each boarding pass, used the calculator to see how much tax was due, and then counted the money twice since it was such a large amount!
I had a fantastic people experience today. While waiting for the flight which was delayed for some reason, I met a nice young man and started talking. He is 16. He, like many others on the flight, was going to Penang for medical reasons. It is common for people from Sumatra to go to Malaysia for better medical care than they say they can get at home. The passengers were all limping, wobbling, etc. The plane was full of the walking sick. But back to the boy. He shared one of his iPod earpieces with me and we listened to music as we waited. He told me he was being met at the airport by his uncle and that they would give me a ride to town if I wanted. When we boarded the plane, I was several rows behind him. When we arrived, he waited in his seat for me. We went to customs together with him waiting while I completed a form he didn't have to complete. His uncle offered me a ride before the boy could even ask him. So I drove into town in their SUV with them while getting to know the uncle.
The uncle is my age and looks quite young (maybe because of still having all his hair). He is a Buddhist, but he has been one only for 10 years. He has such a calm demeanor, but he told me that he used to be nervous and quick to temper. Unbelievable. He now serves as the administrator for a Buddhist temple here in Penang. They drove me to the temple and gave me a tour. Then they asked if I would join them for lunch if I didn't need to be at the hotel immediately. I hadn't gotten money at the airport, because we had been rushing from being late. When I mentioned it, he said it was no problem; he wanted to treat me anyway. We all (including the driver) went to a vegetarian restaurant and ate. I had a very strong iced coffee which is a local favorite (beans are not roasted; they are fried in butter, sugar and cinnamon before being ground). Afterwards, they dropped me off by the hotel. I felt sad, because they were so nice and I would not be seeing them again. By the way, while in the SUV, the boy pulled out a scan to show his uncle. It is a problem with swelling in his brain that he has caused him to come here. He is such a sweet, innocent, and loving boy. I hope it is something that is treatable.
My first hotel did not have a room available except for 1 night. Tuesday is a big holiday here and people are coming from all over the area (Singapore, KL, etc.) to be here to celebrate it. In fact, it is too bad I am leaving Monday. Like in Taiwan, my timing is just off so that I am leaving before a special celebration. Anyway, my next hotel had a room. It's expensive (for me) and quite nice with all the amenities--a/c, hot water, good bed, plush towels, movies on TV, newspaper under the door, breakfast buffet, etc.
I went to a neighborhood outdoor food court and ate barbecued pork with noodles for dinner. Unfortunately, neither it nor my lunch was as tasteful as the food I had regularly in Indonesia. I guess I became spoiled there.
Saturday, July 28, 2007--Penang, Malaysia
I slept 11 hours last night! I guess I was really tired from getting up early and traveling all day. I had lots of dreams. One of the good ones was about Arne who was walking around and smiling. He was so sweet and it was so nice to see him that way. The bad ones included me teaching. Yuck!!
I walked to the old colonial center of town. They have done lots of restoration since I was here 5 years ago. Penang is really a nice place. I went to the Penang State Museum, realizing only after I was in it that I had already been there. Fortunately, many of the exhibits had been updated since before. I was just wandering the streets, enjoying the old architecture of the city, and exploring in general. Then the rains came. HEAVY rains. And the sky didn't look as if it would stop or clear. So I took out my umbrella and headed to the hotel. By the time I got there, my shoes and socks were squishy wet. My pants legs were clinging to me. I was dry only down to my hips. What a rainfall!
It did eventually stop raining, and I am out again. It's nighttime. I will go to find a place to eat after I leave the cyber cafe. I made coffee in the room and ate some candies I had bought at the airport yesterday with my leftover Indonesian money.
My ear feels well. In fact, it felt well yesterday, too. I hope that two days in a row means that it really is. I've run out of my penicillin tablets, and I don't know if they can be bought over the counter here in Malaysia. So let's hope that I am right and am well. I am now nursing a couple of sores that I got from trying to do the heat treatment. I didn't realize it, but apparently I burned my skin on the fluorescent light bulb in two small places.
Friday, July 27, 2007--Medan, Indonesia to Penang, Malaysia
Indonesians are among the worst in the world at lining up. They push their way to the front without feeling guilty. Yet the guidebooks all warn not to get fussy or lose one's temper because it means losing face when dealing with them. Don't they know they lose face by cutting in line all the time, by not letting people get OFF buses and trains before they start pushing in? Here at the airport, I had to physically extend my arm and brace it on a counter to keep a guy who should have been two persons behind me from pushing in front of me. They are HORRIBLE and have no shame.
The airport lets guys check in groups of passengers here. So much checking IDs as a security measure. It also means that I had to stand behind one guy while he checked in 20 passengers for the flight. It took 25 minutes! Then when I went to pay my airport tax, I was behind another guide who paid the tax for 35 people! I had to stand there and wait while the tax man stapled a tax receipt to each boarding pass, used the calculator to see how much tax was due, and then counted the money twice since it was such a large amount!
I had a fantastic people experience today. While waiting for the flight which was delayed for some reason, I met a nice young man and started talking. He is 16. He, like many others on the flight, was going to Penang for medical reasons. It is common for people from Sumatra to go to Malaysia for better medical care than they say they can get at home. The passengers were all limping, wobbling, etc. The plane was full of the walking sick. But back to the boy. He shared one of his iPod earpieces with me and we listened to music as we waited. He told me he was being met at the airport by his uncle and that they would give me a ride to town if I wanted. When we boarded the plane, I was several rows behind him. When we arrived, he waited in his seat for me. We went to customs together with him waiting while I completed a form he didn't have to complete. His uncle offered me a ride before the boy could even ask him. So I drove into town in their SUV with them while getting to know the uncle.
The uncle is my age and looks quite young (maybe because of still having all his hair). He is a Buddhist, but he has been one only for 10 years. He has such a calm demeanor, but he told me that he used to be nervous and quick to temper. Unbelievable. He now serves as the administrator for a Buddhist temple here in Penang. They drove me to the temple and gave me a tour. Then they asked if I would join them for lunch if I didn't need to be at the hotel immediately. I hadn't gotten money at the airport, because we had been rushing from being late. When I mentioned it, he said it was no problem; he wanted to treat me anyway. We all (including the driver) went to a vegetarian restaurant and ate. I had a very strong iced coffee which is a local favorite (beans are not roasted; they are fried in butter, sugar and cinnamon before being ground). Afterwards, they dropped me off by the hotel. I felt sad, because they were so nice and I would not be seeing them again. By the way, while in the SUV, the boy pulled out a scan to show his uncle. It is a problem with swelling in his brain that he has caused him to come here. He is such a sweet, innocent, and loving boy. I hope it is something that is treatable.
My first hotel did not have a room available except for 1 night. Tuesday is a big holiday here and people are coming from all over the area (Singapore, KL, etc.) to be here to celebrate it. In fact, it is too bad I am leaving Monday. Like in Taiwan, my timing is just off so that I am leaving before a special celebration. Anyway, my next hotel had a room. It's expensive (for me) and quite nice with all the amenities--a/c, hot water, good bed, plush towels, movies on TV, newspaper under the door, breakfast buffet, etc.
I went to a neighborhood outdoor food court and ate barbecued pork with noodles for dinner. Unfortunately, neither it nor my lunch was as tasteful as the food I had regularly in Indonesia. I guess I became spoiled there.
Saturday, July 28, 2007--Penang, Malaysia
I slept 11 hours last night! I guess I was really tired from getting up early and traveling all day. I had lots of dreams. One of the good ones was about Arne who was walking around and smiling. He was so sweet and it was so nice to see him that way. The bad ones included me teaching. Yuck!!
I walked to the old colonial center of town. They have done lots of restoration since I was here 5 years ago. Penang is really a nice place. I went to the Penang State Museum, realizing only after I was in it that I had already been there. Fortunately, many of the exhibits had been updated since before. I was just wandering the streets, enjoying the old architecture of the city, and exploring in general. Then the rains came. HEAVY rains. And the sky didn't look as if it would stop or clear. So I took out my umbrella and headed to the hotel. By the time I got there, my shoes and socks were squishy wet. My pants legs were clinging to me. I was dry only down to my hips. What a rainfall!
It did eventually stop raining, and I am out again. It's nighttime. I will go to find a place to eat after I leave the cyber cafe. I made coffee in the room and ate some candies I had bought at the airport yesterday with my leftover Indonesian money.
My ear feels well. In fact, it felt well yesterday, too. I hope that two days in a row means that it really is. I've run out of my penicillin tablets, and I don't know if they can be bought over the counter here in Malaysia. So let's hope that I am right and am well. I am now nursing a couple of sores that I got from trying to do the heat treatment. I didn't realize it, but apparently I burned my skin on the fluorescent light bulb in two small places.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Last Days in Indonesia
Wednesday, July 25, 2007--Lake Toba to Medan
I got the boat from my hotel pier at 8 a.m. Then I was in Medan and back in the hotel where I stayed the last night I was here by 2 p.m. It was an uneventful trip on a boat, a bus, and a mini-bus other than the fact that the mini-bus didn't take me all the way to the hotel. He went to the street I wanted, but only to the end of it. I had to walk about 20 minutes further to get to my hotel.
I got the same kind of over-priced room at the hotel that I had before. It is comfortable, though. And this time, I cannot hear the noise of the nearby mosque that was blasting directly toward my windows in the old room.
Jansen, one of my Internet friends who has written to me for several months, came by the hotel in the afternoon to visit. He's a teacher, too--geography and English at the middle school level. He has a sister working on a Ph.D. in mathematics at a university in Vancouver. Jansen is a Christian, and he was telling me that there definitely is discrimination against Christians here in this mostly Muslim nation. He said Christians can only get high-level jobs in areas that are predominantly Christian. His sister had to go all the wall to Papua (on the island of New Guinea) to get a university position because she was Christian. They are paying for her to do her doctorate, and she has agreed to return there for 15 years as repayment. So she will be living 3 time zones away from her family with no hope of a job in this area, apparently. We talked about all kinds of things like that for about 4 hours. It was nice to talk to someone for so long.
It took me 1 1/2 hours at the cyber cafe to update the blog for all the days I had been offline and to go through my mail. It was so late that the food stalls were closing when I left to return to my room. I hadn't eaten all day. I had to settle for a granola bar that I had in my suitcase.
Thursday, July 26, 2007--Medan
I went to the travel office to arrange to take the ferry to Penang in Malaysia tomorrow only to find out that the ferry doesn't run on Fridays (because of this being a Muslim nation, I guess). Anyway, thank goodness for Indonesian low-cost airlines. Although I thought I had finished having to worry about their safety records, I bought another ticket on Lion Air (one of the better ones) to get me to Penang tomorrow. Actually, everyone had been asking me why I was taking the ferry rather than flying. The low-cost airlines here are so cheap that the air ticket I got for a one-hour flight was the same cost as the ferry ticket would have been for about an 8-hour trip (including buses on either end)!
I did a test walk to the airport to see how long it would take me. I was right in my guess. It is about a 35-40-minute walk from my hotel. Tomorrow morning, I will walk there rather than take a ride in a trishaw or taxi, I think. My money seems to be running down just at the right level for departure. I'll know better whether I have enough for a trishaw after eating dinner tonight.
From the airport, I walked through a very nice housing area to the nicest mall in town. I just thought I would explore the area on my way back to the hotel. While in the mall, however, it came a flood. I couldn't believe how much rain was falling. The clouds were barely moving. The biggest problem related to that is that I had washed a pair of pants and a shirt and left them hanging on the railing of my balcony. So the rain was soaking them again. Hope I can get them dry before packing for the flight tomorrow.
Note: I will be in Georgetown, the capital city of Penang Island in Malaysia, for the next 3 nights after I leave here tomorrow. I've been there before, so I know the city. I don't know how easy it will be to find a cyber cafe, but I imagine it won't be a problem. I fly to Bangkok on Monday to end the itinerary for ATW VII. I will buy my ticket and start ATW VIII while there in Bangkok for 6 days next week.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007--Lake Toba to Medan
I got the boat from my hotel pier at 8 a.m. Then I was in Medan and back in the hotel where I stayed the last night I was here by 2 p.m. It was an uneventful trip on a boat, a bus, and a mini-bus other than the fact that the mini-bus didn't take me all the way to the hotel. He went to the street I wanted, but only to the end of it. I had to walk about 20 minutes further to get to my hotel.
I got the same kind of over-priced room at the hotel that I had before. It is comfortable, though. And this time, I cannot hear the noise of the nearby mosque that was blasting directly toward my windows in the old room.
