Tag: Java

15th January 09
My second arrival in Bali in just over 12 months is as demanding of some words of record as the first. The departure from Jogja was something of a signal that destiny itself was contriving to create a Bali welcome of some significance..
The simple airport at Jogja, called the Adi Sucipto airport, on one hand aligns with all the expecTations of such an establishment in this leisurely paced city and on the other hand defies many of the other expectations one is ushered toward by even a short stay in this gentle, art oriented, haven of Central Java.
The check in process was manual. Bag weighing equipment displayed the result of it’s assessment through the 1970’s medium of gas filled neon style seven segment alpha numeric displays! Alignment with expectations.
I was advised that the flight was expected to depart 3 hours later than scheduled. No register on the Richter scale.
I was entertained by a check in officer and baggage handler making such a mess of the check in process that it was only my amused vigilance that allowed me to advise them that they had given the prior passengers my baggage tag receipt. Less of a quake more of a Two Ronnies sketch.
The departure ‘lounge’ presented another side of the Javanese culture. The Malioboro Cafe charged me 30,000IR, the equivalent of 2UKP for a bowl of noodle soup that would of cost me 5,000IR the equivalent of 30p back in Jogja city. A bar of chocolate easily cost me the same as it would have back in the UK. Some gentle questioning brought apologies from the staff..sorry ya, sorry ya and almost embarrassed smiles. Of course it’s a overhead thing. An opportunity for the single party oriented government to seize on the monopolistic status of the airport and further line the pockets of those in authority at no greivance to the locals. Cynicism sneaks in a poke.
However it was well air conditioned. So well air conditioned in fact that after four hours in the place I may well have pushed out my sell by date by a not insignificant period.
At a point around 3 hours into my wait I began to notice a spattering of small bright green boxes lying listlessly and discardedly on the lounge furniture. I suspected that they may have been food hampers offered to delayed customers of one of the five or so airlines operating from this gilded government revenue centre. In a state of free food bravado I ventured toward a gate official with my question prepared. My suspicion was confirmed. Garuda passengers evidently have a late departure hamper cost built into their cost structure. My airline didn’t. C’est la vie.
As time ‘flew’ by and the rescheduled departure time for my flight became history I listened calmly to the apologies for delays over the sound system transgress to cancellations and instructions for the aggrieved passengers to report back to a check in counter…where one would presumably be warmly greeted by a ‘Closed – All flights Cancelled’ sign. A second poke from cynicism.
However the cancellations appeared to work in favour for some. When I began to think that most of the people left in the departure lounge were probably only there because they were asleep the public announcement system was cranked into action again. As usual the initial words of the announcement were spoken in Bahasa. At probably the third word in this particular diatribe there was an eruption from the far end of the lounge that would have put Chelsea supporters cheering an away goal at White Hart Lane to shame. I guess they were either going to get a free night in a hotel or minimum half day off work tomorrow.
I eventually departed amongst other listless examples of holidayees at around 10.30pm.