On The Road

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BUGGER BALI!

Dr Smug has to report a bit of a Fu...ng disaster. No, not another puncture. Not a palate-destroying nasi goreng. Worse. Much worse. The buggers in the Bali immigration department will not accept cycling down Sumatra as an excuse for requesting a visa renewal 3 and not the stipulated 7 days before expiry of my current visa. What a bloody cheek!. I tried pleading but was stonewalled. I could've got a return flight to Singapore to get a new 30 day visa but I thought that would be counter-intuitive to the basic philosophy (get moi!) of this trip. I will miss out on scuba and dragons on Flores/Komodo but on the plus side, will get home a month early.

Ofcoure it will land me in Queensland bang in the middle of cyclone season but what of that to 'Cyclopath" Well, quite alot really. I could be seriously stuffed or worse. So will have to take things a bit circumspectly ( and having had that procedure when I was 8 days old I know exactly what I'm talking about!)

Meanwhile, Bali is rather pretty and though warmer than Sumatra it's sunnier at the moment. Do I really need sunshine? Probably not. Anyway, I've got 3 days to chill, get laundry done ,bike serviced and face cleared of 2 months growth. Start anew!

More from the land of Oz.

Regards,

Nick/Cyclopath

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Comments

[Philip Gibson]

Who would have thought it
Dear Nick After passing the apparently (to us mere mortals) insuperable barrier of crossing Iran and finding the people there the most kind and hospitable in the world it seems a cruel blow that a tourist friendly/hungry state is refusing you on a technicality. Can we try anything at this end? Maybe contact the Balinese authorities or your MP over here? In case the jobsworths have missed a trick this might be worth a look. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/bali/practical-information/visas Do you know any charity workers in Bali - MSF? Good luck Nick, I'm sure you'll crack it open. Philip