There are no book shops in Indonesia
There are No Book shops in Indonesia.
I was coming back from Mataram with Ardi my driver and we were talking about Ramadan, which we just happened to be in the middle of, when it dawned on me that I hadn’t seen a book shop since arriving in Indonesia, in-fact I’d never seem anyone reading a book, I guess one book is all you need around here. Allahu Akbar!
The Visa expired today, again, so was hoping that wasn’t from 00.01 and they would fine me $100 per day for overstaying again, (which is the going rate now since those Ozzy surfers used to overstay for weeks when it was $20), up early and went over to one of the houses built over the water here, old guy sitting smoking out front at 07.00, there was a little floating dock out front, I pulled in and he didn’t seem that happy to see me, pulled the phone out and with google translates help arrange some berthing, tried to give him $10 nz signalling with my fingers to my eyes and to the boat, he waved me off, I insisted and walked up the side of the house to land careful not to go through the timber, I’m a heavy weight around here. Sat and tried to organise a Indo uber called Grab (no Uber here the Indonesians had the good sense to ban it and then copy the concept keeping the money in house) no luck but I was at bum fuck know-where so what did I expect, walked up the road, passed the restaurant I eat 400g of steamed prawns at last night, wonderful meal.
One of the many things I love about this place is if you just start walking people will stop and ask what the fuck you are doing, not in those words, Indonesians don’t walk, everyone has a scooter, up on the main road now and there is a guy in some sort of uniform, he has a little English and we start chatting, he calls me Sir which I fucking hate, (know-body should be called Sir in my opinion). I explain I want to go to the ferry terminal at the top of the island 15km away. He says there is a bus, but you can only pay with these apps, of which I have none, ok he says I’ll pay and you give me the cash, that will be 50 cents nz, I have to check he has my destination right, but first, he says, I have to take you to the bus on my scooter, Now if anyone should be called fucking Sir its this guy. We ride, and he drops me at the bus, as he goes to leave I tip him $5 thank you Sir I say.
The bus was empty and I’m still a little un-sure if I’m going where I’m meant to, but this is Indonesia, so who cares, you feel so safe here its ridiculous, I don’t really care where they take me because it will be entertaining, and for me the best people are always found with the least, so we set off and the bus starts filling up, lots of hijabs which I struggle with because a women’s Hair is something special, and when you haven’t got any like me its even more special, anyway a woman gets on the bus with no hijab and sits beside me, ……., more on this later, in your dreams. I make it to my destination, me of little faith! I buy a ticket to Singapore, I’m on a Visa run, mine expires today, had a little drama checking out because I didn’t have an entry stamp from the last time I entered Indo, this is the land of stamps, they love them like we did at school, when we were kids! I had an Evisa so no stamps, this always causes problems here and I’ll demand one in future.
Went straight to a supermarket in Singapore for Bacon, Cheese, Jam and a bottle of rum which I poured into an empty coke bottle, you work it out, tried to get a new Evisa online but it’s Saturday so no luck there, made it back to Batam indo around 4pm, a little drama getting my visa on arrival, because the imigranti here only takes cash no less……., don’t get me wrong I love the cash, but don’t think government departments should have a cash only policy, although it might reduce the red tape, which it doesn't of-course. Anyway made it back to the boat with my duty free and coke bottle, which I’m sampling now. I didn’t see a book shop all day, just a lot of smiles.
