Journal 28: Day 7: Singapore to Indonesia
My search for shoes has finally ended. My sandals were looking a little warn so I thought I would find some shoes that would give them a rest and also help me hike up a mountain. Yesterday’s affirmation of failing to find clothes/shoes that fit, truly came to task today. It took me about three hours of rummaging through sizes to find a pair that came close to fitting. The biggest that anyone had was around a 43 (which is about a size 9). I need a 45-46 to fit comfortably and so I would find the shoe I wanted, but the size would be limited to 43 or smaller. Or the store attendant would suggest all these other shoes that were in my size, but they were of horrible quality or were simply not suited for walking the streets of Southeast Asia – much less, capable of scaling a primary forested volcano.
But alas, I finally took care of my shoe problem and like the way they feel. They are a little unsturdy, but I think they will serve their purpose. And these flip-flops forged a truly trodden trail across Asian Asphalt and joined me through joyful jungle jaunts. But it’s time to mightily motivate movement via varied vehicles. And so the flip-flops are to ride top-side for a few days while I prance in protected peds.
I stopped by a book store near my hotel once I got back to see if they had anything good. There was an exchange place for them. But I didn’t really get the impression that they had anything good. So I stopped looking after about five minutes or so.
Tomorrow, I think I will try and catch the train to Bogor. I would like to go to Cianjur for a nice day hike. There is a volcano there called “Gede Pangrango” that seems like it would be a good place to see. Reading up on it, it looks like it’s in the middle of the jungle and is so dense that you need a guide to find your way through. We will have to see when I get there.
Well, it’s been a long day of walking around. I could have stayed up a little bit longer, but I am not sure I wanted to keep the neighbor’s company. They just don’t seem like my type of conversationalists. So it’s off to bed. Tomorrow should be another long and enlightening day as I head south on my first Indonesian train. And as the giant, Indonesian bats rousing from their little “roosting places” in my ceiling to head out for their dinner, I ponder tomorrow’s adventure.