i go to check in for my flight at Jakarta airport. it is 4:30am in the morning when the airport staff checks my paperwork. then she tells me “i’m sorry, you need a Covid test 24 hours before this flight.” i said “what? yesterday the airport staff told me it was 48 hours before the flight?” omg, i had my PCR test over 24 hours ago so they told me i couldn’t board. i ask “is there somewhere i can take one now?” she points down, up, side, then left. i plug that into my memory and start running! of course i just left my surfboards behind because there is no way i was going to make it in time lugging all of that. i didn’t even care if somebody stole it, i just wanted to get out of Jakarta!
finally i get to this little makeshift table where you sign up for a covid test. of course, no signs, and nobody spoke English. thankfully, sign language is international. i sign up, pay the 85,000 rupiah, then get directed around more corners.
i get to the makeshift testing booth. i couldn’t believe they were going to stick that thing up my nose again! but once again, they could have stuck it in my ass. i just wanted to get out of Jakarta!
it was the longest 10 minute wait of my life. i was thinking if it was positive, i would immediately get escorted to a government facility and be quarantined for 7 days. i heard from Bol that the quarantine in Jakarta is like prison. thank goodness it was negative. i start running back…
i get to the counter just in time, then i see the staff measuring my board bags. if you’re a surfer, that is very bad news. i’ll explain later…
