After working on the website a little more, packing & getting ready to run out the door to the bus station, Lydia’s mom flew in from Alaska (=

What a great lady (= I met her for all of about 40 minutes, but ‘mom’ certainly has a contagious smile and an easy going way about her. Anyways- she brought a few gifts for Eli & her family,,, so we walked over to their kos to introduce ‘mom’ to our day helper & her family. (= It’s fun, spoiling Eli’s family a little bit. They don’t expect it, and as far as I can tell, it may not happen again after we leave next year…

I have one more big plan for them, which the whole neighborhood is already getting excited about, and that’s my offer to take the whole kos (Eli, her kids, their neighbors & their kids) to the amusement park in northern Jakarta called “dufan” (dunia fantasy = fantasy world). Tickets are $7 each, which is cost prohibitive for them. I told them I don’t care if there are 30. The kids might never get to go if I don’t take them. They’re all so excited! (= I’ll take them around my birthday.

By 7pm I was on my way to the bus station in central Jakarta. $11.40 got me a seat on the inter-province DAMRI bus to Bandar Lampung, Sumatra. The fare includes the ferry cost to ride across the Sundra Strait.
This is the start of my tour through Sumatra, from bottom to top! (=

The plan: Bandar Lampung, Palembang, Jambi, Padang, Lake Toba, Medan, Lhoksumawae, Banda Aceh.

Should be a great trip!