Never been so glad to be back!

Thus far ends my three-city, 12-day adventure in Indonesia. And I've never been so glad at touchdown. We were high-fiving in the plane as soon as the plane's wheels touched the tarmac at Changi Airport.

The trip wasn't so bad, if you don't count the two 20-hour bus-ferry-bus rides we took from Solo to Bali and the return ride from Bali to Yogja (in my previous entry, I said 15-hours. I was so wrong.), the bad state of toilets in the country, mozzies, flu (we all ended up getting sick) and for me, perpetual constipation.


Today I got home and one of the first things I did was.....

poo.

I know, I know, TMI right? But I just have to express my relief at finally doing the big deed and getting rid of the bloated feeling in my tummy which was just horrible. I almost kissed my toilet bowl. No wait, maybe I should call it my throne from now on. Seems more respectful.

There are a few more lessons learnt on this trip.

One: Always, always book ahead.

We only booked a hotel (ok, not hotel more like a homestay) in Solo, thinking that we'd find rooms in Bali and Yogja when we got there. We ended up having to trek from place to place to get rooms and having to settle for no aircon at Hotel Cianjur in Denpasar because there simply was no more alternative and we were all basically dying from that horrid 20-hour bus/ferry/bus journey.

And then over at Yogja, we got out of the cab at Ministry of Coffee (link) only to find that the guesthouse was full. We had to check in to another guesthouse which only had one room available for the 5 of us. It was big, and there was hot water which was a plus. But. It looked like a hospital ward. How apt, considering as all of us were sick. But the real clincher was that our guesthouse was just opposite Ministry of Coffee. There. In our face. Like how a person dangles a KFC original chicken thigh in front of you when you're desperately famished, takes a bite and does not share, or like when you're so thirsty and a man walks by chugging on his water bottle. Yup, that kinda feeling.

Two: Contrary to popular belief, Singaporeans are not the most kiasu people on earth.

For example, at least a mini path still opens for alighting passengers from buses and trains here. In Indonesia? Not. A. Chance. The doors of the train open and its like a horror movie. Sounds close to shouting and screaming are heard while hands wave and claw to get a better hold on the the two handles on either side of the door. A mini path for alighting passengers? More like a barricade. Its like a stalemate. If people can't alight, then there will be no space for people to get on board. Common sense right? But no, these Indonesians just have to get on first. So I had to grit my teeth and really bang my way through. Even hit some kids in the process as their parents were pushing them to get on.

Another case in point. Toilet queues. In Indonesia, queues are invisible to certain groups of people - mothers with children, makciks wearing tudongs, make that gemuk ones, and the plain stupid ones. They ignore the queue, and just make their way into whichever cubicle becomes empty. However, it seems like no one in the queue minds. I'm just thinking if that were to happen here in Singapore, we'd probably raise hell in the toilet.

So, the next time someone criticises Singaporeans for being kiasu, ask them to go check the scene out in Indonesia.

Three: Be prepared with medicines. Diarrhoea, flu, cough, fever, and headache medicines. And not forgetting the one and only Tiger Balm!

Do not overlook this as medicines will provide you with the relief you need from all of the above symptoms. Tiger Balm works wonders on ALL insect bites, so much so that I've learnt to always carry one bottle with me everywhere I go. In Indonesia, very few places have 24-hr stores so to have medicine on hand is very useful.

Photos from this trip will be up soon! After I get back from Ho Chi Minh. I leave tmr! *crosses my fingers* Hope I get well by then!!