Jansen, one of my Internet friends who has written to me for several months, came by the hotel in the afternoon to visit. He's a teacher, too--geography and English at the middle school level. He has a sister working on a Ph.D. in mathematics at a university in Vancouver. Jansen is a Christian, and he was telling me that there definitely is discrimination against Christians here in this mostly Muslim nation. He said Christians can only get high-level jobs in areas that are predominantly Christian. His sister had to go all the wall to Papua (on the island of New Guinea) to get a university position because she was Christian. They are paying for her to do her doctorate, and she has agreed to return there for 15 years as repayment. So she will be living 3 time zones away from her family with no hope of a job in this area, apparently. We talked about all kinds of things like that for about 4 hours. It was nice to talk to someone for so long.
It took me 1 1/2 hours at the cyber cafe to update the blog for all the days I had been offline and to go through my mail. It was so late that the food stalls were closing when I left to return to my room. I hadn't eaten all day. I had to settle for a granola bar that I had in my suitcase.
Thursday, July 26, 2007--Medan
I went to the travel office to arrange to take the ferry to Penang in Malaysia tomorrow only to find out that the ferry doesn't run on Fridays (because of this being a Muslim nation, I guess). Anyway, thank goodness for Indonesian low-cost airlines. Although I thought I had finished having to worry about their safety records, I bought another ticket on Lion Air (one of the better ones) to get me to Penang tomorrow. Actually, everyone had been asking me why I was taking the ferry rather than flying. The low-cost airlines here are so cheap that the air ticket I got for a one-hour flight was the same cost as the ferry ticket would have been for about an 8-hour trip (including buses on either end)!
I did a test walk to the airport to see how long it would take me. I was right in my guess. It is about a 35-40-minute walk from my hotel. Tomorrow morning, I will walk there rather than take a ride in a trishaw or taxi, I think. My money seems to be running down just at the right level for departure. I'll know better whether I have enough for a trishaw after eating dinner tonight.
From the airport, I walked through a very nice housing area to the nicest mall in town. I just thought I would explore the area on my way back to the hotel. While in the mall, however, it came a flood. I couldn't believe how much rain was falling. The clouds were barely moving. The biggest problem related to that is that I had washed a pair of pants and a shirt and left them hanging on the railing of my balcony. So the rain was soaking them again. Hope I can get them dry before packing for the flight tomorrow.
Note: I will be in Georgetown, the capital city of Penang Island in Malaysia, for the next 3 nights after I leave here tomorrow. I've been there before, so I know the city. I don't know how easy it will be to find a cyber cafe, but I imagine it won't be a problem. I fly to Bangkok on Monday to end the itinerary for ATW VII. I will buy my ticket and start ATW VIII while there in Bangkok for 6 days next week.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A Side Trip to Paradise
I'm sure some of you who read this blog regularly have been worried that I have not posted in about 5 days. That's because I went to Paradise, and Internet connections are not a common thing there.
I went to Danau Toba (Lake Toba). It's up in the mountains and is a large volcanic lake. In the middle of the lake is a big island. A small penninsula named Tuk-Tuk juts out from that island. I've been relaxing there for 5 days/4 nights. It's been wonderful. It's a beautiful place with green mountains that come up dramatically from the lake like the mountains in Sweden or Norway. Because of the altitude, it is cool. The lake is calm. The people there are wonderful.
Back 30 years ago, it was a hippie hangout, but today there is only limited tourism. But all the facilities are still there from before. That makes it inexpensive, because there are far more rooms to rent than there are tourists to rent them. Some of my friends will be surprised and pleased to know that I splurged and stayed at the nicest hotel complex in Tuk-Tuk--the Carolina. It is built in the style of the native houses with swooped thatched rooftops, carvings on the fronts of the houses, etc. I had my own separate cottage up the hillside with a view through the gardens and trees looking out over the lake. There were chairs and a table out front, and there was another table and chairs inside so that I could sit either inside or outside and watch the view. There was a big painting on one wall of the local countryside. Other walls had other paintings and local weavings. The cottage and the setting was definitely what people would consider to be an Asian Paradise. Other cottages were above and below mine on the hillside. There was a huge open-air pavilion that served as reception, lounge, and restaurant. There was a beach area for sunning and swimming (although only the Germans were brave enough to test the cold waters).
Tuk-Tuk was a circular-shaped penninsula. It took me one hour to walk around it slowly. It is lined with other hotels (many in native style but none as nice as mine), restaurants, bars, shops, etc. I walked around it every day--sometimes twice by going each direction. On other days, I walked 7-8 km (4-5 miles) south and north on the island to see the villages along the coast.
One of the best things about the area is the friendliness of the people--the Batak people. They are very much like the people in Toraja in Sulawesi where I visited earlier. They are Christians, and they bury their dead near their homes. But they are so friendly. Everyone says hello just to be nice. Even toddlers know to say it and to wave. People ask you to stop and talk and it's because they genuinely want to visit with you. And they sing all the time. It's very common to hear people singing inside their houses or to pass groups of men sitting outside playing instruments and singing. It was just so nice to be in such a beautiful, friendly, and pleasant place.
Each day, I searched for places to eat. It rained many days, so I rested a lot. Mainly, I just found myself feeling totally relaxed. I will not update by days so you can read what I did each day there and on the days before I left for there:
Friday, July 20, 2007--Medan
I could not stand the hotel where I was staying. Thursday night, I had trouble sleeping because the mattress was so bad. I finally found that the only way I could rest without feeling metal springs digging into my body was to sleep across the foot of the bed. Also, there was no outside window to allow light inside. Anyway, by 10:00 a.m., I decided I had to move. I went up the street checking out 2-3 places and settled on one--the most expensive place I've stayed in all of Indonesia, but one that is bright, clean, and confortable.
There was lots of rain during the day, so I am glad that I didn't try to leave for Lake Toba today. I tried to explore the city some, but it is too spread out, the rain is too heavy, and my body is just too tired to do much. I ate noodles with shrimp at a muslim restaurant for a late lunch. In the evening, most places had closed by the time I was ready to eat at 21:00. I went to McDonalds nearby and had a chicken sandwich.
Saturday, July 21, 2007--Medan to Lake Toba
Rain again today, but not as heavy as we had yesterday. I still traveled as planned. I was fortunate to be able to catch a mini-bus in front of the hotel within a minute of going out to wait. It took me to the bus station on the edge of town where I caught a bus to Parapet in the mountains. From there, I had to catch a ferry to get to Tuk-Tuk. In all, it took about 7 hours of traveling to get there.
Tuk-Tuk reminds me of Tioman Island, the Malaysian island I visited on ATW I. It's small, round, and lined with resorts that are built up the hillside as small cottages to give views of the water. The ferry lets everyone off at the dock of the resort where he plans to stay.
My view from my room is wonderful. And the birds and the butterflies are just fantastic. The penninsula actually gets its name from one of the birds that goes "tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk...."
From my walk around the island, I could see that it would be easy to live here rather nicely on $15-20 a day. Most of the resorts are in the $4-7 a night range. (Mine is about $9.50, but it is the best place on the penninsula.) Most of the restaurants offer meals within the range of $3-5 with the latter price including a big beer.
I decided to try to give myself a deep heat treatment for my ear, since I only got 3 of the prescribed 6 treatments before leaving Bogor. There was a hall lightbulb that stuck outwards from the wall. It was a fluorescent bulb, so it didn't get as hot as an incondescent bulb. I could stand on one of my lounge chairs and my ear would be even with the bulb. So I stood there for 15 minutes with my ear next to the bulb.
Sunday, July 22, 2007--Lake Toba
I slept almost 12 hours during the night. It is just so restful here. Unfortunately, I had to get up to go to the toilet about 5 times, though. I had eaten a pizza last night for dinner, and I guess it was salty. That's the only reason I could think for needing to use the toilet so many times.
I walked far off the penninsula onto Samosir Island to the south. I went through a big village and continued further. Everyone was friendly. Often, they wanted to know where I was going. They are never used to people walking so far away from where they know they are staying as I do. But that allowed me to see how the people actually live and to interact with some of the ones who don't normally talk much to the tourists.
I got caught in the rain on my way back to Tuk-Tuk. One woman actually TOLD me it was raining. She just couldn't believe that someone would keep walking with it raining. But I opened my umbrella and just kept going. I probably walked in the rain for an hour before I was back at my room.
I had a wonderful dinner experience tonight. I had seen a lady cooking fish and chicken over a grill the night before and had told her I would return to have dinner there. Well, she had reservations from 22 other persons and had planned a special evening. I don't know how many courses we had. I remember starting with soup. Then there was a green bean dish with something cruncy. There was a noodle dish. There was a plate with 6 sticks of satay (barbecued chicken on sticks with a peanut sauce). Then there came a plate with two kinds of fish--both the same except that one was cooked fresh, whereas the other one had been dried before being cooked. That was served with fried rice, more of the green bean dish, shrimp crackers, etc. Finally, there was a plate of fresh papaya and pineapple. After we had all eaten, the band set up and played local instruments and sang local songs. The woman who runs the restaurant danced local dances and involved a young boy and some of the women at times. The music and the dancing reminded me of what is found around the Pacific in other places such as the Philippines, Hawaii, etc. By the time I left, I had been there for about 4 hours. It was an expensive evening. I paid for the meal (about $11.17) and I bought a CD of the music (another $11.17). I know that isn't REALLY expensive, but compared to my usual meals of $.56 to $3.35, it was.
My ear seems a little better. In case it is due to the deep heat treatment I gave myself, I repeated the process three more times today at various times.
Monday, July 23, 2007--Lake Toba
It rained all night. Everything is very damp including the bedding.
I repeated the deep heat treatment in the morning, but I decided it wasn't working. I was taking my last doses of medicine that the doctor in Bogor had given me, so I became worried. After walking around the penninsula a couple of times, I went into the local hospital. I told the local female doctor the history of it all. She said she could give me an antibiotic injection, so I asked her to do so. She also used a machine to irrigate my ear saying that I had a wax buildup inside probably due to using my ear plugs every night while traveling. She gave me more antibiotic pills and told me to take them for 3 more days to supplement the injection. She also gave me a liquid antibiotic to put in my ear at bedtime to make sure that I didn't get an infection from any of the abbrasions caused by the tube she used in cleaning my ear.
I went to a nearby muslim restaurant and ate eggplant and rice for lunch. Then I went to the room and finished reading The Cutting Room by Louise Welch. It was an interesting mystery. I gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4.
In the evening, I went to another pizza restaurant. it wasn't as good as the one where I ate two nights ago, though.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007--Lake Toba
We had a storm with strong winds during the night. It was still a bit cloudy in the morning. I thought maybe the storm had pushed the rain away from us. But the sun came out and I went walking northward on Samosir Island. I walked so long that my nose burned and is red!
I ate fried chicken that had been soaked in coconut juice before frying. I had it with rice and some vegetables. It was good. And there is much more meat on the bones in Sumatra than there has been elsewhere in Indonesia.
Rain began falling in mid-afternoon again. I just stayed inside reading and waiting for 18:00 when I had booked one of the hotel workers to come to my room and give me a massage. After that, I went to the dining room of the hotel and ate a Spanish omelette for dinner along with a banana shake.
CNN was on the big-screen TV in the lounge, so I watched the news for the first time in over a week. It doesn't seem that I have missed much!
I'm sure some of you who read this blog regularly have been worried that I have not posted in about 5 days. That's because I went to Paradise, and Internet connections are not a common thing there.
I went to Danau Toba (Lake Toba). It's up in the mountains and is a large volcanic lake. In the middle of the lake is a big island. A small penninsula named Tuk-Tuk juts out from that island. I've been relaxing there for 5 days/4 nights. It's been wonderful. It's a beautiful place with green mountains that come up dramatically from the lake like the mountains in Sweden or Norway. Because of the altitude, it is cool. The lake is calm. The people there are wonderful.
Back 30 years ago, it was a hippie hangout, but today there is only limited tourism. But all the facilities are still there from before. That makes it inexpensive, because there are far more rooms to rent than there are tourists to rent them. Some of my friends will be surprised and pleased to know that I splurged and stayed at the nicest hotel complex in Tuk-Tuk--the Carolina. It is built in the style of the native houses with swooped thatched rooftops, carvings on the fronts of the houses, etc. I had my own separate cottage up the hillside with a view through the gardens and trees looking out over the lake. There were chairs and a table out front, and there was another table and chairs inside so that I could sit either inside or outside and watch the view. There was a big painting on one wall of the local countryside. Other walls had other paintings and local weavings. The cottage and the setting was definitely what people would consider to be an Asian Paradise. Other cottages were above and below mine on the hillside. There was a huge open-air pavilion that served as reception, lounge, and restaurant. There was a beach area for sunning and swimming (although only the Germans were brave enough to test the cold waters).
