Thursday 27 February 2014

Leaving Lombok, February 27th 2014

Indonesian time keeping isn't great....

All along the beach road are boards advertising transport to just about anywhere in Indonesia and thankfully, the airport. Described as a shuttle bus leaving at 9.30, what actually rolls up at 9.35 is a people carrier. £3 for the 25 minutes ride only slowing when the occasional horse and cart blocks progress! Further slowing ahead as a market has spilled into the highway with chaotic scenes as more horse and carts vie for space with modern day transports.

A small airport with hundreds of people milling around here. Passengers waiting for taxis and buses which is clearly in short supply. More locals lining a walkway to the left selling anything from toys to pot noodles and at the end of this walkway, yes, another market of sorts. A couple of local food stands, fruit and again pot noodles. A handy place to grab a bite to eat for those wanting to avoid those high airport prices further embracing the principles of budget travel!

So far Indonesian time keeping has been 'lousy' and today is no exception as we are led towards the plane for this Garuda airlines flight to Bima. Perhaps a small justification for today's delay since we all have to queue for our umbrella. Yes, it's raining quite steadily now and no one go's until handed a brolly - trouble is half of them don't work!

The small propeller driven planes finally leaves Lombok behind setting course eastward for the 55 minutes to Bima. £24 for his flight, booked a few days ago and   compared to an equivalent European sector represents a bargain, particularly since Garuda is the National airline and not a low cost carrier. Just enough time to be handed a snack box containing I guess standard Indonesian food - a kind of sweet and savoury bread bun, a sticky rice and coconut mixture delicately wrapped in a banana leaf, an experience to behold I must say.

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