I have to say, I don't really think I needed that long to R&R from dengue fever, but I'm not complaining - the last month or so back in Radelaide has been great. While I haven't done a lot, went insane due to lack of exercise, and was pretty bored during the week when everyone was at work, it has been great.
It was a nice time to be back in Radelaide too - the weather was great, and lots of things have been happening: My boss from my life at DWLBC had his first child; I watched the AFL Grand Final (sucked in Port Power!) and the Rugby World Cup; I went to visit my parents back at home in Jamestown; and I got to catch up with a whole bunch of people that realy I miss while I'm here in Indo. Not to mention downing a few Pale Ales to make up for lost time :)
Some f&%#ing w&$#er stole my bag while I was out at Mojo's one night, so I no longer had a phone, keys or anything of value from my wallet. I think the most annoying part was the loss of my keys, which meant I couldn't lock up my bike, which is normally my main mode of transport. So it was on to the bus I went. Good for reading or listening to music, but no form of exercise and not half as enjoyable!
And THEN, a blood test at the travel doctor revealed something very curious: apparently I didn't have dengue fever at all. I had dengue antibodies from a past occurrence (news to me! it must have been VERY mild as I have never suffered symptoms of dengue), but it was another mysterious virus, not dengue, that had me in hospital on a drip. To be honest, I didn't believe it. All the classic symptoms were there. I would think that Jakarta would deal with dengue cases a hell of a lot more than Radelaide. So I'm sticking with the Indonesians on this one.
Anyway, seems like it was much easier to get out of Jakarta than it was to get back here! Firstly, Aust Red Cross booked me a return ticket from Jakarta, so I had to go back through it - when normally I would fly directly to Singapore from Radelaide and then to Medan. Plus, being the end of Ramadan (Idul Fitri), and everyone on holidays, I had to go to Banda Aceh because no-one was working in the Simeulue office; yet the expats are working in the BA office 17-19 Oct. So here I am. And annoyingly, instead of booking me on a flight from Jakarta to Banda Aceh (a direct flight) they booked me in at a hotel in Medan for a night and then a flight the next day to BA, when the same flight continued on. It would have saved them the cost of a night's accommodation, and me another leg of the journey and f$*#ing around in airports. Stupid. Not sure why the Melbourne office is so illogical. Adding insult to injury I now have to fly back to Medan to go to Simeulue, because to get back before Monday, I have to fly with Susi Air (which only flies from Medan); the UN planes b/t BA and Simeulue don't resume til Monday due to Idul Fitri. So ANOTHER two flights to go on Fri and Sat, before I even get to Sim. Bloody hell!!!
Ok, enough complaining. I'm back. Finally. And it has been a cruisey few days in hotels, even if the airport thing is a pain in the ass. And today after 'work' - which entailed a few hours in the office catching up with the other expats here - we went to the 'cement factory beach' (so called because of the massive, ugly cement factory built right on the beach there! boo!!!) for a surf. I can't surf to save myself, but I was out there giving it a go. It was pretty hard work, but nice to get out amongst it, and also to get some bloody exercise! I'm looking forward to that part now that I'm well enough. Feeling pretty knackered tonight though, I can tell you!
Scarily enough 5 Indonesians died at that beach last week. The current, waves and rips are quite strong and unpredictable, especially since the tsunami so I've been told, and it's hard work swimming there. When we first went out I got dragged a fair way on my board and ended up barreling straight towards the rusted out hull of an old tanker shipwrecked there. Not somewhere I'd like to be, to be honest. Managed to avoid that obstacle and get back on the beach, so we moved further up. Still got pounded by those waves. They're dumpers!
So, will see how things go at work next week. Looking forward to arriving in Sim, and getting back into it.
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