Bali and immigration
I am presently waiting in immigration to enter Bali at the moment, I will be in Bali for a month. which is the maximum visa time, unless I get a social visa, or pay an extra fee at the airport (about $35) so I can extend later. The free visa is only 30 days and no extension. As I was sitting there in the airplane before landing, I realized there are 31 days in March, so started thinking a bit (one of my curses). I am arriving on the 12th, and leaving the 11th of next month, and am only allowed 30 days. 🙂 so TECHNICALLY I am ok, I am 30 days exactly, but, I asked at immigration how they did the days, as they said at immigration that the day you enter counts, so I am at 31 days and past my visa. 🙁 so I asked again if I can just wait an hour before I go through immigration and come in after midnight and they said no problem 🙂 so that’s what I am doing, They were very nice actually. Funnily though all the others walking around keep staring and finally someone asked me if I am ok, and I said I am just waiting until midnight 🙂 they looked very confused, but still very nice though. So here I am just sitting and waiting for time to pass. I can enter Indonesia on the 13th and all is fine. They DID say that I could just pay a fine when I leave, it’s like 30$ or something, but they also mentioned that depending on the agent, they might give me a talking to, etc for overstay, sooo better I just wait an hour.
The flight was ok, so much better to fly direct, it’s like 4 hours instead of almost a day with layovers. This time, however, I had a guy sniffling and coughing next to me all trip, as if he had the plague, so I leaned out in the aisle and away from him as much as I can, so lets hope I didn’t catch anything, as I am tired of getting sick from these trips.
Before I left Manila I went to a small bakery that’s local to where I stay, I bought some donuts (as in real ones, a lump of fried dough) and few slices of banana bread to eat at the airport. Was cheap. cost me 20 pesos, about 40 cents 🙂 …..at the airport a single donut is like 35 pesos, hell, a bag of M&Ms is like 200p at the airport, I know they are supposedly imported but 4$ for a bag of m&ms? airports are amazing how much they charge. I get used to small amounts from local places and then just feel shocked at what airports charge 🙂 prices that I wouldn’t even blink at before.
Well finally entered Indonesia, I made sure I went to the same agent going through, he had a good laugh when I asked him if it was the 13th yet 🙂 so he remembered me. The only bad part was my friend that was picking me up at the airport had to wait about 30 minutes for me, I felt bad about that, so I will have to think of something nice to do for them.
After I went through immigration I had to pass the veritable gauntlet of taxi drivers, that ALL ask you if you need a taxi, paying no attention that you said no to the previous 20 that you walked past in like 20 feet. When you say that you have someone picking you up, they always say, “they aren’t coming, I can take you cheap” they are very pushy and try very hard 🙂 I can’t blame them, money is money and a lot of competition, but, just wow. 🙂 anyway, another note, money changers at the airport don’t deal phils pesos, so I was cashless. I met my friend and got to the room, and actually dug out some change from my bag from the last trip and bought some local cookies and a water for dinner 🙂 yaay.
Slept late and went down to the restaurant and had my standard breakfast 🙂 Basil breakfast, which I will put in another post 🙂
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