Apr
19
Indonesia: End of the Road, from Bo Keely
April 19, 2011 |
Today I caught an ox cart and ferry off bucolic Toba, Indonesia. The ambiguous visa turned against my favor. Immigration is kicking me out of the country, but won't deport me unless I stay another 35 days to become a 'criminal' that would avoid a fine. Today the immigration chief laughed, and advised I go back to Toba & enjoy an extra month. Becoming a criminal offsets the fine and blacklists me from the country for one year, plus two days in jail. I know he's the chief because I stopped in every floor of the Medan immigration skyscraper until topping out at him, he won't give me his name, speaks through an interpreter, and says the building has no phone though he packs a cell. Indonesia has a a recent watchdog system on high officials that works. His kids will like my secret mirror writing. It's too far back to Toba to consider becoming a criminal. The U.S. embassy will loan the money but nab me at the arrival airport. As it is, I'm fined $600 for overstay on the immigration oversight three months ago as a blue-jeaned embassy clerk crawled through a window and stamped my passport w/ duplistic expiration dates– 'expires April 23' in bold at the top was my incorrect guess. I've fanned out to ATM machines to accumulate the fee but ATM's don't work well with American cards… I have garnered $400 at six. There's also a remote island ferry to Singapore that may not have a computer or take a bribe.
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Gotta watch those transaction costs. All-in travel costs just went from $20/day to $20+(600/?). Sounds even worse than a mutual fund back-end fee.
Given the entertainment value of the posts, financing the fees shouldn’t be a problem, I suspect.
an anonymous donor has already implemented a procedure for the quid pro quo that Mr. Costin suggests. However, the Hobo is very proud, and would gladly walk a thousand miles to maintain his dignity and save some bucks for himsels and his friends.
YOu really are a wonderful, crazy bugger Bo.