The day started dark and early. We went to the Cirebon train station at EXACTLY 1:15 a.m. This was to make absolutely sure that we would not be late for the 1:57 train to Jakarta…….. We waited in the “executive lounge, which was executive in name only. A/C was on but even at 1:30 it was no way cool. We should have been tipped off that there was going to be a problem when the guard told Regina that the train is sometimes late, maybe an hour or an hour and one half. He proved correct. We never left the station until 3:30 in the morning.


Not to worry, we had plenty of exercise while we waited for 2 hours. One of the train station young men took pity on our forlorn looks and attempted to get us on earlier (and more expensive) train. After we ran to get on the train, the conductor decided we couldn’t board.

Finally we were on our way, with Jakarta three hours away and our flight to Bangka at 6:45. Regina called Sriwijaya Airlines two times to attempt to rebook our flight. They told us to go to the airport and then see if we could still get on. We arrived in Jakarta and ran outside to get a taxi. We explained to the old man that we need to rush to the airport. At the airport, I paid while Regina jumped out and ran to the queue to go through security. I’ve never pushed and shoved my way through a crowd as much as I did in that line. We ran to the ticket counter at exactly 6:30- only to be told we were too late.

Sweating, tired, thirsty and frustrated we were told that there was an 8:00 a.m. flight that was already full but we could go by standby. The next one wasn’t until 9:30 and each one got progressively more expensive. We stood around the airport for an hour only to be told that there were no seats available. Regina then went to the very next counter(the people could see each other, probably even touch each other) and the second gentleman told us yes, there were seats available for the 8:00. It was now 7:45 and we had to pay the airport tax and still make it to the gate. Again, lugging our bags we dashed across the crowded airport and up the flight of steps, and all the way down the corridor…to find that they hadn’t even started boarding the plane yet.

In Indonesia, they allow you to walk on the tarmac, past other planes which have their engines running, and walking onto your plane. Regina and I didn’t initially sit next to each other, but the young man who sat next to her was willing to switch seats. The plane ride was a mere 45 minutes and we were again looking for a taxi. Regina asked the young man originally sitting next to her, and he gave us some suggestions. As we walked away, he came to us and invited us to join him in his car. His father-in-law picked us all up and they took us to our hotel- Red Dot. We never learned their names, but as we got out of the car, he said “Welcome to Bangka”.

After getting our room, we walled to eat the local noodle and then hired a car for our adventure around Bangka. Enjoy the pictures.