Cherine’s Cairns Visa Trip

It is safe to assume that since I am posting this that I made it back home and am now in Indonesia legally, at the expense of four passport pages.  After dealing with three different government agencies (customs, immigration, and security) at two different airports in four days I am very glad to just be back in the normal routine. 

There were a few small hiccups to my trip that added to the stress of traveling.  The company didn’t give me a plane ticket, so as I was standing in line to get into the airport, I was slightly panicked because all of the other Freeport people who were going out to get their visas had plane tickets.  Since there is a guard who checks all people going into the airport for valid tickets, I was worried I might not get in. For some reason that I still haven’t figured out, that security guy had my ticket.  As I checked in, the person behind the counter noticed that I didn’t have a return ticket.  I figured I would get one in Cairns, but trying to explain that to Immigration officers was tough because none of us spoke the other’s language very well, and since I was saying that I was returning in 3 days, but had no proof, well, that just wasn’t going over well.  Eventually one of the supervisors came over to the counter and understood the issue, and he let me through…or “out” of the country. 

Once in Cairns, the Immigration officer there didn’t particularly like the way I filled out my immigration card, so her supervisor took my passport to some kind of hidden room, but eventually returned with it and let me go through. 

The next day, a very nice lady named Imong, who works for our company, told me that all visas could be delayed because the consulate office was overbooked with so many to do.  I didn’t find out for sure if I got mine until 4 hours before the plane left.  As it turned out, one other person and I received our visas and all of the remaining people who had traveled with us (about twenty) didn’t, so their visa trip has turned into a nice little vacation.

A dusk view from my hotel room.

It was nice to see a new place and be a part of civilization again.  My hotel was close to the Esplanade or boardwalk, so I walked along the bay every day to the pier.  I was also close to the downtown shopping area so I spent most of my days there walking around and checking out the shops.  Cairns is very much a tourist town, so there are dozens of shops selling all Australian made souvenirs like boomerangs, coral jewelry and kangaroo pelts.  None for me, thanks.  There are all sorts of restaurants from almost every country there.  I didn’t try the Australian restaurants because I wasn’t sure I could handle a kangaroo pizza or burger. 

The best meal I ate was just a normal pepperoni pizza.  After going five months without eating one, it tasted fabulous.  I even got three more to go and brought them all as my carry-on luggage.  The security people at the airport thought I had lost my mind, to which my response was, “Nope.  Just live on Papua….I guess it could be close to the same thing.”

One thing I noticed in Cairns that I had not expected was that I totally fit in there.  There was no one staring at me as I walked by, and nobody asking to take my picture (as has been the case on Papua, because they either have not seen a blonde person before or I had something outrageous protruding from my nose that I hadn’t noticed – guess I’ll never know). 

It was a nice little holiday, but would recommend to anyone going there, to definitely stay at one of the resorts outside of Cairns so they can experience the beach because there really isn’t one in Cairns. 

Looking from the boardwalk back toward Cairns.

New Cafe Format - Sept 20

The big news here this week is that the cafe in the shopping center has a new format.  Now it is set up like a restaurant where you order off of a menu at the table with a waiter/waitress taking the order.  Previously, we had to stand in a line and order food at the cash register, and try to decipher what we wanted from three different menu boards on the wall and a display case.  And because my Indonesian isn’t exactly fluent yet, to put it simply, you never really knew what exactly you were going to get, unless you ordered “Ikan dabu-dabu” (fish with spicy salsa), because that’s the same anytime and actually looks like fish.  Anyway, the cafe has definitely upped its game with more selection on the menu.  They are now even serving real beef hamburgers, which previously  were some kind of veggie burger, and they have a couple of different fresh salads now, too.  Hmmm, and if I can get sandwiches or even burgers to go, I can take them to work for lunch…and never have to cook.  Yeeeeeesssss.  That is my ultimate plan (insert evil laugh here).  Sorry, can't help myself, I think I've been in the Jungle too long.

The cafe improvement may seem like a very small detail to anyone outside of here, but here it is earth-shattering news, and a welcome change to those of us frustrated with the very limited selection of anything except chocolate and rice noodles at the grocery store...although the chocolate is exceptional: mostly from Switzerland.  By the time we leave here we will be chocolate connoisseurs.

First Vacation (aka FREEDOM)

As of next weekend, we will be allowed to leave the island for vacation finally.  So that’s just what we will do.  We are going to Bali for a long weekend of R & R, in a few weeks.  “Freedom!”  Ahhhh!  Can’t wait for that sunburn.

We’re staying at a hotel that is close to all the shops and restaurants, but is also close to the beach.  We’ll make sure to take some pictures for you so that you can see one of the side benefits of living in the jungle.  For now, you can see where we're staying by going to this website:

http://www.discoverykartikaplaza.com/

Now a word from our sponsors (actually, just Eric):

One of the side effects of getting acclimated and adjusted to work is being extremely busy.  There is so much going on here that it is mind boggling.  Keeping track of everything is nearly impossible unless a person is very, very organized.  At any rate, I haven’t had the time lately to do much else besides work.  So now that things are in more of a routine, and my first trip off the island in six months is on the horizon, I can take a breath and look around a bit.