Tuk-Tuk was a circular-shaped penninsula. It took me one hour to walk around it slowly. It is lined with other hotels (many in native style but none as nice as mine), restaurants, bars, shops, etc. I walked around it every day--sometimes twice by going each direction. On other days, I walked 7-8 km (4-5 miles) south and north on the island to see the villages along the coast.
One of the best things about the area is the friendliness of the people--the Batak people. They are very much like the people in Toraja in Sulawesi where I visited earlier. They are Christians, and they bury their dead near their homes. But they are so friendly. Everyone says hello just to be nice. Even toddlers know to say it and to wave. People ask you to stop and talk and it's because they genuinely want to visit with you. And they sing all the time. It's very common to hear people singing inside their houses or to pass groups of men sitting outside playing instruments and singing. It was just so nice to be in such a beautiful, friendly, and pleasant place.
Each day, I searched for places to eat. It rained many days, so I rested a lot. Mainly, I just found myself feeling totally relaxed. I will not update by days so you can read what I did each day there and on the days before I left for there:
Friday, July 20, 2007--Medan
I could not stand the hotel where I was staying. Thursday night, I had trouble sleeping because the mattress was so bad. I finally found that the only way I could rest without feeling metal springs digging into my body was to sleep across the foot of the bed. Also, there was no outside window to allow light inside. Anyway, by 10:00 a.m., I decided I had to move. I went up the street checking out 2-3 places and settled on one--the most expensive place I've stayed in all of Indonesia, but one that is bright, clean, and confortable.
There was lots of rain during the day, so I am glad that I didn't try to leave for Lake Toba today. I tried to explore the city some, but it is too spread out, the rain is too heavy, and my body is just too tired to do much. I ate noodles with shrimp at a muslim restaurant for a late lunch. In the evening, most places had closed by the time I was ready to eat at 21:00. I went to McDonalds nearby and had a chicken sandwich.
Saturday, July 21, 2007--Medan to Lake Toba
Rain again today, but not as heavy as we had yesterday. I still traveled as planned. I was fortunate to be able to catch a mini-bus in front of the hotel within a minute of going out to wait. It took me to the bus station on the edge of town where I caught a bus to Parapet in the mountains. From there, I had to catch a ferry to get to Tuk-Tuk. In all, it took about 7 hours of traveling to get there.
Tuk-Tuk reminds me of Tioman Island, the Malaysian island I visited on ATW I. It's small, round, and lined with resorts that are built up the hillside as small cottages to give views of the water. The ferry lets everyone off at the dock of the resort where he plans to stay.
My view from my room is wonderful. And the birds and the butterflies are just fantastic. The penninsula actually gets its name from one of the birds that goes "tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk...."
From my walk around the island, I could see that it would be easy to live here rather nicely on $15-20 a day. Most of the resorts are in the $4-7 a night range. (Mine is about $9.50, but it is the best place on the penninsula.) Most of the restaurants offer meals within the range of $3-5 with the latter price including a big beer.
I decided to try to give myself a deep heat treatment for my ear, since I only got 3 of the prescribed 6 treatments before leaving Bogor. There was a hall lightbulb that stuck outwards from the wall. It was a fluorescent bulb, so it didn't get as hot as an incondescent bulb. I could stand on one of my lounge chairs and my ear would be even with the bulb. So I stood there for 15 minutes with my ear next to the bulb.
Sunday, July 22, 2007--Lake Toba
I slept almost 12 hours during the night. It is just so restful here. Unfortunately, I had to get up to go to the toilet about 5 times, though. I had eaten a pizza last night for dinner, and I guess it was salty. That's the only reason I could think for needing to use the toilet so many times.
I walked far off the penninsula onto Samosir Island to the south. I went through a big village and continued further. Everyone was friendly. Often, they wanted to know where I was going. They are never used to people walking so far away from where they know they are staying as I do. But that allowed me to see how the people actually live and to interact with some of the ones who don't normally talk much to the tourists.
I got caught in the rain on my way back to Tuk-Tuk. One woman actually TOLD me it was raining. She just couldn't believe that someone would keep walking with it raining. But I opened my umbrella and just kept going. I probably walked in the rain for an hour before I was back at my room.
I had a wonderful dinner experience tonight. I had seen a lady cooking fish and chicken over a grill the night before and had told her I would return to have dinner there. Well, she had reservations from 22 other persons and had planned a special evening. I don't know how many courses we had. I remember starting with soup. Then there was a green bean dish with something cruncy. There was a noodle dish. There was a plate with 6 sticks of satay (barbecued chicken on sticks with a peanut sauce). Then there came a plate with two kinds of fish--both the same except that one was cooked fresh, whereas the other one had been dried before being cooked. That was served with fried rice, more of the green bean dish, shrimp crackers, etc. Finally, there was a plate of fresh papaya and pineapple. After we had all eaten, the band set up and played local instruments and sang local songs. The woman who runs the restaurant danced local dances and involved a young boy and some of the women at times. The music and the dancing reminded me of what is found around the Pacific in other places such as the Philippines, Hawaii, etc. By the time I left, I had been there for about 4 hours. It was an expensive evening. I paid for the meal (about $11.17) and I bought a CD of the music (another $11.17). I know that isn't REALLY expensive, but compared to my usual meals of $.56 to $3.35, it was.
My ear seems a little better. In case it is due to the deep heat treatment I gave myself, I repeated the process three more times today at various times.
Monday, July 23, 2007--Lake Toba
It rained all night. Everything is very damp including the bedding.
I repeated the deep heat treatment in the morning, but I decided it wasn't working. I was taking my last doses of medicine that the doctor in Bogor had given me, so I became worried. After walking around the penninsula a couple of times, I went into the local hospital. I told the local female doctor the history of it all. She said she could give me an antibiotic injection, so I asked her to do so. She also used a machine to irrigate my ear saying that I had a wax buildup inside probably due to using my ear plugs every night while traveling. She gave me more antibiotic pills and told me to take them for 3 more days to supplement the injection. She also gave me a liquid antibiotic to put in my ear at bedtime to make sure that I didn't get an infection from any of the abbrasions caused by the tube she used in cleaning my ear.
I went to a nearby muslim restaurant and ate eggplant and rice for lunch. Then I went to the room and finished reading The Cutting Room by Louise Welch. It was an interesting mystery. I gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4.
In the evening, I went to another pizza restaurant. it wasn't as good as the one where I ate two nights ago, though.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007--Lake Toba
We had a storm with strong winds during the night. It was still a bit cloudy in the morning. I thought maybe the storm had pushed the rain away from us. But the sun came out and I went walking northward on Samosir Island. I walked so long that my nose burned and is red!
I ate fried chicken that had been soaked in coconut juice before frying. I had it with rice and some vegetables. It was good. And there is much more meat on the bones in Sumatra than there has been elsewhere in Indonesia.
Rain began falling in mid-afternoon again. I just stayed inside reading and waiting for 18:00 when I had booked one of the hotel workers to come to my room and give me a massage. After that, I went to the dining room of the hotel and ate a Spanish omelette for dinner along with a banana shake.
CNN was on the big-screen TV in the lounge, so I watched the news for the first time in over a week. It doesn't seem that I have missed much!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Maybe My Ear Is Improving
Wednesday, July 18, 2007--Bogor
I spent a peaceful day at the botanical gardens. The entrance to them is just a short distance from where I have been going to the physical therapist for heat treatment on my ear, so I finished my treatment at 10:20 and walked on around to the gardens and entered them. They are such a peaceful place. They originally were the back lawn for the Dutch Governor General's summer house (which is now the summer house of the Indonesian President). But they started importing trees in the early 1800s and with assistance from the Kew Gardens in London, created a botanical garden with research facilities where they developed the crops that eventually brought a fortune to The Netherlands from Indonesia. They still do research there today. But the main thing is for people to just relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds. It's a huge area that takes a long time to explore. I spent 3 1/2 hours there, and I didn't see everything. I did take time to relax, though. And I had a nice long visit with Mike, the guy from my hotel in Jakarta who just happened to be there at the gardens, too, and crossed my path. (He's the one whose room I entered by mistake when I made a turn the wrong way after coming up the stairs.) He's a nice guy and an interesting one. He's about to become an actuary (a field I considered at one time when offered a job by an insurance company in Dallas) and is traveling before settling into the new job.
I spent part of the day worrying that my other ear might be getting infected. It seemed to feel strange and to pop some during the day. I never could tell for sure, however, so I decided not to deal with it as a problem until there was definite evidence.
Instead, I decided to celebrate my birthday a week late. After eating dinner at a local stall where I had what everyone else was eating--noodles in a thick, sweet soy sauce and a bowl of meatballs in broth--I headed to Pias which is known for its apple pie (and many other apple recipes including things like apple spaghetti). I ordered a small apple pie with ice cream and an iced cappuccino. There was a bit too much crust to the pie (and that's a complaint from someone who LIKES crust), and the apple filling was a bit dry. Without the ice cream, it would not have been very good because of being too dry. But with the ice cream, I found myself enjoying it. The iced drink was nice afterwards, too.
Thursday, July 19, 2007--Bogor to Medan
Well, my special dish from the doctor got lost somehow. My landlady didn't speak enough English. I had asked her to cook some rice and serve me part of it and for her to have the rest. Well, that never happened. And when I checked out today, she never said a word about my dish. Maybe she thought I gave it to her to eat herself. Too bad. I would have enjoyed trying it since it was made by his grandmother and is something you cannot easily find in restaurants.
I left my room earlier than expected and caught a bus earlier than planned. That got me to the airport quite early. The guy at check-in offered to put me on an earlier flight, so I took it. I left at noon instead of 14:00 and got to Medan at 14:15 instead of at 16:15.
I had selected a place very close to the airport as where I wanted to try to stay. But when I got there, I didn't like it. There were no private baths. And there was no private entrance. The house was a bit dark, too. So I continued walking all the way into the downtown area where there are many hotels. My second and third choices of hotels were more expensive than I wanted to pay (more expensive than I paid in Jakarta). I almost gave up like I did in Bandung when I left town rather than stay. But I found a place I can tolerate. It could be a bit cleaner; it could use a better mattress; and it could use some fresh paint. But it has a light strong enough for me to read, a TV with local programs, and a fan that will keep me cool enough.
I'll be here for two days, then I will head to a resort area a few hours from here. I'm hoping my ear will be feeling better by then. It seems to be a bit better today, I think.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007--Bogor
I spent a peaceful day at the botanical gardens. The entrance to them is just a short distance from where I have been going to the physical therapist for heat treatment on my ear, so I finished my treatment at 10:20 and walked on around to the gardens and entered them. They are such a peaceful place. They originally were the back lawn for the Dutch Governor General's summer house (which is now the summer house of the Indonesian President). But they started importing trees in the early 1800s and with assistance from the Kew Gardens in London, created a botanical garden with research facilities where they developed the crops that eventually brought a fortune to The Netherlands from Indonesia. They still do research there today. But the main thing is for people to just relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds. It's a huge area that takes a long time to explore. I spent 3 1/2 hours there, and I didn't see everything. I did take time to relax, though. And I had a nice long visit with Mike, the guy from my hotel in Jakarta who just happened to be there at the gardens, too, and crossed my path. (He's the one whose room I entered by mistake when I made a turn the wrong way after coming up the stairs.) He's a nice guy and an interesting one. He's about to become an actuary (a field I considered at one time when offered a job by an insurance company in Dallas) and is traveling before settling into the new job.
I spent part of the day worrying that my other ear might be getting infected. It seemed to feel strange and to pop some during the day. I never could tell for sure, however, so I decided not to deal with it as a problem until there was definite evidence.
Instead, I decided to celebrate my birthday a week late. After eating dinner at a local stall where I had what everyone else was eating--noodles in a thick, sweet soy sauce and a bowl of meatballs in broth--I headed to Pias which is known for its apple pie (and many other apple recipes including things like apple spaghetti). I ordered a small apple pie with ice cream and an iced cappuccino. There was a bit too much crust to the pie (and that's a complaint from someone who LIKES crust), and the apple filling was a bit dry. Without the ice cream, it would not have been very good because of being too dry. But with the ice cream, I found myself enjoying it. The iced drink was nice afterwards, too.
