I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »Relaxing and Good Food in Kisaran
Monday, March 7, 2016
6:30 a.m. Hotel Cahaya Asahan, Kisaran, Sumatra
Just a quick note to start my day. Today, I plan to ride to the town of Lima Puluh. It’s only about forty kilometers away, so I think I have plenty of time. However, I’d like to get on the road relatively early in the morning. Ideally, I’d already be loading up my bike and leaving. …
Leaving Tanjungbalai and a Great Day in Kisaran
Sunday, March 6, 2016
It was finally time to load up the bike and head into the interior of Sumatra. I’d delayed so long that my tourist visa was about to expire again. It’s a bit of a pain that the extensions are for only 30 days. In a normal world, I’d just return to the Tanjungbalai immigration office to get the extension, but they’d made …
Fruit Juice, Dinner, and a Travelling Carnival
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Well, the dust has settled, and I have my 30-day tourist visa extension. It allows me to stay in Indonesia until February 10.
I wrote a summary of my terrible experience, and I posted it to a bicycle touring group on Facebook. It has gotten a fairly emotional response from both foreigners and Indonesians. I’ve had some other funny moments, too. I told …
Tanjungbalai Immigration Nightmare – Final Chapter
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
At long, long last, I have my 30-day visa extension. In total, it took 14 days, countless hours, and incredble stress and frustration. But I got some valuable life lessons (assuming I needed to be reminded again that most of the world is inefficient and corrupt).
I went back to the government office first thing on Monday morning. I really had to push …
Tanjungbalai Immigration Office Nightmare Continues
Friday, January 8, 2016
This is the day after my momentous trip to immigration to finally get my visa extension. So the question is, “Do I have it?” The answer, not surprisingly, is “No, I do not have it.”
I went there on my bicycle as usual. This time, I didn’t arrange to arrive when they opened at 8 a.m. I’d learned that nothing happens until 9 …
Ferry Ticket Confusion
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Today is the big day. It’s time for my trip back to immigration. Two days ago, I met up with Rea, and we put together all the documents that I needed. I thought that it would be easy. She had already written my sponsorship letters on a computer and printed them out the first time. I thought we could open the files …
Crushed in a New Year’s Eve Crowd
Friday, January 1, 2016
Happy New Year. Well, the end of the year was not exactly great. I was sick a lot and then I had all the problems with my visa and immigration. I had been hoping for a better experience. But it’s not really such a big deal. I just have to wait until January 7 and then apply for my extension again. And …
Nightmare of the Tanjungbalai Immigration Office
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Things have not gone well as far as my visa extension is concerned. In fact, it has gone horribly. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I always have poor luck when it comes to such things.
I mentioned that the immigration office was closed on the day I went there the first time. I waited the weekend, and on Tuesday I went back. …