Road trip to Singapore - Day 5

Continued from day 4.

Reference - exchange rates:
one pound approx Rp15,000
one US$ approx Rp10,000

After a good nights sleep, I went down stairs to hunt for some breakfast. Nothing provided by the hotel, so I sat down on a very tatty lounge chair in the reception hall, to contemplate the days itinery and speculate what the day might bring. To my absolute amazement, one of the cleaning staff came over and after chatting we me for just a couple of minutes, she propositioned me, at 7 o'clock in the morning! Never in all my years of staying in hotels has this ever happened before.

We checked out of the hotel around 08:00 and took a bus to the international ferry for Singapore. The bus was easy and only Rp6,000 for the two of us, which Alex took care of, sensing that I was still a bit pissed off. Alex was on a different ferry so we said our goodbyes.

The ticket to Singapore was Rp220,000 and non-negotiable. Really becoming concerned about the funds now as all these prices are more than I expected after my research.

I thought the immigration was going to give me a problem as he took my passport into the office to talk to his boss. I thought they were going to try and tell me that I was a day over, but I had confirmed with the officer in Bandung that I could check out on the 15th. Everything was okay in the end and I boarded the ferry.

Arrived at Singapore, got my stamp no problem. The return ticket to Batam was $20 Singapore. I changed Rupiah to $20 and this was Rp160,000, a lot cheaper, showing how much the Indonesians have hiked up the prices.

I had a couple of hours to kill so I decided to do some accounting and see exactly how bad things were. It was very handy that I was keeping a diary record. Not only was the money low but it was Rp400,000 lighter than it should have been. Well, that was an expensive nights sleep, the penalty for being too trusting. However, mistakes aside, it is what it is. Time to evaluate and plan my return.

With the remaining funds I could just make it, as long as I get the right ticket prices and there are no more hidden extras. But what was left from this trip was supposed to keep me fed and the electric cooking for the next month. Hard times ahead, but cannot concern myself with that now, Bandung is the target.

It was murder wandering around the terminal at Singapore, with all those delicious food smells, hungry and no money to spare. I was determined not to spend until I had secured the ticket from Pekanbaru back to the java ferry, when I would have a better idea of how much I could eat. Passport went smoothly and the ferry back to Batam was on time.

Now, the whole purpose of the mega trip, the all important Indonesian VISA. It went well with no problems, but annoyingly, the price had gone up to Rp260,000 with a raise of Rp10,000. Still, nothing I can do about that. Only worry about the things that you have control over, the rest is just not worth the sweat.

Next job was to get from the international ferry to Sekupang, the Indonesian ferry. I remember the internet article said that the local ferry was next door, but I already knew that was wrong or I had read it wrong, remembering the taxi trying to charge me Rp100,000 only yesterday.

There had to be a local bus, as the taxi was now beyond my budget. I found an information desk and luckily the guy spoke reasonable English. He directed me to a bus stop just up the road and across a junction. There was a guy working the bus stop and a food vendor. I was starving by now and so had a pot noodle for Rp5,000. The guy put me on the correct bus and Rp3,000 took me to the Sekupang ferry, a thirty minute ride. Sorted.

Raining now and no hope of a ferry today, the information guy told me that much, so I sheltered at the bus stop for an hour until the rain subsided. No point in getting soaked, the inevitable night on the floor was going to be bad enough.

I remembered reading that there was a ferry direct to Jakarta. It would take forever, but the price had to be inquired. Yes, there was a ferry, but only once per week and the next one was five days away so that wasn't going to work. The girl helping me at the loket suggested flying from Pekanbaru airport direct to Jakarta. This would put me in Bandung the next day. The price was doable, but if anything went wrong, like the weekend ticket being more expensive, then I would be saddled with two extra taxi rides to and from Pekanbaru which would put me over budget, so I decided not to pursue that idea no matter how inviting the thought of a four egg omelet, a clean shower, shave and my soft bed was.

I decided to just buy a ferry ticket to Buton and see what I could find cheaper to Pekanbaru, as the inclusive price was Rp90,000 for the taxi. The ferry ticket was Rp220,000 and Rp6,000 tax to be paid the next day.

A fresh and detailed fiscal evaluation left me Rp36.000 spare, enough for four pot noodles, a bottle of water and some toilet money, but still some hard negotiating left just to achieve this. Hard times indeed.

I sat in the café area and bought a large bottle of water. The Rp8,000 stung, but water is absolutely essential in this humid climate, ignore water intake at your peril and I hate drinking water.

Several hours to kill now, until the place runs down with all the ferries for the day finished and too much time for reflection. I have seen hard times before in my life, but I do not recall ever feeling so alone and lost. Thinking back to the good times, earning forty pounds an hour and saving 100K in two years and still being able to party and buy anything I wanted. Where did it all go - drank myself silly every night, that's where it went!

The sun is setting and the rain is now crashing down which is not helping my mood. Keeping this diary has been a positive thing, knowing that one or two people might read it. I can't imagine wanting to be reminded of these events myself in the future but I am sure that will change. It might help me to stay smart next time around.

It is not this trip that is getting me down, but an unfortunate series of events, beyond my control, that has resulted in me losing three months rent and placing me within a hairs breadth of losing the house and the endowment policy after paying in for twenty years.

To think that this style of life that I have lived over the last five days could conceivably become a permanent feature of my life in the near future. Why not, it has happened to more than a few people before me from similar situations.

I did think about deleting these last few paragraphs of thoughts, but decided to keep them in, as it is my diary. Thoughts are an important part of a diary and usually the first diary items to be lost in time if not recorded.

Watching a woman mopping the days grime from between the tables, I picked out which bit of mopped floor was going to be mine for the night.

The floor is dry now and everyone has gone. I was getting ready to break out the plastic sheet and settle for the night when an old guy comes over and beckons me to follow. Still raining heavily and now I am being evicted, I didn't think things could get worse!

He led me down a few passages and corridors which led to a large, unoccupied dormitory room with six cots with thin mattresses. What a superstar, this has cheered me up a tad, even the door locks so I can relax for the first time in days.

I decided to photograph the cots as a poignant reminder, with the water bottle, diary, pencil and glasses to go with the text. Mr. Tony saw the flash and came to investigate. He invited me back to his room and meet his father and a couple of mates. His father was Mr. Saparudin, the old guy who led me to the cots.

I took a few snaps and nattered with them for an hour or so, mostly about football and the famous players who I have met over the years, notably Steven Gerard, Gordon Banks and George Best. Mr. Tony's English was very good. He was an ex-merchant seaman and picked up his English from working the ships. He now works the ferry port, with the cargo loaders and runs a café with his father.

Mr. Saparudin offered to make me some food, but I politely declined, figuring that these wonderful people have helped me enough already. Just one more reason why I love Indonesia. What a super end to a very depressing day, hopefully this is a turning point and things will improve from now on. I returned to my room and had a great nights sleep.

To be continued

Dave