Thursday, July 19, 2007--Bogor to Medan
Well, my special dish from the doctor got lost somehow. My landlady didn't speak enough English. I had asked her to cook some rice and serve me part of it and for her to have the rest. Well, that never happened. And when I checked out today, she never said a word about my dish. Maybe she thought I gave it to her to eat herself. Too bad. I would have enjoyed trying it since it was made by his grandmother and is something you cannot easily find in restaurants.
I left my room earlier than expected and caught a bus earlier than planned. That got me to the airport quite early. The guy at check-in offered to put me on an earlier flight, so I took it. I left at noon instead of 14:00 and got to Medan at 14:15 instead of at 16:15.
I had selected a place very close to the airport as where I wanted to try to stay. But when I got there, I didn't like it. There were no private baths. And there was no private entrance. The house was a bit dark, too. So I continued walking all the way into the downtown area where there are many hotels. My second and third choices of hotels were more expensive than I wanted to pay (more expensive than I paid in Jakarta). I almost gave up like I did in Bandung when I left town rather than stay. But I found a place I can tolerate. It could be a bit cleaner; it could use a better mattress; and it could use some fresh paint. But it has a light strong enough for me to read, a TV with local programs, and a fan that will keep me cool enough.
I'll be here for two days, then I will head to a resort area a few hours from here. I'm hoping my ear will be feeling better by then. It seems to be a bit better today, I think.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Following Doctor's Orders
Tuesday, July 17, 2007--Bogor
I went for my deep heat treatment on the ear at 10:00. Then I returned to my room and stayed there until dinner time. The doctor had told me to rest for two days. I napped much of the day. The new combination of medications makes me sleepy. I read some in a novel. I got some new neighbors next door, but I didn't meet them.
Even though I am in a deadend residential area, it is noisy. I have had to wear my earplugs the whole time I have been in Indonesia. There are many local sales people who travel up and down the streets. Each has his own distinctive sound to get the attention of people. One may bang a gong, another may play an electronic song, another may have a high-pitched continuous sound, etc. The residents know what is being sold by the sound, so they rush out when they hear the sound of the person they need to buy from.
I've been watching the soup-making procedures here at the street stalls. It's a nice process that would work well at home, I think. We tend to put everything together. The leftovers get mushier and mushier as we reheat them. But here, they make their broth and keep it steaming hot in a container. When one orders soup, they make it from scratch by putting things into the bowl--noodles that have been cooked and cooled, slices of raw cabbage, fresh bean sprouts, slices of fresh tomato, slices of cooked meat, etc. Then they put the broth over it all and add some seasonings from bottles. The broth is so hot that everything softens just enough not to taste raw any longer. It would be nice to keep some broth ready at all times and then prepare a soup quickly this way at home.
I went out for dinner to a neighborhood place. Unfortunately, the guy spoke no English and just offered fried rice. They all know that the tourists like that. So I settled for that. It was fine, but I would have liked to have tried something new. Maybe tomorrow....
Tuesday, July 17, 2007--Bogor
I went for my deep heat treatment on the ear at 10:00. Then I returned to my room and stayed there until dinner time. The doctor had told me to rest for two days. I napped much of the day. The new combination of medications makes me sleepy. I read some in a novel. I got some new neighbors next door, but I didn't meet them.
Even though I am in a deadend residential area, it is noisy. I have had to wear my earplugs the whole time I have been in Indonesia. There are many local sales people who travel up and down the streets. Each has his own distinctive sound to get the attention of people. One may bang a gong, another may play an electronic song, another may have a high-pitched continuous sound, etc. The residents know what is being sold by the sound, so they rush out when they hear the sound of the person they need to buy from.
I've been watching the soup-making procedures here at the street stalls. It's a nice process that would work well at home, I think. We tend to put everything together. The leftovers get mushier and mushier as we reheat them. But here, they make their broth and keep it steaming hot in a container. When one orders soup, they make it from scratch by putting things into the bowl--noodles that have been cooked and cooled, slices of raw cabbage, fresh bean sprouts, slices of fresh tomato, slices of cooked meat, etc. Then they put the broth over it all and add some seasonings from bottles. The broth is so hot that everything softens just enough not to taste raw any longer. It would be nice to keep some broth ready at all times and then prepare a soup quickly this way at home.
I went out for dinner to a neighborhood place. Unfortunately, the guy spoke no English and just offered fried rice. They all know that the tourists like that. So I settled for that. It was fine, but I would have liked to have tried something new. Maybe tomorrow....
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Have Seen a Doctor
Sunday, July 15, 2007--Jakarta
I must be feeling bad because of my ear problems. I did two strange things for me this weekend. First, yesterday I returned to my room from breakfast and turned the wrong direction on my floor. I inserted my key into someone else's door. Because he hadn't pushed it shut tight, it opened. We were both surprised, but he was nice about it. Then today, I left my bag down in the restaurant downstairs when I returned from breakfast. They called me on the phone to tell me to come back and get it. Fortunately, there was nothing much of value in it and everything that was of value was still there.
I went to the zoo today. That's always something nice to do on a Sunday. Besides the animals, there are always lots of people to watch. This is a strange zoo here, though. It's really a huge park with a small zoo within it. I had to search and search to find the animals, since they were spread so far apart. Many people were there picnicking, dating, etc. The afternoon passed quickly.
Before entering the zoo, I ate a lunch outside at a stall. The woman made me chicken soup. A group of men were to the side. It was obvious from his facial expression that one was so happy to see that a westerner was willing to come eat at such a place. He finally came over to me with a big grin, shook my hand, and gave me a thumbs up sign! The soup was unbelievably good. I think it may have been the best meal I have had since coming to Indonesia. It had noodles, broth, tomatoes, thin rice crackers, chicken, and small pieces of pork crackling, I think. Fantastic!!
In the evening, I stayed in my room and watched TV. It had the English version of the Aljazeera news channel on it. They seem to provide a very well balanced news program. And they cover more stories from smaller countries than CNN and BBC do.
I finished reading Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat. It's a collection of short stories about Haitians. She's a good writer. The stories were simple, but interesting. I gave the book 3 stars out of 4.
Monday, July 16, 2007--Jakarta to Bogor
I was lucky and got an express train to Bogor just as I arrived at the station. Still, it took over an hour to make the trip. Bogor is up in the hills just outside of town. It's the home of the summer house of the president of Indonesia, and it has a world-famous botanical gardens. There's also a local train to Bogor. I'm glad I didn't take it; it probably took twice as long to stop at all stations. We only stopped at 2!
I'm staying in a guest house. The house itself is a total mess. Every table has stacks of junk on top of it. Even the floors are covered with lots of things. Fortunately, my room faces an outside courtyard and has a gate I can use to avoid going through the house. I don't see how people can live under conditions like that house has! My room is nice, though. It has a big window that opens out toward the street. It has a fan. I'm pleased with it, especially since it is in a rather quiet neighborhood.
For lunch today, I joined the students who had just finished school. I went to a stall that had a variety of dumplings. The man put them in a bowl along with a boiled egg and covered it all with a peanut sauce. Then I added chile sauce to give it a bit more flavor as I saw the students doing. It was delicious.
I went to the doctor in the evening. In fact, I picked up my appointment chit in the afternoon. The tourist office had told me that T.H.T. meant an ear, nose, throat specialist. When I saw a sign, I stopped. But the office is open only in the evenings. There was a piece of wire hanging with numbered pieces of cardboard on it. I took the next chit--number 14. Then I returned in the evening and waited my turn.
The doctor was nice. He even gave me some food his grandmother had made. He said that I have a middle ear infection. He gave me five medications to take (Otrivin nose drops, Flamar 50 mg, Ambroksol HCL 30 ml, Celestamine, and a combination of amoxicillin 500 mg/clavulanic acid 125 mg). I take each one 3 times a day. Eventually, the Celestamine gets gradually cut back to 2 times a day and then 1 time a day. He also sent me to a physical therapist I am seeing daily for a deep heat treatment. He told me to rest for two days and to drink 3 liters of water per day. Surely this will get me well!!
I had a great dinner. I went to a nearby restaurant with a view over the river valley. They recommended the chicken curry, and I am so glad they did. It was a thick curry sauce with 5 nice chunks of white chicken meat, sliced carrots, and chunks of potatoes. It came with a serving of rice. It was spicy and delicious. Ummmm.
Sunday, July 15, 2007--Jakarta
I must be feeling bad because of my ear problems. I did two strange things for me this weekend. First, yesterday I returned to my room from breakfast and turned the wrong direction on my floor. I inserted my key into someone else's door. Because he hadn't pushed it shut tight, it opened. We were both surprised, but he was nice about it. Then today, I left my bag down in the restaurant downstairs when I returned from breakfast. They called me on the phone to tell me to come back and get it. Fortunately, there was nothing much of value in it and everything that was of value was still there.
I went to the zoo today. That's always something nice to do on a Sunday. Besides the animals, there are always lots of people to watch. This is a strange zoo here, though. It's really a huge park with a small zoo within it. I had to search and search to find the animals, since they were spread so far apart. Many people were there picnicking, dating, etc. The afternoon passed quickly.
Before entering the zoo, I ate a lunch outside at a stall. The woman made me chicken soup. A group of men were to the side. It was obvious from his facial expression that one was so happy to see that a westerner was willing to come eat at such a place. He finally came over to me with a big grin, shook my hand, and gave me a thumbs up sign! The soup was unbelievably good. I think it may have been the best meal I have had since coming to Indonesia. It had noodles, broth, tomatoes, thin rice crackers, chicken, and small pieces of pork crackling, I think. Fantastic!!
In the evening, I stayed in my room and watched TV. It had the English version of the Aljazeera news channel on it. They seem to provide a very well balanced news program. And they cover more stories from smaller countries than CNN and BBC do.
I finished reading Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat. It's a collection of short stories about Haitians. She's a good writer. The stories were simple, but interesting. I gave the book 3 stars out of 4.
Monday, July 16, 2007--Jakarta to Bogor
I was lucky and got an express train to Bogor just as I arrived at the station. Still, it took over an hour to make the trip. Bogor is up in the hills just outside of town. It's the home of the summer house of the president of Indonesia, and it has a world-famous botanical gardens. There's also a local train to Bogor. I'm glad I didn't take it; it probably took twice as long to stop at all stations. We only stopped at 2!
I'm staying in a guest house. The house itself is a total mess. Every table has stacks of junk on top of it. Even the floors are covered with lots of things. Fortunately, my room faces an outside courtyard and has a gate I can use to avoid going through the house. I don't see how people can live under conditions like that house has! My room is nice, though. It has a big window that opens out toward the street. It has a fan. I'm pleased with it, especially since it is in a rather quiet neighborhood.
For lunch today, I joined the students who had just finished school. I went to a stall that had a variety of dumplings. The man put them in a bowl along with a boiled egg and covered it all with a peanut sauce. Then I added chile sauce to give it a bit more flavor as I saw the students doing. It was delicious.
I went to the doctor in the evening. In fact, I picked up my appointment chit in the afternoon. The tourist office had told me that T.H.T. meant an ear, nose, throat specialist. When I saw a sign, I stopped. But the office is open only in the evenings. There was a piece of wire hanging with numbered pieces of cardboard on it. I took the next chit--number 14. Then I returned in the evening and waited my turn.
The doctor was nice. He even gave me some food his grandmother had made. He said that I have a middle ear infection. He gave me five medications to take (Otrivin nose drops, Flamar 50 mg, Ambroksol HCL 30 ml, Celestamine, and a combination of amoxicillin 500 mg/clavulanic acid 125 mg). I take each one 3 times a day. Eventually, the Celestamine gets gradually cut back to 2 times a day and then 1 time a day. He also sent me to a physical therapist I am seeing daily for a deep heat treatment. He told me to rest for two days and to drink 3 liters of water per day. Surely this will get me well!!
I had a great dinner. I went to a nearby restaurant with a view over the river valley. They recommended the chicken curry, and I am so glad they did. It was a thick curry sauce with 5 nice chunks of white chicken meat, sliced carrots, and chunks of potatoes. It came with a serving of rice. It was spicy and delicious. Ummmm.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Trouble Posting to the Blog
Note: Blogger is not loading correctly on the computer I am using. This post will probably get made, but there are no editing tabs for me to use for making items bold, for making links, etc. It's just another example of how difficult it has been to maintain the blog in Indonesia. Even though I am in the capital of the country, I am still getting slow computer connections and having problems with computer settings. It has taken me 27 minutes to get to the point of being able to start this entry since logging onto the the computer. It is frustrating!!
