The last day

March 19th

To sleep in the airplane is not easy, but needed. Somehow I manage to devote about 5 hours for the sleep, however, when there are 4 hours left till the destination, I don’t manage to fall asleep in any way anymore and have to watch films. After a while lights get turned on in the saloon. It is a sign that breakfast can be expected soon. We land in Istanbul at 5:50 in the morning. We need to spend some time in the security controls, where Vitolds has to part from a folding pocket knife that was left in his hand luggage. We have almost 3 hours till the next flight, which each of us spend entertaining themselves in the airport departure area. At least as much as it’s possible to be entertained there. Boarding is announced one hour before the departure. We meet at the gate, where we get boarded on the bus outside and get driven to the airplane. It is cool. My clothes are traveling in the check-in suitcase, so I still do with a t-shirt, shorts and sandals.

Around 11am we have arrived in the Cologne airport already. Finally we get to see our luggage. Nobody is missing anything. Now I can also put on more suitable garments for the climate. To get rid of the baggage suitcases, we go to the Ryanair check-in desk. Huge queue, but no one to service it. After a while, however, the queue begins to move forward after all. We meanwhile manage the weight of the suitcases to match the permissible limits. Success. I check-in my suitcase and then run to the adjacent desk, because all the boarding cards for the people flying are in my phone. However, it is not a problem and everything is quickly sorted. Someone has found a suitable place to spend the time and around 13 o’clock we move to the cafe S-Bahn in the adjacent terminal building.

After a while I receive SMS from Agnese (she went to Germany separately, by a different flight): “Where are you?” I answer equally “logically”: “In the adjacent terminal, eating is happening”. Despite this, she finds us. We spend another hour in the cafe and then go to check-in Agnese’s luggage and to yet another security control before the last flight today. The Germans are exceedingly hard-working and seek out thoroughly. They are interested in both bags with food and boxes with gadgets (chargers, batteries, screwdrivers, etc.). After consultation among the security-colleagues I get everything returned and let to take with me. Danke Schoen! Typically, that the Ryanair passengers have already lined up in a really long queue for boarding still well ahead the start of it. We have no desire to stand, so we wait until most people are already on board. It has its cons – there is not really place for the hand baggage anymore. I stuff it under the chair, as I can somehow endure these inconveniences for the couple of hours of the flight. Despite the tense posture I manage to get some sleep.

When I wake up, we have already flown into Latvia. At 19:50 the aircraft lands at the airport “Riga”. Land is covered with snow in places. It’s a bit strange after the 3 weeks spent in heat. The bus drives us to the entrance, there we await our luggage (how nice that everyone has everything) and entering the waiting room, we meet the first welcomers. The final group photo still and then in groups we disperse to home.

The trip is over. Long live the trip!

The Day in Jakarta

March 18th

Light breakfast in the morning in the cozy hostel, the suitcases put inside a lift which will also serve as our luggage storage, then also our arranged taxis are here. We are going to the national monument of independence. We drive up to a large park, where we get out. Monument in the center of the park. The park area is very large. Everything is clean and tidy. For Jakarta residents, this is a favorite place for sports activities. We have reached the monument. With high-speed elevators we go up to the 115-meter high tower’s viewing platform. Stunning city panorama. The park is surrounded by beautiful skyscrapers. From the top everything it is so clean, beautiful and neat. Then we go to the History Museum, which is located 3 meters below the monument. The museum exhibition is arranged in a circle. There is 51 diorama in total, in which the whole history of Indonesia is reflected. Impressive. Indonesian history, like history of many nations, is dramatic.

In the evening begins our way home but we still have time – half a day. We have decided to go to the zoo, because we want to see those primates and birds, which we did not see in the wild. To the Zoo we go by taxi. It is more convenient, and, to some extent, a small city tour. The tickets are incredibly cheap for the zoo. In the zoo all of us disperse according to their interest. Ilgonis is looking for the dragon that he didn’t see on the island, Agnese – for tarsier, Andra – for gorilla. Me and Vitolds are delighted by orangutans. How wise they are! How they know how to communicate with us, to show themselves. Unfortunately Agnese must leave sooner and without seeing tarsiers, as her plane leaves earlier, but we will be together again in Cologne.

After an hour also the rest of us, more or less satisfied, leave the Zoo. By taxi to get our belongings from the hostel, then to the airport. We spend 3 hours in the taxi, after all it’s a 9 million-people city. We see the un-polished side of the city, many spend their lives miserably. Near the airport there is an unimaginable congestion. Then we notice something interesting – stretch by stretch there are guys with motorcycles standing who are ready to deliver travelers, being late for their flights due to congestion, by motorcycle, including the baggage. Motorcycles here are able to go through the eye of a needle.

We are finally at the airport. We change our clothes. Unspent millions of rupees exchanged for some miserable euros. We are in the Turkish plane, where we are awaited by wine and a hearty dinner. Goodbye Indonesia! It was nice to get to know you at least a little.