Singapore, Jakarta
We arrive via MRT at the Singapore airport at 12:30. It is an easy, cheap and cool trip. Our bags already checked in, we have all day to see more of Singapore and spend an afternoon at Chinatown.
The flight arrives at Jakarta, 9:40 p.m. We buy visas, then wait for bags. I buy vouchers for a hotel and taxi ride at a counter next to baggage claim. Two men stand by the counter, ready to escort us to the taxi, which though expensive ($15), is at least convenient. The guidebook says to watch the bags. This is probably as safe as it gets here.
The baggage is on our cart, and we go through customs. I clutch my carryon containing a laptop and cell phone. Porters are aggressive. I say, "I will carry this one."
At the taxi stand, a porter demands a tip. The standard is 4000 rupees (40 cents). I give him all I have-- one U.S. dollar and he rubs his fingers demanding more.
As we enter the taxi, our driver asks if another man can join us. I don't answer. This other man is from the agency that sold the taxi and hotel, we are told. He joins us.
Mr. Wayne, the driver, is chatty. He offers a taxi ride to Bogor (tomorrow) for $25 and gives me his phone number in case. I write it down.
We arrive at a 4 star hotel ($38) and more porters stack our bags. I watch my bags carefully, then tip Mr. Wayne 20000 rupees.
We check in and go to the seventh floor. The porter explains the layout of our room and offers to install internet service in it, in the morning. I say, "no thanks, not important."
Once the porter leaves, I immediately notice my carryon bag is missing and go the counter to ask about it. We call Mr. Wayne, who answers while driving. He tells me that he doesn't have my bag, even before stopping the taxi. He calls back two more times, to talk about the security at the airport, etc., which he has informed. But, he will not talk about what I am interested in-- "how many bags do you remember loading?"
In the morning, security at the hotel reviews video. Mr. Zam Zam counts six bags unloaded onto the luggage cart, which means that my carryon was unloaded and the bag was lost in the elevator or on the 7th Floor.
As we leave, Mr. Zam Zam notices that the bag he thought was my carryon, based on the video, is with us. He has not seen the carryon on the video. Instead, he counted a plastic bag of bottled water as luggage.
Mr. Zam Zam has been quite professional and the issue of the missing bag is now being looked at at the airport (for real), though I am quite sure that the culprit was our taxi driver and/or his other passenger.
I have been buying lenses for the glasses frames that I bought in Bangkok, so that I can read, and I am now in the market for a cell phone. (Cell phones are cheap here.) I am not ready to admit that the laptop is permanently gone, though realism would suggest that it is. It's not the most rational thought, but I miss the book I was most of the way through as much as I miss anything. I also miss my five dollar alarm clock with thermometer, from Hong Kong.
Bogor has not been as cool as we had hoped. It is muggy even though elevation is one mile and we get thunder storms 240 times per year. But, the people have been friendly.
The news here is slanted exactly the opposite direction as in the West. Israel is Zionist and North Korea is refered to as "The People's Republic of Korea." Western influence is also strong-- t-shirts with English phrases, MTV. A five year old wears a "Love to Shop" t-shirt. The country is 89% Muslim and we see a man washing his feet in the public restroom on Mohadded's birthday. We also see headdresses on women, but they look fashionable. The dress is not all one color, or anything formal like that; women with headdresses wear bluejeans.
More than most places, people in Indonesia seem to appreciate being called "sir". So, while in Indonesia, I smile a lot, be very polite, and jaywalk at leasure. While in Singapore, I think the thing to do is abide by all laws, but laws are not so important to Indonesians!
The big site in Bogor is the Botanical Gardens, which we plan to see tomorrow.
The flight arrives at Jakarta, 9:40 p.m. We buy visas, then wait for bags. I buy vouchers for a hotel and taxi ride at a counter next to baggage claim. Two men stand by the counter, ready to escort us to the taxi, which though expensive ($15), is at least convenient. The guidebook says to watch the bags. This is probably as safe as it gets here.
The baggage is on our cart, and we go through customs. I clutch my carryon containing a laptop and cell phone. Porters are aggressive. I say, "I will carry this one."
At the taxi stand, a porter demands a tip. The standard is 4000 rupees (40 cents). I give him all I have-- one U.S. dollar and he rubs his fingers demanding more.
As we enter the taxi, our driver asks if another man can join us. I don't answer. This other man is from the agency that sold the taxi and hotel, we are told. He joins us.
Mr. Wayne, the driver, is chatty. He offers a taxi ride to Bogor (tomorrow) for $25 and gives me his phone number in case. I write it down.
We arrive at a 4 star hotel ($38) and more porters stack our bags. I watch my bags carefully, then tip Mr. Wayne 20000 rupees.
We check in and go to the seventh floor. The porter explains the layout of our room and offers to install internet service in it, in the morning. I say, "no thanks, not important."
Once the porter leaves, I immediately notice my carryon bag is missing and go the counter to ask about it. We call Mr. Wayne, who answers while driving. He tells me that he doesn't have my bag, even before stopping the taxi. He calls back two more times, to talk about the security at the airport, etc., which he has informed. But, he will not talk about what I am interested in-- "how many bags do you remember loading?"
In the morning, security at the hotel reviews video. Mr. Zam Zam counts six bags unloaded onto the luggage cart, which means that my carryon was unloaded and the bag was lost in the elevator or on the 7th Floor.
As we leave, Mr. Zam Zam notices that the bag he thought was my carryon, based on the video, is with us. He has not seen the carryon on the video. Instead, he counted a plastic bag of bottled water as luggage.
Mr. Zam Zam has been quite professional and the issue of the missing bag is now being looked at at the airport (for real), though I am quite sure that the culprit was our taxi driver and/or his other passenger.
I have been buying lenses for the glasses frames that I bought in Bangkok, so that I can read, and I am now in the market for a cell phone. (Cell phones are cheap here.) I am not ready to admit that the laptop is permanently gone, though realism would suggest that it is. It's not the most rational thought, but I miss the book I was most of the way through as much as I miss anything. I also miss my five dollar alarm clock with thermometer, from Hong Kong.
Bogor has not been as cool as we had hoped. It is muggy even though elevation is one mile and we get thunder storms 240 times per year. But, the people have been friendly.
The news here is slanted exactly the opposite direction as in the West. Israel is Zionist and North Korea is refered to as "The People's Republic of Korea." Western influence is also strong-- t-shirts with English phrases, MTV. A five year old wears a "Love to Shop" t-shirt. The country is 89% Muslim and we see a man washing his feet in the public restroom on Mohadded's birthday. We also see headdresses on women, but they look fashionable. The dress is not all one color, or anything formal like that; women with headdresses wear bluejeans.
More than most places, people in Indonesia seem to appreciate being called "sir". So, while in Indonesia, I smile a lot, be very polite, and jaywalk at leasure. While in Singapore, I think the thing to do is abide by all laws, but laws are not so important to Indonesians!
The big site in Bogor is the Botanical Gardens, which we plan to see tomorrow.
Labels: travel
posted by David Rasmussen at 2:32 AM
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