Friday, July 13, 2007--Jakarta
I walked far northward of where I am staying to the older part of Jakarta called Koda. It's the old Dutch center of town. Mainly, it consists of a square, a canal and a port area. I toured a couple of museums that were interesting--one in the old town hall housing historical exhibits and the other in an old government building housing an art museum. The historical museum was the better of the two and had some really nice examples of old teak furniture. The canal was smelly and filthy. An old Dutch drawbridge across it is falling apart. It's not an attractive part of the city. Many of the old buildings are like the drawbridge--in such bad condition that it may be impossible for them to be saved.
I took the train back to my part of town. The local train is slow and crowded. Most westerners would consider it to be terrible service--not frequent enough, not fast enough, and not clean enough. It was better than walking back in the heat, though.
I stopped at a neighborhood restaurant that looked fine. But my soup was not very good. The rice for it was dry. The meat was not good quality. I did have a wonderful glass a fresh juice, though.
After being frustrated on the computer, I returned to the room to rest. I finally went out in the evening for a late dinner. I went to a westernized place and had spaghetti carbanara. It was okay, but not great.
Saturday, July 14, 2007--Jakarta
It's been two months now since I left San Antonio. Another week will put me at the halfway point in my travels for this year.
I went to the nearby National Museum today. It's a wonderful museum. It is large with very nice exhibits that are well organized. One of the things I liked was that they would often have a photo graph to go with an exhibit. For instance, if they were showing face masks, then there would be a photo showing a native person in one of the masks (or a similar one) when it was being used as a part of their routine life in the country. They museum had a new addition with lots of exhibits to see. There were also treasury rooms with the nicest things. It's one of the better museums in Asia, I think.
In the afternoon, I bought my air ticket to fly me to Medan on the island of Sumatra on Thursday. I stopped by the travel agency to check on times and went to my room to consider the possibilities. I discovered there will be a bus from Bogor (where I am going next) directly to the airport, so I decided to get the ticket for approximately 2 p.m. When I returned to get the ticket, the prices had gone down, so I saved about $7. That was a pleasant surprice. That will pay my airport departure tax and buy me a good meal here!
Later, I walked to Plaza Indonesia. That's the fanciest shopping center in Jakarta. It is filled with all the international designer names. It was clean and attractive. One thing I noticed was how many Indians were shopping there. I haven't seen many Indians in Indonesia, but there were plenty of them there at that mall. Guess the Indians are among the upper class here.
On the way back, I stopped at a new center that was interesting from the outside. It consisted of multiple boxes juxtaposed at different angles and painted bright colors. Inside, it was obvious that it is a mall built specifically for young people. There were no major department stores. In fact, stores selling clothing and accessories only take up about 1/4 of the mall, and they are all things like jeans shops, costume jewelry, etc. The rest of the mall consists of stores selling electronics, food establishments, a blowling alley, a cinema complex, and a central count with a massive sound and light system for hosting concerts. It's a unique idea that seems quite successful. I haven't run across such a mall elsewhere before, but I bet they get built everywhere in time.
I had skipped lunch, so I had an early dinner at a streetside stall. A woman was serving soup, and I had seen lots of people there the night before. Well, I know why now. It was one of the best soups I have ever had. It had a nice dark broth, noodles, chunks of beef, cabbage, tomatoes, what tasted like pieces of pork skin, and thin rice crackers. It was wonderful. I'll probably go back there tomorrow night to eat again!!
I stayed inside in the evening. I'm still waiting for my ear to clear. It is still stuffy and popping. I can't really tell if there is any improvement or not. I'm at the end of Day 7 of my 10-day regimen of taking amoxicillin for it and my other cold symptoms. Essentially, the stopped up ear is the only problem remaining. It's a frustrating one, though, especially since it is a constant irritant and it interferes with my hearing.
Note: Blogger is not loading correctly on the computer I am using. This post will probably get made, but there are no editing tabs for me to use for making items bold, for making links, etc. It's just another example of how difficult it has been to maintain the blog in Indonesia. Even though I am in the capital of the country, I am still getting slow computer connections and having problems with computer settings. It has taken me 27 minutes to get to the point of being able to start this entry since logging onto the the computer. It is frustrating!!
Friday, July 13, 2007--Jakarta
I walked far northward of where I am staying to the older part of Jakarta called Koda. It's the old Dutch center of town. Mainly, it consists of a square, a canal and a port area. I toured a couple of museums that were interesting--one in the old town hall housing historical exhibits and the other in an old government building housing an art museum. The historical museum was the better of the two and had some really nice examples of old teak furniture. The canal was smelly and filthy. An old Dutch drawbridge across it is falling apart. It's not an attractive part of the city. Many of the old buildings are like the drawbridge--in such bad condition that it may be impossible for them to be saved.
I took the train back to my part of town. The local train is slow and crowded. Most westerners would consider it to be terrible service--not frequent enough, not fast enough, and not clean enough. It was better than walking back in the heat, though.
I stopped at a neighborhood restaurant that looked fine. But my soup was not very good. The rice for it was dry. The meat was not good quality. I did have a wonderful glass a fresh juice, though.
After being frustrated on the computer, I returned to the room to rest. I finally went out in the evening for a late dinner. I went to a westernized place and had spaghetti carbanara. It was okay, but not great.
Saturday, July 14, 2007--Jakarta
It's been two months now since I left San Antonio. Another week will put me at the halfway point in my travels for this year.
I went to the nearby National Museum today. It's a wonderful museum. It is large with very nice exhibits that are well organized. One of the things I liked was that they would often have a photo graph to go with an exhibit. For instance, if they were showing face masks, then there would be a photo showing a native person in one of the masks (or a similar one) when it was being used as a part of their routine life in the country. They museum had a new addition with lots of exhibits to see. There were also treasury rooms with the nicest things. It's one of the better museums in Asia, I think.
In the afternoon, I bought my air ticket to fly me to Medan on the island of Sumatra on Thursday. I stopped by the travel agency to check on times and went to my room to consider the possibilities. I discovered there will be a bus from Bogor (where I am going next) directly to the airport, so I decided to get the ticket for approximately 2 p.m. When I returned to get the ticket, the prices had gone down, so I saved about $7. That was a pleasant surprice. That will pay my airport departure tax and buy me a good meal here!
Later, I walked to Plaza Indonesia. That's the fanciest shopping center in Jakarta. It is filled with all the international designer names. It was clean and attractive. One thing I noticed was how many Indians were shopping there. I haven't seen many Indians in Indonesia, but there were plenty of them there at that mall. Guess the Indians are among the upper class here.
On the way back, I stopped at a new center that was interesting from the outside. It consisted of multiple boxes juxtaposed at different angles and painted bright colors. Inside, it was obvious that it is a mall built specifically for young people. There were no major department stores. In fact, stores selling clothing and accessories only take up about 1/4 of the mall, and they are all things like jeans shops, costume jewelry, etc. The rest of the mall consists of stores selling electronics, food establishments, a blowling alley, a cinema complex, and a central count with a massive sound and light system for hosting concerts. It's a unique idea that seems quite successful. I haven't run across such a mall elsewhere before, but I bet they get built everywhere in time.
I had skipped lunch, so I had an early dinner at a streetside stall. A woman was serving soup, and I had seen lots of people there the night before. Well, I know why now. It was one of the best soups I have ever had. It had a nice dark broth, noodles, chunks of beef, cabbage, tomatoes, what tasted like pieces of pork skin, and thin rice crackers. It was wonderful. I'll probably go back there tomorrow night to eat again!!
I stayed inside in the evening. I'm still waiting for my ear to clear. It is still stuffy and popping. I can't really tell if there is any improvement or not. I'm at the end of Day 7 of my 10-day regimen of taking amoxicillin for it and my other cold symptoms. Essentially, the stopped up ear is the only problem remaining. It's a frustrating one, though, especially since it is a constant irritant and it interferes with my hearing.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Sick and Trapsing around Indonesdia
Tuesday, July 10, 2007--Yogyakarta
I tried to explore town today and ran into problems. I couldn't enter one sight because they couldn't give me change. Then when I tried to enter the old palace, they told me I had to go with a guide. Well, I hate guides, I didn't want to pay extra for a guide, and my ear was stopped up making it hard for me to hear a guide. I asked for my money back and left. I did see a museum with batiks, puppets, and other interesting items.
Tried to have lunch at an Indian restaurant, but it was closed. Instead I went to a nearby local place and had bihun, a fried noodle dish that was made fresh with lots of high quality ingredients. It was such a big portion that I had to leave part of it. It had wonderful pieces of chicken, nice chopped peanuts, cabbage, etc.
Well, my time here was spoiled in the evening. I got new neighbors--a local family of about 6-7 staying in one room. They spread all out across the patio in front of my room and occupied the space smoking horrible cigarettes with cloves, talking loudly, etc. I had wanted to stay here at least one more day, but I can't stand this. I'll get up and leave tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007--Yogya to Bandung
Happy Birthday to me! It wasn't much of a birthday, though. Instead of staying in Yogya and enjoying a nice coffee house/bakery I had found, I was up and packing to get away from my neighbors. It took an hour to walk to the train station. I got my ticket and had 1 1/2 hours to wait for the train. I'm going to Bandung which has nice things in the area, but seems to have expensive hotels.
I'm still sick. I'm taking penicillin, but my sinuses are still draining and my right ear is popping constantly. This isonly the third day of taking the medicine, though.
It was a long train ride. And the car became very cold as it got dark. It was better than the Indonesian buses, but I was so tired and uncomfortable toward the end. I actually took the curtain from the window and wrapped it around my head and arms to protect me from the cold air the last two hours of the trip.
Well, Bandung was a bust! The hotels were horrible--expensive and depressing. I checked out 3 before a settled on one knowing it would be for the one night. I can't stay in a place like this. First, the town isn't one of the great places to visit. Second, it would be horrible to be in one of these hotels even for a day. So I will be out of here tomorrow morning. I didn't even go out for dinner.
Thursday, July 12, 2007--Bandung to Jakarta
I was up early and headed for the train station. I'll be glad to have Bandung behind me. It's amazing how a hotel makes a difference in attitude toward a place. Even though the place I eventually stayed was clean enough last night, I could smell cigarette smoke coming from other rooms. And the only window faced a wall of concrete an arm's length away. I just didn't want to deal with all that.
I faced similar problems when arriving in Jakarta. I went to two places recommended by my guidebook and found them to be far less clean and bright than described. I saw a decent looking place and checked on it. The price is higher than I have been paying, but it is less than another place I was considering trying next. I took the room. It has a/c, hot water, breakfast, and the first cable TV I've had since leaving Alaska.
I ate Korean pork in the evening--my first meal in over 24 hours. It was small pieces of pork cooked in a dark soy sauce and served with mashed potatoes. It came with two very good spring rolls as an appetizer.
I'm concerned that I am not getting better faster. My ear is the main thing bothering me right now. There is still sinus drainage, but it is manageable. This ear just keeps popping,though. And I can't hear when people talk to me. When I try to talk, it hums. I went by a pharmacy last night to ask if there was something else I should do. The pharmacist said that the same antibiotic I am taking for the cold will take care of the ear, too. But it is frustrating for it to be popping for a fourth day with no obvious improvement!!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007--Yogyakarta
I tried to explore town today and ran into problems. I couldn't enter one sight because they couldn't give me change. Then when I tried to enter the old palace, they told me I had to go with a guide. Well, I hate guides, I didn't want to pay extra for a guide, and my ear was stopped up making it hard for me to hear a guide. I asked for my money back and left. I did see a museum with batiks, puppets, and other interesting items.
Tried to have lunch at an Indian restaurant, but it was closed. Instead I went to a nearby local place and had bihun, a fried noodle dish that was made fresh with lots of high quality ingredients. It was such a big portion that I had to leave part of it. It had wonderful pieces of chicken, nice chopped peanuts, cabbage, etc.
Well, my time here was spoiled in the evening. I got new neighbors--a local family of about 6-7 staying in one room. They spread all out across the patio in front of my room and occupied the space smoking horrible cigarettes with cloves, talking loudly, etc. I had wanted to stay here at least one more day, but I can't stand this. I'll get up and leave tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007--Yogya to Bandung
Happy Birthday to me! It wasn't much of a birthday, though. Instead of staying in Yogya and enjoying a nice coffee house/bakery I had found, I was up and packing to get away from my neighbors. It took an hour to walk to the train station. I got my ticket and had 1 1/2 hours to wait for the train. I'm going to Bandung which has nice things in the area, but seems to have expensive hotels.
I'm still sick. I'm taking penicillin, but my sinuses are still draining and my right ear is popping constantly. This isonly the third day of taking the medicine, though.
