Flight to Indonesia

My flights:

• Warsaw - Amsterdam (around 2 hours)
• Amsterdam - Hong Kong (around 10h) (31.08/01.09)
• Hong Kong - Jakarta (around 4h)

I started flights at 7:45 Warsaw (31.08) UTC +2 and landed finally around 13:00 in Jakarta (01.09.) UTC +7. A long flight indeed.

The lady at the Warsaw airport couldn't check me out further than Amsterdam due to some problems with date system.  I had my carry-on (7.8 kg / 8 max) and a registered luggage (6.4 kg / 24 max). She couldn't believe I'll be coming back in a year. (well, almost 11 months).

Nothing much to write about flight to Amsterdam, except it was quick. ;)


Amsterdam airport (Schiphol) tempts you to spend euro in the abundance of its shops. I tried to resist but in the end I spent 20€ for food stuff. Prices? Supermarket: 1l of 100% juice - 3.49€, fruit salad - 2.99 €. Food court: vegetarian pasta 2.9€ per 100g, mug of tea - 2.7€.

I've experienced Amsterdam weather - 14°C and strong wind - on a panorama terrace. The wind wasn't that bad, it just made taking photos a bit more difficult. ;) Danek, my bodyguard, can confirm it.

On the panorama terrace you could enter into one of the KLM planes and see the cockpit (and hear the pilots' talks ;))

I liked how the Schiphol airport is "infected" with KLM planes. ^^ (Oh yes, there are more of them)

What I didn't like about Schiphol was its internet connection. There is a free internet (2 x 30 min) and paid internet (3€ per 15 min), which is faster, has VPN and no time limits on it (as long as you pay).

I flew to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific airline. On the very same plane that is here on photo. 10 rows of seats - 3 on left and right and 4 in the middle. I was sitting in the middle of the middle. ;) And near the wall. The worst place ever, I tell you. Luckily, it passed rather quickly.

The food, Chinese-style, was good. There was an omlet for the breakfast, but after I asked if there is a non-egg dish, I got Shanghai noodle with chicken, without any problems.

What I like about Hong Kong airport? There are a lot of stands with FREE internet and there is a Chinese-culture-themed exhibition.

I've exchanged 30$ for 215 HK$. An English book cost even 220HK$. O.o The same book was worth 9€ in Amsterdam. So in the end, I bought in Relay (I was surprised to see it's international brand) a Japanese magazine and a photo magazine (in English), spending around 150HK$.

It was soothing to see Chinese characters around. It felt almost like at home. I was surprised to realise how much I missed Asia during this year. I felt so happy coming back to Asia. I knew I couldn't sightsee Hong Kong now, but knowing that I'll be living around here for a year (making it possible to sightsee HK) made me happy.

The flight to Jakarta was sooooooo loooooong. Four hours, 3300 km... Too long. ;)

Immigration line was so long that I was anxious about my luggage. But it was still there when I finally got there.

I've exchanged 100$ (1 paper) for IDR - got 951000 IDR. The exchange rate was varied - from 9400 to 9510 per dollar. In case you had a 100$ with you. 10, 20, 50$ has lower rate - 9200 per dollar.

I was sooo hungry, and there was a Hoka Hoka Bento around, so I decided I'll eat in Japanese fast food and look no further. It was edible, unless you ate a chicken. I ordered Bento Special III and mineral water. Cost: bento - 32273 IDR, water (0.33l) - 6.364 IDR, there was some PKJ RESTO added (3.864 IDR) so in the end I paid 42.500 IDR. I don't feel like going to this fast food any time soon. And it made me wary of chicken meat for a few days.

I took a no-meter taxi to the hotel, in the end. I paid 100000 IDR to get to the hotel. Which wasn't that easy even if I had address with me. I should have got a phone number to the hotel, so that the driver could ask for directions. Maybe a hotel transfer from the airport (150k IDR) would be better in the end. ;)

At the hotel room I felt so tired, that I went to sleep for 14 hours (when 6 is my norm) O.o But over a day in the "road" justifies it, I think.

My first impressions from Jakarta (from the front seat of a car): green (even on highway), traffic jam and poverty. When we were looking for my hotel, I was praying to not live in some of the places we passed through.

There was a lot of road-sellers. They offered for example handicraft, swimming toys, food. There was also a beggar. There were also a lot of scooters and motors on the road. A very unusual sight for a Polish like me - it's not so popular here.

On that day I still haven't known how my impression will change in the next days.