Now comes my favorite time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn.  And I am missing it for the first time in my life.  Even when we lived in Atlanta there were seasons, but not here:  lush green foliage year round with a lot of rain.  Sure, the temperature fluctuates here, in the winter (June-August), it gets much colder, say by about 4^o F in the dead of winter.  Anyhow, I miss seasons, as it is very hard to have any concept of time here because the landscape does not change throughout the year.

One thing about living here that I still haven’t gotten used to is how steep it is.  There are literally no natural flat spots here in the highlands at all.  Every bit of flat spot that is here has either been carved out of the steep hillside or created by fill.  Even the roads are far from what the mind can get used to.  From the lowlands, the roads switchback aggressively to climb up to the ridgelines of the highlands mountains.  Once on the ridgeline there is a very steep drop off on either side.  Not a cliff, but suffice to say, if one were to jump the berm and go off the road (which would take a bit of effort), it would be a good 3,000 – 4,000 foot tumble before reaching the valley floor below.  In 16 miles, the road goes from 600 feet elevation to nearly 13,000 feet before dropping down to the valley where the town of Tembagapura (where we live) at 7,000 feet.  The road from Tembagapura to our office goes from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet in 6 miles, and if you take a side road, in another 2 miles you can get to 14,000 feet to the surface mine.  Every time we get a heavy rain, waterfalls sprout out of the steep hillsides, and the water eventually hits the road, washing parts of it out.  There is a fleet of road graders, compactors and dump trucks working on the road full time to keep it passable.  Very important especially since every bit of supplies that we need to operate the mines and live comes up on the road.  Needless to say, I can talk about how steep the roads are here and post pictures all I want, but you can’t truly appreciate it unless you actually see it in person.

Hopefully I will be giving updates a little more often from now on… no promises though.

 Here's a picture taken while driving.  A truck hauling a sea container full of supplies followed by a bus hauling workers to the mine.  The camara is looking slightly uphill, if that gives any idea of steepness of the road.  Busses and trucks top out at about 3mph on the steep portions, so it makes for a long commute if you get stuck behind them and are unable to pass.

Sept 27 - a post for you to read over the weekend, while we are basking in the Bali sun.  :)

"Rally Papua"

Although World Rally Championship is a lesser known sport in the US, it is highly popular in Europe.  The fast cars and technical aspects of navigating varying terrain and weather conditions make this a highly exciting and unpredictable sport.  But today we will focus on one of the amateur circuits of this sport: Papua. 

The most unique aspect of this rally as opposed to the WRC is that state of the art vehicles are not permitted.  Drivers are allowed to use either Indonesian-made Ford SUV’s or Toyota Land Cruisers.   Drivers must be in 4x4-Lo at all times, and the vehicle cannot have any improvements unless they have been approved by the Light Vehicle Committee.  The most extreme vehicle improvement seen here is usually tinted windows or a Montana Tech sticker (extreme sarcasm).

The first stage of the rally starts pre-sunrise, in the town of Tembagapura.  Drivers must navigate up steep, narrow, gravel roads, dodging pedestrians who each individually have their own idea of pedestrian etiquette as far as when to cross in front of approaching vehicles.  The drivers must make a hard left turn to go over a one-lane bridge, where they enter the second stage of the rally at the bus stop.

The second stage is approximately two miles long, with many steep turns, washboards the size of VW bugs, and active landslides.  All are exciting obstacles to navigate while passing busses, which are included in the rally to sharpen light-vehicle drivers’ skills, such as avoiding being run off the road and into the drainage ditch.  The second stage transitions into the third at Zaagkam Tunnel.  The drivers are at the mercy of the tunnel traffic guards when they round the turn to face the tunnel.  If the light is red, all drivers must stop and wait for oncoming traffic to exit the tunnel.  If green, the only obstacles to drivers are busses in front of them, and sometimes vehicles are three-wide as they jockey for position going into the one-lane portal at immense speeds of 40 km/hr.

Once out of the tunnel, the drivers have approximately one mile of narrow, winding road where passing is not permitted, but also where there are many waterfalls to gaze upon across the valley when it is not foggy.  The only obstacle during this section is the driver’s own road rage at having to follow a bus that may be traveling at half the speed limit.

During the last mile to the mine, several waterfalls are diverted into a drainage ditch alongside the road and it can easily overflow, causing the entire road to become a river during heavy rains.  Drivers can unexpectedly come upon flash floods that are usually passable but require the co-driver to test how deep the water is in the ruts. (Note to those who may plan to see this challenge: wear waterproof shoes.)

Once through this section, drivers enter the mine site and are on the last stage to the finish line: the office.  Road surfaces range from concrete to gravel mixed with steel mill balls.  Oncoming (and downhill flowing) bus traffic is common here, and drivers’ skills must be sharp to navigate the turns and steep corners that are required to avoid the oncoming traffic that may dart out of the thick fog.  When the drivers enter the parking lot, they find an open spot to park, and the rally winner is decided by determining who has spilled the least amount of coffee during the ride.