It was a long train ride. And the car became very cold as it got dark. It was better than the Indonesian buses, but I was so tired and uncomfortable toward the end. I actually took the curtain from the window and wrapped it around my head and arms to protect me from the cold air the last two hours of the trip.
Well, Bandung was a bust! The hotels were horrible--expensive and depressing. I checked out 3 before a settled on one knowing it would be for the one night. I can't stay in a place like this. First, the town isn't one of the great places to visit. Second, it would be horrible to be in one of these hotels even for a day. So I will be out of here tomorrow morning. I didn't even go out for dinner.
Thursday, July 12, 2007--Bandung to Jakarta
I was up early and headed for the train station. I'll be glad to have Bandung behind me. It's amazing how a hotel makes a difference in attitude toward a place. Even though the place I eventually stayed was clean enough last night, I could smell cigarette smoke coming from other rooms. And the only window faced a wall of concrete an arm's length away. I just didn't want to deal with all that.
I faced similar problems when arriving in Jakarta. I went to two places recommended by my guidebook and found them to be far less clean and bright than described. I saw a decent looking place and checked on it. The price is higher than I have been paying, but it is less than another place I was considering trying next. I took the room. It has a/c, hot water, breakfast, and the first cable TV I've had since leaving Alaska.
I ate Korean pork in the evening--my first meal in over 24 hours. It was small pieces of pork cooked in a dark soy sauce and served with mashed potatoes. It came with two very good spring rolls as an appetizer.
I'm concerned that I am not getting better faster. My ear is the main thing bothering me right now. There is still sinus drainage, but it is manageable. This ear just keeps popping,though. And I can't hear when people talk to me. When I try to talk, it hums. I went by a pharmacy last night to ask if there was something else I should do. The pharmacist said that the same antibiotic I am taking for the cold will take care of the ear, too. But it is frustrating for it to be popping for a fourth day with no obvious improvement!!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Better Days in Indonesdia
Sunday, July 8, 2007--Solo
I tried to go see a couple of palaces today. The good one that is original didn't seem to be open. The other one which burned a few years ago and has been rebuilt had a confusing price structure for seeing it. Since I wasn't too eager to see a reconstruction anyway, I just gave up on it.
Speaking of giving up, I'm giving up on Solo. It just isn't as nice a town as it had been made out to be. It is really quite ugly and trashy looking, I think. It's main square, for instance is a huge open space with grass covered in trash. All around the edges are stalls selling clothing and other items. No place would be proud to claim it.
I returned to my hotel and spent the day forcing fluids in an effort to start feeling better. When I checked my e-mail, there was a message from my friend Merryl telling me a penicillin to get from the pharmacy. So I got that and started taking it, too. By night time, I was already feeling better.
After the first two restaurants I wanted to try were closed, I walked quite a ways to one that specializes in chicken barbecue. I ordered a plate that included rice, 1/4 of a chicken, and some sliced cucumber. The chicken was delicious. But 1/4 of a chicken here is nothing like 1/4 of a chicken in the U.S. The chickens here are scrawny! The leg on this piece had no more than 3 bites of meat. And the attached thigh had maybe 3-4 more but was mostly bone. I was still hungry after I finished the meal.
Monday, July 9, 2007--Solo to Yogyakarta
I decided to abandon Solo. I new that there would be a train at 11:35, so I spent the morning in the room slowly packing and reading. I finished reading Saturday by Ian McEwan. I don't usually read multiple books by the same author, but this is the third of his books that I have read. His Atonement is one of my all-time favorite novels. I gave this one 3 stars out of 4.
I was feeling fine, so I walked to the train station. There, I got a ticket for the hour-ride to Yogyakarta. It was a local train with lots of people pushing to get on and get a seat so they wouldn't have to stand. I was lucky and got a seat. A few people sat on the floor, but no one stood.
It was a very long walk from the Yogyakarta train station to the area of town where I planned to stay, and it was in the heat of the day. It is really hot here when in the sunshine. I knew I would need to eat, so I planned to walk about 2/3 of the way and then look for a restaurant where I could stop. Just when I decided I had gone far enough, I looked up and saw a restaurant with satay--meat cooked over charcoal. That sounded good, so I went there.
As I studied the menu at the restaurant, a young woman got up from a nearby table and came over to ask if she could help. She said she studied in Canada for a year to explain her good English. Then she told me that this restaurant only serves goat. So the satay is of goat meat. There is a choice of meat, liver, or and combination of both. I chose meat only, and she suggested only a half order. Then she suggested a curry with stewed goat meat, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes. That's what I had along with a serving of rice and a class of juice. I must say that both dishes were delicious. I've never been so pleased with goat meat before in my life. The stew was spicy and flavorful. It was wonderful with the rice. The satay was almost like dessert. It was marinated in a teriyaki-type sauce that was a bit sweet. The chunks of meat were crispy, tender, and tasty. Ummmm. It was too much food, but I enjoyed it all and may go back there again.
The first two choices I had for places to stay were both full. That's too bad, because they each had a swimming pool I could have enjoyed. My third choice place had a room, but it has no pool. It is a nice place, however, with a beautiful garden and a nice, attractive look to it. I'm comfortable there.
I rested for the afternoon and then went out in the evening to find food. I ate around the corner at a market noodle stall. I had a stir-fry of mixed noodles with chicken, cabbage, etc. It was tasty but needed a little something extra.
Sunday, July 8, 2007--Solo
I tried to go see a couple of palaces today. The good one that is original didn't seem to be open. The other one which burned a few years ago and has been rebuilt had a confusing price structure for seeing it. Since I wasn't too eager to see a reconstruction anyway, I just gave up on it.
Speaking of giving up, I'm giving up on Solo. It just isn't as nice a town as it had been made out to be. It is really quite ugly and trashy looking, I think. It's main square, for instance is a huge open space with grass covered in trash. All around the edges are stalls selling clothing and other items. No place would be proud to claim it.
I returned to my hotel and spent the day forcing fluids in an effort to start feeling better. When I checked my e-mail, there was a message from my friend Merryl telling me a penicillin to get from the pharmacy. So I got that and started taking it, too. By night time, I was already feeling better.
After the first two restaurants I wanted to try were closed, I walked quite a ways to one that specializes in chicken barbecue. I ordered a plate that included rice, 1/4 of a chicken, and some sliced cucumber. The chicken was delicious. But 1/4 of a chicken here is nothing like 1/4 of a chicken in the U.S. The chickens here are scrawny! The leg on this piece had no more than 3 bites of meat. And the attached thigh had maybe 3-4 more but was mostly bone. I was still hungry after I finished the meal.
Monday, July 9, 2007--Solo to Yogyakarta
I decided to abandon Solo. I new that there would be a train at 11:35, so I spent the morning in the room slowly packing and reading. I finished reading Saturday by Ian McEwan. I don't usually read multiple books by the same author, but this is the third of his books that I have read. His Atonement is one of my all-time favorite novels. I gave this one 3 stars out of 4.
I was feeling fine, so I walked to the train station. There, I got a ticket for the hour-ride to Yogyakarta. It was a local train with lots of people pushing to get on and get a seat so they wouldn't have to stand. I was lucky and got a seat. A few people sat on the floor, but no one stood.
It was a very long walk from the Yogyakarta train station to the area of town where I planned to stay, and it was in the heat of the day. It is really hot here when in the sunshine. I knew I would need to eat, so I planned to walk about 2/3 of the way and then look for a restaurant where I could stop. Just when I decided I had gone far enough, I looked up and saw a restaurant with satay--meat cooked over charcoal. That sounded good, so I went there.
As I studied the menu at the restaurant, a young woman got up from a nearby table and came over to ask if she could help. She said she studied in Canada for a year to explain her good English. Then she told me that this restaurant only serves goat. So the satay is of goat meat. There is a choice of meat, liver, or and combination of both. I chose meat only, and she suggested only a half order. Then she suggested a curry with stewed goat meat, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes. That's what I had along with a serving of rice and a class of juice. I must say that both dishes were delicious. I've never been so pleased with goat meat before in my life. The stew was spicy and flavorful. It was wonderful with the rice. The satay was almost like dessert. It was marinated in a teriyaki-type sauce that was a bit sweet. The chunks of meat were crispy, tender, and tasty. Ummmm. It was too much food, but I enjoyed it all and may go back there again.
The first two choices I had for places to stay were both full. That's too bad, because they each had a swimming pool I could have enjoyed. My third choice place had a room, but it has no pool. It is a nice place, however, with a beautiful garden and a nice, attractive look to it. I'm comfortable there.
I rested for the afternoon and then went out in the evening to find food. I ate around the corner at a market noodle stall. I had a stir-fry of mixed noodles with chicken, cabbage, etc. It was tasty but needed a little something extra.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Disappointed in Solo and Still Sick!!!
Friday, July 6. 2007--Malang
There were nice, helpful English students working at the tourist offices here in town. I stopped twice to visit with them yesterday. They have me information about where and what to eat and where to get my hair cut. Then today, they helped me get my bus ticket to leave here tomorrow.
I felt totally exhausted and napped deeply in the early afternoon after eating beef soup with rice again. I forced myself to get out of bed and go for one last massage before leaving here. I asked for the guy from my first visit. He is so much better than the one I had yesterday. I just wish I could have felt better so that I would have enjoyed the massage more.
After leaving the massage parlor, I thought I would walk to the edge of town to see a road lined with mansions built by the Dutch. I only got about two blocks when it started raining. I was by a bakery that had a clean porch, so just sat there under their awning while it rained. People came and went picking up big supplies of pastries. One van arrived with two young men. As they started to leave, one got of the van and approached me to see if I needed any help. I told him I was just waiting for the rain to end so I could go back to my hotel. He had me show him where it was on the map and then volunteered to take me. It wasn't far, but it was so nice of them to do that. There are many nice Indonesian people like that, it seems.
I forced myself to go out again in the evening. I was worried about finding a hotel in Solo tomorrow, so I went to a telephone booth and called two places I had selected. Unfortunately, both said they are fully booked. So I quickly headed to the Internet cafe to do some research on other hotel possibilities besides those listed in Lonely Planet. I left there with a list of about 12 possibilities. I'm not going to call now. I'll just check them out when I arrive.
I had body sweats and a fever again today. I took Advil. This misery just won't go away. I thought I was getting better, but I'm not. And the worst part is that the congestion I keep blowing out of my nose and coughing up is thicker than I have ever seen before. Instead of being runny blobs, it is thick, gelatin-like clumps that hold their shapes. My siliva is also thick and I become dehydrated quickly.
Saturday, July 7, 2007--Malang to Solo
I had a bad night. My nose was completely stopped up from that thicker form of mucous I mentioned yesterday. Added to that was the fact that I removed my ear plugs during the night so that I would not over sleep and miss my bus this morning. Then the imams began. At 3 a.m. and again at 4 a.m., they were shouting through loud speakers from various mosques. It seems to me that a religion must be quite horrible when it doesn't trust it's people to pray on their and has to force it on them and everyone else who is not of that religion.
I was up and ready for the bus. But I really wasn't ready for that trip. Again, what was told to be a 7-hour trip took 9 hours. Why can't they tell you honestly how long a trip is in this country? And it was a horrible, miserable trip. The seat was narrow and hard. I was between two people over the drive shaft, so I could feel the heat coming through the seat. I thought we would NEVER get to Solo, and I was so glad when we finally did. No more bus trips in Indonesia. I will take the train or fly even if it means arriving at night.
Well, my first two tries at hotels were also full. Fortunately, my third choice had two rooms--a fan room and an air conditioned room. I looked at both. The fan room was depressing looking. The a/c room was newly redone, so it was nicer. I booked it. It's the most expensive room I have had on the trip so far, but it still is only about $11 per night. Maybe the dry a/c air will help with my nasal congestion.
I went out to explore the town of Solo a little. I am disappointed in it. It's rather junky and trashy looking. I thought it would be a nicer place from what the guidebook had said. I can see now why many tourists just skip it and go to the nearby bigger city of Jogyakarta. Both are known for their cultural aspects--dance, music, theater, puppets, batiks, etc.
I decided to also splurge on dinner. I had read about a nice place that makes pizza in a wood-fired oven. I went there. I sat in the back on a walled-in open terrace. There was nice artwork on the walls. The service was great. There was nice jazzy music in the background. I ordered an iced lime drink and a medium meat-lover's pizza. They brought simple syrup with the lime juice so that it could be sweetened easily. They brought some thin, crispy dough on a plate with a small bowl of pesto sauce for snacking. Then they brought my pizza on a nice wooden board. It was a very thin crust and had lots of flavor. It really was quite good. It was nice to eat a nice meal in a nice restaurant for a change. There was one other group of diners--what appeared to be a western man with his Indonesian wife and two children.
