This morning at 6:00 to a dark and quiet hostel. Showered, packed and ready before 7:00, I waited to see what would unfold. Last night I was told I needed to leave at 7:00 to make my 9:50 flight. That was before I was told I needed to leave at 7:10. Then it was 7:45 which would get me to the airport by 8:30. If you are traveling and cannot be patient and flexible, you are in trouble!
My policy is to get up early, get ready and go with the flow. Jimmy dropped my two French friends at the ferry terminal where they will take a ferry then catch a bus and head North to Phuket, Thailand. We left at 7:40 and did not arrive at the airport at 8:30. Fortunately, we arrived at 8:20 because there was a long line cued at Air Asia.
Here’s how the scene unfolds. Ask questions, listen when help shows up (Jimmy), go with the flow. Arrive at a strange foreign international airport and be dropped curbside to say thank you and good bye. Walk through the doors with no idea of where to go. Ask once again. Walk the wrong side of the wall, regress and go again. Look for the proper departure line. Wait!
Visit with Jay who works as a bartender in Langkawi and is headed home to Medan to visit family for a week. Talk to the kind Muslim man in the next line. Watch people cut into line (normal). Wait some more. The line moves little by little.
My turn arrives and I hand over my passport with confirmation number for the flight I booked last night. Last minute bookings here are expensive. My one way flight is costing $70 US!
Get boarding pass and now learn where the gates are. Wander along and find immigration. Nice agent, very nice man and smooth process. Pass through security and find the gate. All the extra time I thought I had for breakfast, evaporated. Good thing I brought bread and peanut butter.
Now about to board for Medan, Sumatra and using free airport WiFi. Next time I write, I’ll be on Sumatra. Last night, I used Skype to call a hostel there and make a reservation. Nice being booked.
Jimmy told me to not use the airport taxi and motioned with his finger sliding across his throat. I’ll walk outside the airport to the gas station and hire a three wheeler motorbike for transport after I find am ATM and get some Indonesian Rupiah. Next, I’ll have to reorganize my mental currency calculator as the exchange rate for Rupiah to dollar is about 9,000 to 1 whereas MYR was 3.1 to 1.
Going to the plane now. Ciao…