Jakarta

After a brief stay in Hong Kong, and about 20 hours of flying, I landed in Jakarta. It’s the beginning of the monsoon season, and is hot and humid. No rain yet, but lots of clouds, haze, and low visibility.

Hendra met me at the airport and immediately took me to Immigration. The Immigration office looked a lot like DMV. You go in, take a number, then sit down and wait to be called. Sometimes Hendra would get up and walk to one of the windows and ask something in Bhasa Indonesian (the main language), then come back and sit down. After one last time, he told me we would have to come back tomorrow to finish. It’s 4:00 and they are going home now.

He took me to my hotel, a modern-looking high-rise. My room was on the 30th floor. I was so tired from the flight and the time zone change, I went to bed without dinner.

Hendra picked me up at 6:00 the next morning, and we headed to the hospital for the flight physical. Even though I have a 1st Class FAA physical, I still need to be approved by Indonesian standards. There were mostly pilots and flight attendants here also getting their physicals. They checked my blood, urine, eyes, hearing, and teeth (they counted my teeth, cavities, and crowns), weight and height. I also did a treadmill test. They said I was one of the best, meaning my heart rate and blood pressure did not go too high and I was able to finish the test.

They also interviewed me to get a general medical history, since this was my first medical exam in Indonesia. They asked me what my hobbies were and why I wanted to come here.

In the afternoon, we headed back to Immigration. After waiting an hour or so, they took my picture and captured my fingerprints. Other departments have to go through their checks, such as the police need to see if I have a criminal background. When everything is done, I will get my passport back - in about 4 days.

Back to the hotel for a cool shower and more sleep. I can't seem to get enough sleep and try to catch a nap every chance I get.

Today I go to Lombok, my final destination.