Monday, March 12, 2012

Travel #2, Meet Team, Arrive in Makassar

I've got some catching up to do here and was WAY too tired to do it last night.  Travel day #2 (or 3 depending depending on timezones) went good.  I left Seoul, Korea on Saturday for an 8ish hour flight to Jakarta.  Got to my hotel (Hotel Indonesia Kempinski) at about 10:00 p.m.  Very nice hotel - wish I could have enjoyed it more instead of leaving at 7:30 a.m. the next morning.  However, I was able to meet a few of my team members that night.  Tom (whom I met in Chicago) and I hadn't eaten yet and found a great German restaurant/bar place, Paulaner Brauhaus.  They had a band too!  It would have been fun to stay there for a few hours, but we needed some sleep.  I slept amazing although could have used a few more hours.

I got up the next morning (Sunday) and enjoyed an AMAZING breakfast buffet.  Here is my fruit plate!


Sunday morning was the first time I was able to meet all of my team.  There are 10 of us from six different countries.  Here is a picture of almost all of us plus some Australian Business Volunteers reps.

Most of team in Jakarta

Then, we were off to the airport again to arrive at Makassar on the island of Sulawesi.  That short 2-hour flight was over before I knew it (compared to the 15+ and 8 hour ones).

An interesting thing happened to me at baggage claim. . . . a girl (maybe 14 or 15 years old) came over to me with a camera and motioned that she wanted a picture with me.  Once I figured out what she wanted and said yes, her other girlfriends started cheering (maybe 4 of them).  I was told things like this could happen.

Then, in the line for the bathroom a little girl maybe 4 years old was pointing at me and having her mom look at me.  I just smiled at them.  I received several other looks/stares and am getting used to it.  Speaking of bathrooms, I've never seen nor experienced so many different types of bathrooms/toilets as I have in the past 3 days!  Everything from the fanciest toilet I've ever seen with everything automatic and lots of buttons to ones that remind me of an outhouse.  I hope I don't run out of hand sanitizer!

We got settled into our hotel in Makassar then went out to browse the mall that is close by and to grab a bite to eat.  Yes, more stares at the mall - that is going to be normal.

#ibmcsc
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3 comments:

  1. Robin One PhotographyMarch 12, 2012 at 5:03 AM

    So awesome to read of your experiences Jessica. Why was it that the girls wanted a picture with you? I also noticed Brynn's favorite fruit on your plate that we have only found in Hawaii. Rambatam :)

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    Replies
    1. Jessica EidemMarch 13, 2012 at 12:09 AM

      Hey Robin! From what I've been told, they wanted my picture because I am white and blonde (which is not common to see in Indonesia). Regarding food - I've been trying lots of new and yummy things! Hope all is well back at the lake.

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  2. Robin One PhotographyMarch 13, 2012 at 4:26 AM

    All is well back home. Temps in the 70's this week, about a month early for that, and the ice is turning dark and ready to depart. The rambatams sure are an interesting fruit. Once you peel through the outside prickly looking red covering, the inside has the texture of a grape. Brynn is quite jealous right about now :) Have a super day :)

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