I headed out early to get to the bus station. The lady at the front desk had no clue how to take a minibus to the bus station, so my only option was to take a taxi. I found a taxi and told him that I needed to go to the Ubang bus station, he confirmed he could take me there. After an hour or so in the cab, he stopped at some monument, "here we are," he said. Uhh what the hell?? "Where is the bus station?" "Oh, bus station... I know," he replied. He dropped me off in front of an army of minibuses. This can't be the right place?! I broke out my map and asked some of the guys which one takes me to Gilimanuk, a town where the ferry goes from Bali to East Java. "Oh, you go to Ubang bus station," one said. I still don't know where that taxi driver dropped me off... So, I hopped in the minibus and headed off. While it has already started off bad, riding in the minibus was not bad at all. I got to see all walks of life in the bus; old me who look like tan raisins, old women carrying bags of food, and other random school children. I am getting to see the real side of Indonesia.
Once I got to the bus station, I asked around for which bus would take me to Bondowoso. "This one, here sir," so I bought my ticket... and waited... and waited. Two hours later, I asked, what is going on, "we wait for 30 people, then go." Two more hours go by, then we finally left. Mind you, as of now I have already spent 7 hours since I left my hostel and we are just now leaving. Once we started moving, a guy comes to me and says, "Situbondo, yes?" "Uh, no.. Bondowoso," I replied. Then a guy who spoke better English came to me and says, "This bus go to Surabaya, we drop you off Situbondo," which is a hour and a half away from Bondowoso. "Why did you sell me a ticket for Bondowoso if this isn't even the bus for Bondowoso?" "Oh, sorry, we drop you off in Situbondo, no problem," he replied. Well, not off to a good start.
An Indonesian man sat next to me who spoke pretty good English. It turns out that he used to live in New Jersey, working for 3M with his wife, and has moved back home due to immigration problems. He was great company while on the bus ride; I was able to bounce ideas and suggestions off of him and tell him the stories of my travels thus far. After 5 hours (it was supposed to be 3 hours, however, the traffic was horrible), we finally made it to Gilimanuk and boarded the ferry to East Java. I eventually arrived in Situbondo at 1 am, not taking into consideration the time change. A 9 hour bus ride and 16 hours spent in transport. I can check that off my bucket list.
The bus dropped me off in the middle of nowhere in Situbondo on a dark empty street. A rickshaw driver peddled by and I stopped him. "Sleep... Hotel... Hostel?" I asked, "......." nothing; I put my hands together and acted like I was sleeping and snoring, he nodded. "How much?" rubbing my fingers and thumb together, acting out a universal sign of money, nothing. So I just hopped on and let him take the wheel, pun intended.
He dropped me off at a dodgy looking hotel, I gave him 5,000 rupees, 50 cents, and walked in. The room that was presented to me was disgusting, bugs everywhere, 30 year old spring beds, a fan, hole in the floor for a toilet, and a bucket for a shower. Getting the real local experience.
A guy who works at the hotel that speaks good English was trying to help me. Remember what I said about those who can speak good English in a foreign country? He was trying to offer me a ride to the Kawah Ijen volcano and then drop me off in Bondowoso. Knowing that I was not going to take up his offer, I asked him loads of questions, how to get there, how long it takes, what time to get there to see the Blue Fire, etc. then asked him the price. $100.. "No way, I can get there for $5 by public transport," "but public transport is hard for foreigner, and you can't sleep near the volcano, nor can you go down to the crater without a guide." I knew the last two were bogus and read that locals will tell you that just so you go with them. He showed me pictures and said, "You know Switzerland? I took these people for $250, you get good deal," "the Swiss didn't do their homework," I replied, he laughed. He escorted me to my room, "What time you wake up?" "Probably around 10am," "Okay, see you tomorrow."
Once I got to the bus station, I asked around for which bus would take me to Bondowoso. "This one, here sir," so I bought my ticket... and waited... and waited. Two hours later, I asked, what is going on, "we wait for 30 people, then go." Two more hours go by, then we finally left. Mind you, as of now I have already spent 7 hours since I left my hostel and we are just now leaving. Once we started moving, a guy comes to me and says, "Situbondo, yes?" "Uh, no.. Bondowoso," I replied. Then a guy who spoke better English came to me and says, "This bus go to Surabaya, we drop you off Situbondo," which is a hour and a half away from Bondowoso. "Why did you sell me a ticket for Bondowoso if this isn't even the bus for Bondowoso?" "Oh, sorry, we drop you off in Situbondo, no problem," he replied. Well, not off to a good start.
An Indonesian man sat next to me who spoke pretty good English. It turns out that he used to live in New Jersey, working for 3M with his wife, and has moved back home due to immigration problems. He was great company while on the bus ride; I was able to bounce ideas and suggestions off of him and tell him the stories of my travels thus far. After 5 hours (it was supposed to be 3 hours, however, the traffic was horrible), we finally made it to Gilimanuk and boarded the ferry to East Java. I eventually arrived in Situbondo at 1 am, not taking into consideration the time change. A 9 hour bus ride and 16 hours spent in transport. I can check that off my bucket list.
The bus dropped me off in the middle of nowhere in Situbondo on a dark empty street. A rickshaw driver peddled by and I stopped him. "Sleep... Hotel... Hostel?" I asked, "......." nothing; I put my hands together and acted like I was sleeping and snoring, he nodded. "How much?" rubbing my fingers and thumb together, acting out a universal sign of money, nothing. So I just hopped on and let him take the wheel, pun intended.
He dropped me off at a dodgy looking hotel, I gave him 5,000 rupees, 50 cents, and walked in. The room that was presented to me was disgusting, bugs everywhere, 30 year old spring beds, a fan, hole in the floor for a toilet, and a bucket for a shower. Getting the real local experience.
A guy who works at the hotel that speaks good English was trying to help me. Remember what I said about those who can speak good English in a foreign country? He was trying to offer me a ride to the Kawah Ijen volcano and then drop me off in Bondowoso. Knowing that I was not going to take up his offer, I asked him loads of questions, how to get there, how long it takes, what time to get there to see the Blue Fire, etc. then asked him the price. $100.. "No way, I can get there for $5 by public transport," "but public transport is hard for foreigner, and you can't sleep near the volcano, nor can you go down to the crater without a guide." I knew the last two were bogus and read that locals will tell you that just so you go with them. He showed me pictures and said, "You know Switzerland? I took these people for $250, you get good deal," "the Swiss didn't do their homework," I replied, he laughed. He escorted me to my room, "What time you wake up?" "Probably around 10am," "Okay, see you tomorrow."
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