Travel Diaries ....Trip to Indonesia

I read some where that " life is what happens when u are busy making plans". Not that I am complaining but that's what exactly happened in my case. I am all set to take delivery of my cycle on 14th Aug and I got a call asking me to pack my bags and leave for Jakarta by 19th Aug for 3 months duration. So the same day I need to take delivery, I had to cancel my order :(   ( the cycle showroom guy is too good that he returned my advance with out complaining and with out me asking about it)

Now for some one who is wondering that his passport do not have a single stamp even after 7 years of issue, going abroad is a big issue ( doesn't matter whether it is USA or Indonesia). It also came as quite a relief for my parents who never understood why I declined going to US after giving GRE and instead chose to join Infy. Even after doing my MBA from TISS, this fact still haunts them when ever they go for some marriage in the family . ok, enough of digress

For some one who take years to finalize a purchase let it be a cycle or a simple t-shirt, getting every thing in place in 4 days is a mammoth task. I was on a shopping spree for full 3 days and even amused me by the quickness in purchases I made

Did go through a couple of websites to know more about the place and things necessary there. There is a wealth of info ( but some can be misleading like the info on rains, who ever said its rains torrentially during months of Aug-Nov, its hot as hell )

Any how , would write a post on things which are of use here and those that don't in another post

Finally I have boarded a Malaysian Airlines flight to Jakarta with a 2 hour stop at Kaula lampur. Its all together a different story that I had spent the best part of those 2 hours searching for the gate, as I had interpreted display signs wrongly :( ( Lesson: An arrow indicating up means straight ahead and not meant to go to first floor)

Its another story that I spent another 30 mins dragging my luggage from one end of airport to other end at Jakarta, as I couldn't find the driver who is supposed to pick me up and I couldn't call from my mobile ....there are no. of international departure gates at Jakarta

To have a happy ending, I am given accommodation at Hotel Manhattan which is owned by an Indian, and for what ever reason, u find familiar faces and conversations ...

For now enjoying the beautiful view from my 27th Floor hotel room