Bangkok to Indonesia ~ Almost There........p

Departing from Bangkok by Air Asia to Medan ~ Wednesday the 21st August

We left Bangkok by taxi to the Don Mueang International Airport ~ took about 40 min to get there!  We had a few hours wait...

 We looked for a place to sit for a while and have a cup of coffee!  While sitting there enjoying a good cup of cuppacino  -there was a couple sitting right next to us.  Nick looked over and asked if they were Thai but in his heart he was pretty sure they were Indonesian...and they were!  And we had the most wonderful conversation with them!  It turns out Mangasa and Tina were from Indonesia and he was actually from the island we were going to!  He is a dentist and she his wife and nurse in his office!  They spoke understandable English and we chatted for quite a while! One of the first things Mangasa asked was "are you a Christian or a Muslim?" We said we are Christians!  He said YES we are too..and pointed to his heart! Good he said!

Dairy Queen...would you believe it in Bangkok too!

They were so sweet and did want a picture taken together!  The people just love to be asked and also want to have our picture taken all the time!  Anyway Mangasa wanted to help us on the other end...he said...you stay close to us and we will arrange a taxi/bus to take us four to Medan.  They live there and the new airport that was recently completed in Medan was a good hour away from the town of Medan!

We said gladly...how very kind! 

Leaving from Bangkok...Good Bye Bangkok - till we meet again some day! 

The airplane was not full..as you can see! But Nick had booked the flight online and we got a really good seat front one...with lots of leg room for us tall people! Ha! So for a 2 hour flight - it was very comfortable.  Because Air Asia is so reasonable in price - we did have pay for our coffee!

But it was worth the price...and gives us a little boast! it was 4:30 pm - and the flight would come into Medan Indonesia at 6:30 pm.

Oh my goodness - is it really true...are we finally heading towards Indonesia Nick?  He answered "yes!" but not till I actually am there....

 A Beautiful Sunset....

OK how about now...are you believing it Nick...are you seeing it now?

...how about now Nick...you have touched down????

OK OK! There is the smile...Nick is HOME in his Birth place - INDONESIA!!! 

Yeah!!!!

 And Ellen too is very thankful...to be in my Father's Birth country! Wow - how special!

"Pappa I did it! I know you would of been so very proud and happy for us I am here in Indonesia your beloved land!!" Oom Paul and Tante Evie I know you too are so happy for us! 

Nick was so' pleased...he was able to read something at the airport that was very familiar to him: kamar kecil -which means

 "room small" in other words small room which is the bathroom/toilet gosh just look at the big smile!  

.....No...No...not for the bathroom you guys...just the Indonesian words of course...ha! 

We went through customs and because we had already applied for our visa's in Bangkok ...it all went very quickly.

Well let me tell you the rest of the story OK?

Well when we got through the visa/ area there was our new friends..Mangasa & Tina and they were waiting for us - just as they had promised! They directed us outside...and said: "OK OK bus come to pick us up OK?" we said Yes!  So all at once comes this Ambulance bus...Mangasa had called ahead and asked his chauffeur to bring the ambulance bus...which he uses (Mangasa does dentistry work in the mornings, he said, for the government and then has his evening practice 5:00 - 10:00 pm here in this office where he works and also lives! So he has use of the ambulance - somehow we understood that!  Oh my goodness you guys....Nick & I went into the front seat with the driver and Mangasa & Tina went with our suitcases and theirs, and sat on the floor in the back!  We felt bad but he said No No...you go up front...I sit in back! He also wanted to smoke his "kretek" cigarette (clover leaf).  Pretty strong smoke.  

So off we went...Nick & I just chuckled and thought...My where are we going???? Mangasa knew where our hotel was in Medan...and he said he would bring us there.  It took a good hour to go into Medan...and after a while Mangasa told the driver (who was driving very carefully passing up cars on this two lane highway) to stop the ambulance and let him drive! Well the driver stopped along the road (very narrow!) and they switched and THEN we had the drive of our life...Mangasa drove a lot more aggressive and then he turned on the siren hoping to get even more speed to get to our destination! My! He drove fast and we got into town...siren and all!  But we had to laugh...and he did too...because the cars and scooters did not budge very much! Oh what a drive that was!

WELL.....we stopped on this busy street...and Mangasa said "my house...my office...you come drink water inside? Then we go to your hotel" So here we were in Medan...8:30 pm and crossing a very the busy street to go to his house! The office was open and we climbed 2 floors everyone greeting us warmly with many smiles and very polite...we realized Mangasa and Tina had called ahead and wanted to share their home with us and their office and personnel.  We shook hands with all the people there...not realizing of course that some were patients waiting for their turn!  They smiled and checked out those tall Americans! We were offered water, Indonesia beer and cakes too! 

So hospitable! Nick and I were ever so pleased to meet them all!

Then Mangasa came into the room with his dental jacket on...to show us his position!  The people all respected him! Tina then told us she too was a nurse.

 Oh you guys...they were the sweetest couple and ever so kind and sweet.  The nurses, helpers, and patients...all wanted a picture of us!

There was two staff members  - the one on the left of me who was called "Esther" and I said "very good name...out of the Bible" and Mangasa said she is Muslim...and he then said to Esther - your name is a Bible name...and I said Yes wonderful lady in the Bible! He translated to Esther...and Esther smiled a very big smile! And she gave me the biggest hug ever!  Everyone was adorable and ever so sweet! 

Even the patients that left (there was another dentist on duty that evening because Mangasa and Tina had been on holiday in Bangkok too!) shook hands with us again! 

We had had a wonderful meeting our first warm welcome in Indonesia and it was ever so sweet!

Mangasa then said..."you go to the hotel now" and driver will bring you!" Right On Mangasa! 

We said our many thanks and thanked them for their kind and generous hospitality and kindness and off we went to the hotel!

We drove in and out of the streets that looked kind of rough and thought where are we going? And the driver stopped to ask some directions - and all at once I saw the name of the hotel 

there it is "Swiss Belinn Hotel" - good!

It was such nice and again...the neighborhood are and can be rough and then all at once you have this very very nice hotel!

 By this time we were pretty tired and had had a long day...so after checking in - we had a nibble in the restaurant and then went to bed...it was 12 midnight!

Because all the windows of our room was facing inside I took this picture down to the lobby and counter!

Well time for a much needed rest....Medan..we are sleeping in Indonesia this evening....yeah!