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April 17, 2005
Immigration Obstacle Course
The bureaucratic can of worms of obtaining our entry visas to Indonesia has brought me to Jakarta for a couple of days. Tomorrow I meet with the head of UNESCO Indonesia's Associated Schools Program network, Ms. Hasnah Gasim, to nail down the schools we'll be visiting along the island chain. We'll also discuss our intention to spend $10,000 USD of aid money raised for tsunami relief for the possible rebuilding of a school in the Bandah Aceh area of Northern Sumatra.
It's a vital trip. After a couple of meetings with the Indonesian Vice Consulate in Darwin it became increasingly apparent that UNESCO acting as our sponsor and dealing with immigration on our behalf here in Jakarta would be the only way we could do something as ambitious as kayak the island chain as intended. Basically, as far as I can tell, no one has every got permission before. An Australian tried a few years ago without the proper clearance and didn't get very far before being turfed out.
One problem is that kayaks don't fit into any existing catagory that the immigation folks recognize. So another stop tomorrow will be at the office of another government organization (the name of which I can't even pronounce)to get a letter saying that we can't get a letter saying we have clearance to cruise in Indonesian waters like a regular yacht would need. How bizarre is that!
This could be the hardest bit of the whole expedition...
Posted on April 17, 2005 1:15 PM
Comments
Hey J
The whole climbing a mountain title made me think of our camping trip and the climb back up the mountain..hehe -Molly
Posted by: molly moreschini at April 19, 2005 9:25 PM
Not sure what a 'TypeKey' identity is but wonderful to see you both, Jason & Stevie, and meeting Lourdes via photos & journal. If Steve is gone but in touch, please forward hello. I'd hoped to see that Kenny was there. Caught up with postings now after computer illness, and it all seems impossibly worse than the past preps and hurdles. Please say goodbye to Moksha for me when she leaves for home if I miss asking at the time. Stay safe. Love, N
Posted by: nancy at April 18, 2005 5:08 AM