On the way back to the hotel, I passed a group of men on the sidewalk playing musical instruments and singing. They all wore the same shirt--their work shirt for an electronics store. They were finished for the evening and just relaxing and having fun together. I took their picture and listened to their music for a while. But I was exhausted and needed to get back to the room.
Note: I have received an e-mail from my friend Merryl saying that I should go to the pharmacy to get some medication. She gave me two choices of penicillin to request. I hope pharmacies here are like ones elsewhere and will give me penicillin by request without seeing a doctor. I'll go by one to try to get the medicine on my way back to the hotel now.
Friday, July 6. 2007--Malang
There were nice, helpful English students working at the tourist offices here in town. I stopped twice to visit with them yesterday. They have me information about where and what to eat and where to get my hair cut. Then today, they helped me get my bus ticket to leave here tomorrow.
I felt totally exhausted and napped deeply in the early afternoon after eating beef soup with rice again. I forced myself to get out of bed and go for one last massage before leaving here. I asked for the guy from my first visit. He is so much better than the one I had yesterday. I just wish I could have felt better so that I would have enjoyed the massage more.
After leaving the massage parlor, I thought I would walk to the edge of town to see a road lined with mansions built by the Dutch. I only got about two blocks when it started raining. I was by a bakery that had a clean porch, so just sat there under their awning while it rained. People came and went picking up big supplies of pastries. One van arrived with two young men. As they started to leave, one got of the van and approached me to see if I needed any help. I told him I was just waiting for the rain to end so I could go back to my hotel. He had me show him where it was on the map and then volunteered to take me. It wasn't far, but it was so nice of them to do that. There are many nice Indonesian people like that, it seems.
I forced myself to go out again in the evening. I was worried about finding a hotel in Solo tomorrow, so I went to a telephone booth and called two places I had selected. Unfortunately, both said they are fully booked. So I quickly headed to the Internet cafe to do some research on other hotel possibilities besides those listed in Lonely Planet. I left there with a list of about 12 possibilities. I'm not going to call now. I'll just check them out when I arrive.
I had body sweats and a fever again today. I took Advil. This misery just won't go away. I thought I was getting better, but I'm not. And the worst part is that the congestion I keep blowing out of my nose and coughing up is thicker than I have ever seen before. Instead of being runny blobs, it is thick, gelatin-like clumps that hold their shapes. My siliva is also thick and I become dehydrated quickly.
Saturday, July 7, 2007--Malang to Solo
I had a bad night. My nose was completely stopped up from that thicker form of mucous I mentioned yesterday. Added to that was the fact that I removed my ear plugs during the night so that I would not over sleep and miss my bus this morning. Then the imams began. At 3 a.m. and again at 4 a.m., they were shouting through loud speakers from various mosques. It seems to me that a religion must be quite horrible when it doesn't trust it's people to pray on their and has to force it on them and everyone else who is not of that religion.
I was up and ready for the bus. But I really wasn't ready for that trip. Again, what was told to be a 7-hour trip took 9 hours. Why can't they tell you honestly how long a trip is in this country? And it was a horrible, miserable trip. The seat was narrow and hard. I was between two people over the drive shaft, so I could feel the heat coming through the seat. I thought we would NEVER get to Solo, and I was so glad when we finally did. No more bus trips in Indonesia. I will take the train or fly even if it means arriving at night.
Well, my first two tries at hotels were also full. Fortunately, my third choice had two rooms--a fan room and an air conditioned room. I looked at both. The fan room was depressing looking. The a/c room was newly redone, so it was nicer. I booked it. It's the most expensive room I have had on the trip so far, but it still is only about $11 per night. Maybe the dry a/c air will help with my nasal congestion.
I went out to explore the town of Solo a little. I am disappointed in it. It's rather junky and trashy looking. I thought it would be a nicer place from what the guidebook had said. I can see now why many tourists just skip it and go to the nearby bigger city of Jogyakarta. Both are known for their cultural aspects--dance, music, theater, puppets, batiks, etc.
I decided to also splurge on dinner. I had read about a nice place that makes pizza in a wood-fired oven. I went there. I sat in the back on a walled-in open terrace. There was nice artwork on the walls. The service was great. There was nice jazzy music in the background. I ordered an iced lime drink and a medium meat-lover's pizza. They brought simple syrup with the lime juice so that it could be sweetened easily. They brought some thin, crispy dough on a plate with a small bowl of pesto sauce for snacking. Then they brought my pizza on a nice wooden board. It was a very thin crust and had lots of flavor. It really was quite good. It was nice to eat a nice meal in a nice restaurant for a change. There was one other group of diners--what appeared to be a western man with his Indonesian wife and two children.
On the way back to the hotel, I passed a group of men on the sidewalk playing musical instruments and singing. They all wore the same shirt--their work shirt for an electronics store. They were finished for the evening and just relaxing and having fun together. I took their picture and listened to their music for a while. But I was exhausted and needed to get back to the room.
Note: I have received an e-mail from my friend Merryl saying that I should go to the pharmacy to get some medication. She gave me two choices of penicillin to request. I hope pharmacies here are like ones elsewhere and will give me penicillin by request without seeing a doctor. I'll go by one to try to get the medicine on my way back to the hotel now.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Sluggish Days in Indonesia
Thursday, July 5, 2007--Malang
Today is the first day I have had no fever with its related aches and pains. But my sinuses have geared back up into active gear with lots of nasal congestion and lots of drainage into my throat. It just seems that this flu will never end. It's not as bad for me as it is for some others, though. The lady in the room next to mine at my hotel hasn't been out of the room for three days. I keep hearing her cough, and it is a horrible growling cough that sounds so uncomfortable.
I finished reading Grange House by Sarah Blake. It's different from most of the books I read. First, it is a Victorian romance novel that takes place in Maine. Added to that is that it is a mystery story with hints of the supernatural. It is very well written in what I assume to be reliable conversation language for the upper class of that period. I gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
I like Malang. It's a pretty town and is rather laid back and relaxed. It has several major universities. They are all on summer break now, but the English majors are all maning the tourist offices. I stopped several times to get information yesterday, including a suggestion that I have soto for lunch. It is a soup with rice, noodles, chicken, broth, and chile sauce that is very tasty. I bought it at a street wagon and sat on a plastic stool on the street to eat it. Many people looked at me and smiled. It was obvious that they liked seeing the tourist eating the way they do!
I also asked them to tell me where to get a haircut. I've been needing one for a couple of weeks. To get by, I trimmed a little around the ears just before leaving Taiwan. Then I didn't see any barber shops when I first got to Bali. Later, I was sick and didn't feel like having it cut. Anyway, today, the students sent me to a local barbershop where it was cut for about 90 cents U.S. I could have gone to a style shop and had it cut and blow dried for $1.50, but I usually get a woman at a place like that and I always feel that a man does a better job on the back edge of my head. Women often like to leave too much hair there, because that is what THEY want on the back of their necks.
I went back for a massage at the Center for the Blind. I was disappointed this time, however. The masseur just wasn't as good as the one yesterday. When I left, I asked the lady at the desk if I could get the same guy from my first trip there if I return tomorrow. I think she understood me. I'll find out tomorrow, anyway.
I washed some laundry today. Because I've been sick, everything has been backing up. Now all my clothes are clean again.
I decided to stop at McDonald's last night to see what people were eating, since there was a huge crowd there. No one was getting a burger. They were all ordering the same thing--a piece of fried chicken with a mound of rice wrapped in burger wrapping paper and a drink. I wonder if McDonald's is halal? I ask because most people there were muslim. Almost every woman had a head covering.
Thursday, July 5, 2007--Malang
Today is the first day I have had no fever with its related aches and pains. But my sinuses have geared back up into active gear with lots of nasal congestion and lots of drainage into my throat. It just seems that this flu will never end. It's not as bad for me as it is for some others, though. The lady in the room next to mine at my hotel hasn't been out of the room for three days. I keep hearing her cough, and it is a horrible growling cough that sounds so uncomfortable.
I finished reading Grange House by Sarah Blake. It's different from most of the books I read. First, it is a Victorian romance novel that takes place in Maine. Added to that is that it is a mystery story with hints of the supernatural. It is very well written in what I assume to be reliable conversation language for the upper class of that period. I gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
I like Malang. It's a pretty town and is rather laid back and relaxed. It has several major universities. They are all on summer break now, but the English majors are all maning the tourist offices. I stopped several times to get information yesterday, including a suggestion that I have soto for lunch. It is a soup with rice, noodles, chicken, broth, and chile sauce that is very tasty. I bought it at a street wagon and sat on a plastic stool on the street to eat it. Many people looked at me and smiled. It was obvious that they liked seeing the tourist eating the way they do!
I also asked them to tell me where to get a haircut. I've been needing one for a couple of weeks. To get by, I trimmed a little around the ears just before leaving Taiwan. Then I didn't see any barber shops when I first got to Bali. Later, I was sick and didn't feel like having it cut. Anyway, today, the students sent me to a local barbershop where it was cut for about 90 cents U.S. I could have gone to a style shop and had it cut and blow dried for $1.50, but I usually get a woman at a place like that and I always feel that a man does a better job on the back edge of my head. Women often like to leave too much hair there, because that is what THEY want on the back of their necks.
I went back for a massage at the Center for the Blind. I was disappointed this time, however. The masseur just wasn't as good as the one yesterday. When I left, I asked the lady at the desk if I could get the same guy from my first trip there if I return tomorrow. I think she understood me. I'll find out tomorrow, anyway.
I washed some laundry today. Because I've been sick, everything has been backing up. Now all my clothes are clean again.
I decided to stop at McDonald's last night to see what people were eating, since there was a huge crowd there. No one was getting a burger. They were all ordering the same thing--a piece of fried chicken with a mound of rice wrapped in burger wrapping paper and a drink. I wonder if McDonald's is halal? I ask because most people there were muslim. Almost every woman had a head covering.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Wonderful Malang
Tuesday, July 3, 2007--Surabaya
Although it took a lot of effort to find my hotel room last night, I like it. I'm so glad that I ended up here. It is a good location that is central to the entire city and has a street out front lined with lots of tent restaurants serving good food at inexpensive prices. The room itself is nice with lots of white tile--walls, floors, patio, etc. All the furniture and the doors, windows, and facings are all stained natural wood. It's very clean. The patio faces a nice garden with green plants and lots of cages filled with tropical birds. They leave breakfast out on the patio in the morning--a thermos of hot tea and a covered platter with a sweet bread. Then they come again in the late afternoon with another thermos of hot tea. The sweet bread this morning was a simple roll spread with marshmallow cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Because the room is so nice, I decided to stay another day and try to explore the city. There is an old section built by the Dutch. I walked there and found some wonderful buildings. There are many narrow streets lined with old Dutch stucco houses with lots of tilework. But I just couldn't keep going. I started to feel bad. As my cold symptoms have tended to disappear, my flu symptoms have flared up. I feel as if I have a fever, and I have aches and pains. I stopped at a shopping mall to eat, and couldn't decide on what to order. I felt so bad, I just didn't want to analyze the offerings. Instead, I went to A&W and got a burger, drink, and ice cream cone. Then I returned to my room. On the way, I was almost hit by a motorcycle. I was crossing at a crosswalk and it ran through it trying to get to the red light to be up front when it turned. Furtunately, he just bumped my side instead of hitting me head on. I bet he was relieved. It probably would be a disaster for someone to hit a foreign pedestrian in a crosswalk with a green light for walking.
I took an Advil and went to sleep exhausted and aching all over. Later, I had to push myself to get out of the room to have dinner. I ate Chinese noodles with celery, chicken, and spinach all stir-fried together at one of the nearby tent restaurants. Then I returned to the room and went to bed again.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007--Surabaya to Malang
I'm still not well. I took an Advil before heading out for the train station. I walked slowly. I continued to be uncomfortable all day with fever, chills, etc. There were two horrible kids with their father seated with me on the facing seats of the train. One was hyper active and kept climbing to the top of the back of the seat and then falling to the seat cushion next to me. The other one couldn't talk without yelling in a high pitch. The father never said a thing. I had to put up with that for over two hours!!!
I was exhausted by the time I got to my hotel and got checked in. At least there was a room for me at my first-choice place. I took another Advil and relaxed. But I was hungry, since my breakfast had just been tea and a sweet bread. So I walked down the street to find a place to eat. I had a local specialty--dark, thick beef soup served with rice. I ordered a juice that the man said was local Indonesian fruit. Well, it may have been acai, the drink that I like in Brazil. It had the same color and a very similar taste. Since it was juice and not frozen as I get it in Brazil, it was hard to tell if it is the same or different. I enjoyed it and drank two of them anyway.
