Singapore and Medan
Blog 2/7
We land about 1:30 am Singapore time and I make my way to the transit hotel to see if I can get a day room and rest during my 7 hour wait for the flight to Medan. The transit hotel is full but the “lounge” is suggested which has showers, a snack bar, exercise room, internet access, and lots of big chairs. I pay the $20, and take a nice hot shower, check my email, then push two chairs together and try to stretch out and get some shut-eye.
The flight to Medan is only 1:15 – a miniscule last appendage to my journey. We land about 9am local time and as I exit the plane and start down the stairs (no air-conditioned tunnel) to the tarmac; hot, humid tropical air assaults me. This ain’t no San Diego air - this air’s got real body to it. :)
From the immigration line I see two MAF guys, Rob and Terry on the other side of the boundary pointing to me to go to another place. I try to get the $25 visitor visa fee waived as a humanitarian aid worker, and after 10 minutes of visiting different officials and getting shuffled around, I still have to pay the $25.
My two suitcases and the 3 large boxes of support supplies arrive in good shape. The MAF Indonesian driver loads it all in the Kijang and joins the mash pit of traffic to the hotel. The traffic is mix of cars, trucks, bicycles, sidecars, and pedestrians all contending for a piece of asphalt with only apparent rule – don’t hit the other guy.
We drop all the luggage at the hotel and Rob and I go shopping with the MAF car and driver. Both the VSAT communication posts need more network cable, connectors and other supplies. The driver knows the location of a computer toko (store) that is buried amongst other non-descript tokos.
Medan is the third largest city in Indonesia and the Sun mall near our hotel has everything, including an Ace hardware store which we go to buy some electrical connectors. I decide to push through the day and not rest in an attempt to adjust to the new time zone quicker. Rounding an isle at Ace I stumble on some merchandise on the floor and realize I’m a little wobbly. Rob leaves in the evening to return to the UK and I drop into bed but don’t sleep well.
Blog 2/8
The only internet connection at the hotel is a very poor modem dial-up which doesn’t work for synchronizing my Outlook email program which really makes me feel isolated. The team coordinator and I walk over to the mall to buy a cell phone for me. I also pick up a 220v -> 110v step-down transformer so I can run my US 120 volt devices like my NiCad battery charger since all the voltage in country is 220v.
I arrange for a flight tomorrow to Banda Aceh and spend some time with one of the pilots that have been flying relief supplies to needy people. One relief organization has been putting together thousands of 4kg (about 9 pounds) boxes that contain rice, oil, sugar, etc. that are being delivered to isolated people along the western coast above Meulaboh. Airstrips are roads that have been cleared of debris and fallen palm trees. The landing can be dangerous because people won’t get a comfortable distance off the road and they’re anxious to get the supplies.
I organize my supplies for tomorrow’s flight to Banda Aceh and drop into bed hoping for better rest.
We land about 1:30 am Singapore time and I make my way to the transit hotel to see if I can get a day room and rest during my 7 hour wait for the flight to Medan. The transit hotel is full but the “lounge” is suggested which has showers, a snack bar, exercise room, internet access, and lots of big chairs. I pay the $20, and take a nice hot shower, check my email, then push two chairs together and try to stretch out and get some shut-eye.
The flight to Medan is only 1:15 – a miniscule last appendage to my journey. We land about 9am local time and as I exit the plane and start down the stairs (no air-conditioned tunnel) to the tarmac; hot, humid tropical air assaults me. This ain’t no San Diego air - this air’s got real body to it. :)
From the immigration line I see two MAF guys, Rob and Terry on the other side of the boundary pointing to me to go to another place. I try to get the $25 visitor visa fee waived as a humanitarian aid worker, and after 10 minutes of visiting different officials and getting shuffled around, I still have to pay the $25.
My two suitcases and the 3 large boxes of support supplies arrive in good shape. The MAF Indonesian driver loads it all in the Kijang and joins the mash pit of traffic to the hotel. The traffic is mix of cars, trucks, bicycles, sidecars, and pedestrians all contending for a piece of asphalt with only apparent rule – don’t hit the other guy.
We drop all the luggage at the hotel and Rob and I go shopping with the MAF car and driver. Both the VSAT communication posts need more network cable, connectors and other supplies. The driver knows the location of a computer toko (store) that is buried amongst other non-descript tokos.
Medan is the third largest city in Indonesia and the Sun mall near our hotel has everything, including an Ace hardware store which we go to buy some electrical connectors. I decide to push through the day and not rest in an attempt to adjust to the new time zone quicker. Rounding an isle at Ace I stumble on some merchandise on the floor and realize I’m a little wobbly. Rob leaves in the evening to return to the UK and I drop into bed but don’t sleep well.
Blog 2/8
The only internet connection at the hotel is a very poor modem dial-up which doesn’t work for synchronizing my Outlook email program which really makes me feel isolated. The team coordinator and I walk over to the mall to buy a cell phone for me. I also pick up a 220v -> 110v step-down transformer so I can run my US 120 volt devices like my NiCad battery charger since all the voltage in country is 220v.
I arrange for a flight tomorrow to Banda Aceh and spend some time with one of the pilots that have been flying relief supplies to needy people. One relief organization has been putting together thousands of 4kg (about 9 pounds) boxes that contain rice, oil, sugar, etc. that are being delivered to isolated people along the western coast above Meulaboh. Airstrips are roads that have been cleared of debris and fallen palm trees. The landing can be dangerous because people won’t get a comfortable distance off the road and they’re anxious to get the supplies.
I organize my supplies for tomorrow’s flight to Banda Aceh and drop into bed hoping for better rest.
posted by Dave Ketcham at 11:02 PM
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