The last day is always hard. On one hand you are a bit sad, because you wonder if you will ever be back again or if you will have a chance to see your friends in the near future. On the other you feel you have to use the very last hours to squeeze one more walk through an exciting city. Me I chose to wake up at the crack of dawn to go for a walk at the university. UGM is a huge campus, that besides the academic buildings also includes faculty housing and student housing, so there are many twists and turns you can take. On one of those turns I spotted a rock garden, with big rock specimens mounted on pedestals, so I knew I was at the Geological Engineering building. Serendipitously I saw Irvan coming to work, so I got an in promptu guided visit of the premises. I took the long way back to my guest house, but it was still only 10 am when I got back, so I cooled my heels by watching a movie. 12 noon came and I checked out of my room, with a warm goodbye from my host, who invited me to come back again. Then I sat for an hour in the shady seats in front of the hotel, waiting for my friendly BMKG escort to the train.
I arrived at the train station way too early, and had to wait for another hour for my train to the airport. It took off at 14h15 and got to the airport at 14h50, and there again I had a small BMKG contingent waiting to escort me from the train to the departure gate. I feel bad because I am dragging these folks from their work, just to sit by my side and wait for yet another two hours. But I very much appreciate their kindness and friendliness. Let me repeat, once again, that Indonesians are the most welcoming people in the world, on top of which I have much benefited from the friendship and care of Prof. Rita and Ibu Okke, and the warm friendship of Carolina, Nur, Viecy and Maria, and Jambroni, and Budi, and the rest of the BMKG family. And of course I have reveled in the friendship of Irvan, Gayatri, Henry, Newa, and Dennali, who hold a very special place in my heart.
Finally, the time has come for me to go through immigration and board my Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur. ... and then ... the immigration officer informed me my visa had expired. I politely informed him that I had filed for an extension 6 days ago, had made the payment, and had my photo taken at Immigration Labuan Bajo. "But no, you have to go to the Immigration office in Jakarta", he answered very politely. "Well, I am obviously here in Yogyakarta, ready to board my flight to Kuala Lumpur." Much discussion between officers followed, and the supervisor, a young man with impeccable manners, got on the phone and talked and talked for nearly an hour, while I heard the boarding of my flight being called. I offered to pay the fine for overstaying my original visa by 3 days, but, alas, that was not an option because I had made an application and nothing could be done until that application was approved or denied. At the end, and with many shows of regret, the supervising officer told me I would have to cancel my flight and get on the phone to Labuan Bajo in the morning, to ask them to move the decision along. In short, I was screwed.
So, I have asked Viecy in BMKG Labuan Bajo to call first thing in the morning to see if she can get things going, and my guardian angel Okke for a BMKG Yogyakarta rep to help me negotiate in Indonesian tomorrow morning. In the meantime I am spending the night at the hotel in the airport, and if I can get the issue cleared will have to buy a new ticket to Colombo. In the best of all worlds I will be able to fly tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise I will have to live at the airport until Immigration Labuan Bajo finds it convenient to approve the extension. Ah, the life of the world traveler ;(
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