Malang is a beautiful town. It is an old Dutch colonial city with lots of nice, impressive buildings of stucco with orange tile roofs. The streets are all lined with huge trees that have been growing for 200 years or more. It's a pleasant place to visit.
There is a place here that trains blind people to give massage, so I went there after lunch to get a massage. It was so nice to relax. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had a slight fever and been sniffling so much. Still, it was a very good massage that lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Best of all, it cost less than $3 U.S., including tip! I'll be going back there every day I am here.
I really didn't want to go out in the evening. I was feeling too bad. I pulled some nuts from my suitcase and ate them as my dinner. I went to bed around 20:00 and slept for 11 hours.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007--Surabaya
Although it took a lot of effort to find my hotel room last night, I like it. I'm so glad that I ended up here. It is a good location that is central to the entire city and has a street out front lined with lots of tent restaurants serving good food at inexpensive prices. The room itself is nice with lots of white tile--walls, floors, patio, etc. All the furniture and the doors, windows, and facings are all stained natural wood. It's very clean. The patio faces a nice garden with green plants and lots of cages filled with tropical birds. They leave breakfast out on the patio in the morning--a thermos of hot tea and a covered platter with a sweet bread. Then they come again in the late afternoon with another thermos of hot tea. The sweet bread this morning was a simple roll spread with marshmallow cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Because the room is so nice, I decided to stay another day and try to explore the city. There is an old section built by the Dutch. I walked there and found some wonderful buildings. There are many narrow streets lined with old Dutch stucco houses with lots of tilework. But I just couldn't keep going. I started to feel bad. As my cold symptoms have tended to disappear, my flu symptoms have flared up. I feel as if I have a fever, and I have aches and pains. I stopped at a shopping mall to eat, and couldn't decide on what to order. I felt so bad, I just didn't want to analyze the offerings. Instead, I went to A&W and got a burger, drink, and ice cream cone. Then I returned to my room. On the way, I was almost hit by a motorcycle. I was crossing at a crosswalk and it ran through it trying to get to the red light to be up front when it turned. Furtunately, he just bumped my side instead of hitting me head on. I bet he was relieved. It probably would be a disaster for someone to hit a foreign pedestrian in a crosswalk with a green light for walking.
I took an Advil and went to sleep exhausted and aching all over. Later, I had to push myself to get out of the room to have dinner. I ate Chinese noodles with celery, chicken, and spinach all stir-fried together at one of the nearby tent restaurants. Then I returned to the room and went to bed again.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007--Surabaya to Malang
I'm still not well. I took an Advil before heading out for the train station. I walked slowly. I continued to be uncomfortable all day with fever, chills, etc. There were two horrible kids with their father seated with me on the facing seats of the train. One was hyper active and kept climbing to the top of the back of the seat and then falling to the seat cushion next to me. The other one couldn't talk without yelling in a high pitch. The father never said a thing. I had to put up with that for over two hours!!!
I was exhausted by the time I got to my hotel and got checked in. At least there was a room for me at my first-choice place. I took another Advil and relaxed. But I was hungry, since my breakfast had just been tea and a sweet bread. So I walked down the street to find a place to eat. I had a local specialty--dark, thick beef soup served with rice. I ordered a juice that the man said was local Indonesian fruit. Well, it may have been acai, the drink that I like in Brazil. It had the same color and a very similar taste. Since it was juice and not frozen as I get it in Brazil, it was hard to tell if it is the same or different. I enjoyed it and drank two of them anyway.
Malang is a beautiful town. It is an old Dutch colonial city with lots of nice, impressive buildings of stucco with orange tile roofs. The streets are all lined with huge trees that have been growing for 200 years or more. It's a pleasant place to visit.
There is a place here that trains blind people to give massage, so I went there after lunch to get a massage. It was so nice to relax. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had a slight fever and been sniffling so much. Still, it was a very good massage that lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Best of all, it cost less than $3 U.S., including tip! I'll be going back there every day I am here.
I really didn't want to go out in the evening. I was feeling too bad. I pulled some nuts from my suitcase and ate them as my dinner. I went to bed around 20:00 and slept for 11 hours.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Java, The Island
Sunday, July 1, 2007--Rantepao
I met a nice British young man at breakfast. His name is Damien, and he is a television producer. He just got a contract for 12 months of production of weekly roundup shows about qualifying games for world cup soccer. He came here to relax a bit before becoming so involved.
My nose is still stuffy and I still feel a little flu-like--aches and pains in the joints and the feeling of a slight fever. It just keeps lingering, but the nasal congestion gets better each day, I think.
In preparing for my outing of the day, I made a fortuitous discovering. I unpinned the secret pocket that I keep pinned to the inside of the back wasteband of my pants to switch it to another pair of pants. I decided to count my money, and when I did, I saw that the bottom of the pocket was just barely holding together with a few threads. It could have split open and I could have lost my two credit cards and all my extra cash. Losing the credit cards would have been the biggest problem. Anyway, I remembered that I had packed a small piece of self-adhesive patching material in my bag of possible needs. I cut off a section and wrapped it arond the base of the pocket. It is now good again without a worry!
I walked out a cobblestone roadway into the hills today. There were small villages and scattered individual houses. It was rather quiet, since it's Sunday. But a few people were along the way and visited with me. I forgot to put sunscreen on my nose, though, and it got a bit burned. I've got to be more careful about that.
Damien came to the room around 6:30, and we went out to dinner together. We had the typical Indonesia dish--nasy goreng (fried rice). It was okay,. but it wasn't great. But we sat there about 2 hours visiting. It was fun to hear about his life. And he was curious about the around-the-world tickets and how they work.
Monday, July 2, 2007--Rantepao to Makassar to Surabaya
What a long, bad day. I actually felt fairly good. But no one could make it through such a day without feeling bad by the end of it. I didn't sleep well, because I had to take out my earplugs to hear the alarm clock at 6:15. The roosters, the motorcycles, the cats in heat, the dogs, the babies, etc., of the neighborhood seem to be noisemakers 24 hours per day!
The bus trip took 9 hours. That's a long time to sit in a small seat next to someone else. And it was not air-conditioned. I had to take that one, however, to be sure that there would be no problem reaching the airport in time for my flight. And sure enough, the bus had a flat which delayed us (but only for about 15 minutes). People on the bus were nice to me. One lady who operates a guest house told me about her place and asked me to recommend it to others. She told about how the bombings of 5 years ago have changed tourism. She had to fire all her staff, and family members had to take on the chores. He husband is the cook, and she gave me one of two sandwiches he had made for her for the trip. It was delicious. It consised of thinly sliced boiled egg and tomatoes on fresh white bread with homemade mayonnaise. Ummm!
After worrying about making it to the airport for my flight, it actually was delayed for mechanical reasons. Remember, I mentioned earlier that Indonesian airlines have a bad reputation. Whatever the problem was, it was repaired and we left a little over an hour late. That got us to Surabaya about 21:15.
I got a pre-paid taxi and headed to the hotel I had chosen. Unfortunately, it was booked solid. That's a problem I have found with Lonely Planet guidebooks. Too many people use them and can tell which are the best places. Also, they don't list enough places to give alternative choices in the same category of value. I actually prefer Footprint Guides which always have "Handbook" in the title such as Thailand Handbook, Brazil Handbook. They provide about 3 times as many choices within each category of hotel as Lonely Planet does. But they don't print handbooks for every country. I also like Rough Guide as an alternative to Lonely Planet.
I was caught without a hotel room at 22:00 at night. I walked to another place about 2 km (1.2 miles) away. It looked like a dump, and they wouldn't let me see a room. They said they have to charge me for one night if they open the door! Well, I wasn't going to stay in a dump that was overpriced and that I hadn't seen. So I walked another 4 km (2.5 miles) to another hotel. I got there around 23:00. Their room was fine, so I checked in. Thank goodness they had a room. I was beginning to think I would just walk to the train station and sit there all night until the morning train I could catch to my next destination!
I missed dinner with all that walking, and I could feel it during the night. My body felt weak. And I had some aches and pains in the joints (from carrying my luggage and from the flu, I guess). Sometime in the night, I awoke shivering and turned off the fan. It was not from being cold, but from having a fever, I think. It had been a rather horrible and stressful day, so I guess it was to be expected.
Sunday, July 1, 2007--Rantepao
I met a nice British young man at breakfast. His name is Damien, and he is a television producer. He just got a contract for 12 months of production of weekly roundup shows about qualifying games for world cup soccer. He came here to relax a bit before becoming so involved.
My nose is still stuffy and I still feel a little flu-like--aches and pains in the joints and the feeling of a slight fever. It just keeps lingering, but the nasal congestion gets better each day, I think.
In preparing for my outing of the day, I made a fortuitous discovering. I unpinned the secret pocket that I keep pinned to the inside of the back wasteband of my pants to switch it to another pair of pants. I decided to count my money, and when I did, I saw that the bottom of the pocket was just barely holding together with a few threads. It could have split open and I could have lost my two credit cards and all my extra cash. Losing the credit cards would have been the biggest problem. Anyway, I remembered that I had packed a small piece of self-adhesive patching material in my bag of possible needs. I cut off a section and wrapped it arond the base of the pocket. It is now good again without a worry!
I walked out a cobblestone roadway into the hills today. There were small villages and scattered individual houses. It was rather quiet, since it's Sunday. But a few people were along the way and visited with me. I forgot to put sunscreen on my nose, though, and it got a bit burned. I've got to be more careful about that.
Damien came to the room around 6:30, and we went out to dinner together. We had the typical Indonesia dish--nasy goreng (fried rice). It was okay,. but it wasn't great. But we sat there about 2 hours visiting. It was fun to hear about his life. And he was curious about the around-the-world tickets and how they work.
Monday, July 2, 2007--Rantepao to Makassar to Surabaya
What a long, bad day. I actually felt fairly good. But no one could make it through such a day without feeling bad by the end of it. I didn't sleep well, because I had to take out my earplugs to hear the alarm clock at 6:15. The roosters, the motorcycles, the cats in heat, the dogs, the babies, etc., of the neighborhood seem to be noisemakers 24 hours per day!
The bus trip took 9 hours. That's a long time to sit in a small seat next to someone else. And it was not air-conditioned. I had to take that one, however, to be sure that there would be no problem reaching the airport in time for my flight. And sure enough, the bus had a flat which delayed us (but only for about 15 minutes). People on the bus were nice to me. One lady who operates a guest house told me about her place and asked me to recommend it to others. She told about how the bombings of 5 years ago have changed tourism. She had to fire all her staff, and family members had to take on the chores. He husband is the cook, and she gave me one of two sandwiches he had made for her for the trip. It was delicious. It consised of thinly sliced boiled egg and tomatoes on fresh white bread with homemade mayonnaise. Ummm!
After worrying about making it to the airport for my flight, it actually was delayed for mechanical reasons. Remember, I mentioned earlier that Indonesian airlines have a bad reputation. Whatever the problem was, it was repaired and we left a little over an hour late. That got us to Surabaya about 21:15.
I got a pre-paid taxi and headed to the hotel I had chosen. Unfortunately, it was booked solid. That's a problem I have found with Lonely Planet guidebooks. Too many people use them and can tell which are the best places. Also, they don't list enough places to give alternative choices in the same category of value. I actually prefer Footprint Guides which always have "Handbook" in the title such as Thailand Handbook, Brazil Handbook. They provide about 3 times as many choices within each category of hotel as Lonely Planet does. But they don't print handbooks for every country. I also like Rough Guide as an alternative to Lonely Planet.
I was caught without a hotel room at 22:00 at night. I walked to another place about 2 km (1.2 miles) away. It looked like a dump, and they wouldn't let me see a room. They said they have to charge me for one night if they open the door! Well, I wasn't going to stay in a dump that was overpriced and that I hadn't seen. So I walked another 4 km (2.5 miles) to another hotel. I got there around 23:00. Their room was fine, so I checked in. Thank goodness they had a room. I was beginning to think I would just walk to the train station and sit there all night until the morning train I could catch to my next destination!
I missed dinner with all that walking, and I could feel it during the night. My body felt weak. And I had some aches and pains in the joints (from carrying my luggage and from the flu, I guess). Sometime in the night, I awoke shivering and turned off the fan. It was not from being cold, but from having a fever, I think. It had been a rather horrible and stressful day, so I guess it was to be expected.
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