Traveling to Manado - Indonesia

---

Here I am in Manado, after a long journey from London that started on the 3rd of November 2010 at 6pm from my home and arrived finally at my destination on the 6th of November at 5pm local time.
Due to the tube strikes in London, I decided to take a cab to Paddington station to make it faster, but then heard on the TV that traffic was a stand still on that road, so asked the taxi driver how much it’d cost instead to go all the way by cab and the difference would have been about 5pounds, so I went for it.
All went well and got there by7,30pm, check in on Singapore airlines was fast and good, I was given a window seat and I felt exited to fly on one of the new giant airbus planes, I was hoping for an upper deck seat, but wasn’t to be.
Sat with a nice British man and his German wife with whom we had a few good laughs during the flight, as well as at midnight they congratulated me for my birthday.
We had a drink and tried to sleep, regrettably for me, I cant really sleep sitting upright so I only hardly managed to dose off for maximum 2 hours in the 12 hour flight.
I must say the service received on this flight is best to none, very friendly and efficient, and the quality of the food just cant be faulted.
On arrival it all worked well, I was asked many questions about my visit, but in a very friendly manner, I went looking for a silk air office on terminal 2 as we landed on 3, so took the air train, there found only a Singapore airlines office that could get me the ticket at 595 quid, which nearly gave me a heart attack as I certainly cannot afford that…they told me to go to the internet café at McDonalds which I did in a panic, there found d that u only get 9 and half minutes login time, so had to go 3 times through the whole process still finding the cost of my flight to be at 225 quid, for which I was now thinking I had made a big mistake travelling here… also realised that the maidens didn’t have a printer, so went back to the Singapore airlines desk to tell them there wasn’t a way to do it, also my 3 digits at the back of my bank card are un readable, for which I couldn’t secure any on line buying and that panicked me even father, as how would I get the cheaper ticket if I couldn’t buy it on line?

But fate often has good surprises at its sleeve, as I was enquiring a French couple were enquiring about the same flight, and how to get it, so the lady told them and I asked them whether they would get mine too and I’d give them the cash in hand, they didn’t want pounds nor Singapore dollars because they were not staying there, so I said I’ll give you rupee when we land, which they accepted, and as for printing our tickets the Singapore airlines lady said…just get them and I’ll be able to print them for you.

So off we were to the bloody mockeries again now trying to book 3 tickets together, and that too took 3 goes before succeeding. We wwere appalled that such an airport would not just have an easy to access internet café! Still find it ridiculous!!!

So we went back to the Singapore airlines desk, and there got it printed, I went straight to check in and passed passport control, went looking for the Japanese style cubicle rooms they let, but the cheap ones at 45$ were sold out and any others were $95 for 6hours and $15 extra per hour, as I was already panicking about my finances due to the expense of our flight, I though nook way can I afford this, so I just looked for a quiet corner, in front of an orchid garden and tried to sleep.

But quiet it never was, I also got hungry and a phone call from one of my sisters Seta who was unaware that I was in Singapore, she was in tears about the mortality of my siblings who are like me suffering of cancer.

I went looking for some food and found a food space with nice Chinese soups with pork and liver, noodles and really original, not a commercial Chinese food flavour.
I wondered around the area which is massive, with a gym, butterfly gardens, a swimming pool which I never found, and a myriad of shops, restaurants, bars, internet games, big video screens, just like a giant oriental mall, the best airport I have ever walked through to be honest and all so clean, spotlessly so, to the point that when I tried to lay on tea floor to try and get some kip, they said it was forbidden in this airport.

I went back to my seat by the orchids and tried to sleep again, maybe getting 2 hours sleep in all, then by 6am after coughing all night, I went for a coffee at star bucks which I ate with the bis quits offered to me by Singapore airlines staff for my birthday (a big bunch) nd made my way to the gate realising then that there were computeres for internet access for free on the hall ways going to the gates, so this gave me time to check my fb account and than all my friends personally for their b’day wishes and told my friend Roel that I was arriving today, he replied straight away which was a relief, as I feared he may not receive my messages in time.

By now my birthday was over as with the flight it had been shortened by 8 hours, as there is an 8 hour difference with Britain.

Somewhqat relieved, I made my way to the gate and coughed the whole few next hours as my lungs cannot bare the cold of airconditioning.

Went through security control and back to a pc to do more fb then saw the French couple yet again, chatted with them about their travel plans, they’re into looking for tribes that are close to extinction, after having done one in Indoneisa last year on a bundle of islads off Sumatra/java, they’e now going for another tribe on the south of Sulawesi living on a stilt village.

We boarded our flight and I god myself a seat with noone besides me so that allowed me to lay down and sleep getting up just to eat the served meal, which was horrible, but I guess after being spoiled bu Singapore airlines nothing will ever compare!

The 3 hour flight was smooth and I got about 2hours lseep again, landed and felt the moist heat of the tropics on my skin and sweat just started pouring through every sweat gland of my body, dripping down.
As I had been sitting at the back of the plane, I was on the last on the queue to get a visa and also for passport control which due to difficulties with the computer, took more than 1 hour and 15 minutes with all the passengers angered and in disbelief of the lack of interest by the passport controllers.

Finally got out and greeted my friend Roel whom I had last seen about 4 years ago when he came to stay at mine for a dive show in London.

I sorted the finances with the French couple, but regrettably Roel didn’t have any rooms for them to stay at, so we parted here and made our way to Roel’s resort, on the way he showed me a new statue of the Christ that has been built on a hill,(second largest after Rio di Janeiro’s) but to be honest not very pretty but rather bad taste and the setting around it totally Kitch!

Continued our way in heavy Indonesia style chaotic traffic and made it to the resort, first saw the pier where the dives go from and then the ressort itself, which is so beautiful.

The gardens are so well manicured, many diverse tropical plants and palm trees, bougainvillea,(not doing that well due to rare weather) and lots and lots of orchids, ginger plants, coconut and banana trees, etc, gorgeous swimming infinity pool and restaurant open plan.

I was welcomed with a nice coconut by a staff member, and Roel showed me around, I went to my room and sorted myself out, had a shower and nearly fell asleep, forced myself up, sprayed with anti mosquito spray and made my way to the restaurant.

Had a beer and spoke to Roel and his guests, Juud, Roel’s wife, arrived and greeted me warmly, she’s such a nice realistic and grounded lady!, we all had dinner together, thing that they’ve been doing for years now…I certainly would not be able to manage that on a daily basis!
We sat opposite each other with Roel and caught up about my family which he knows well, and after some politics and world problems chat I left to go to bed, having drunk 5 beers today after 4 months of being nearly t-total, so I felt light-headed and tired…I slpet 13 hours non stop.

---