I naturally woke up at 6:30 AM since I had gone to bed early the night before. I took a shower, packed everything, and got ready to leave. Since there was nobody at the front desk, I left my room key there and walked out of the hostel.
Because Magia Coffee, a café I had visited several times before, opens at 6:30 AM, I went there to write in my personal journal and update this blog. Since I had finally finished recording the voice-overs for my travel videos, I also published one episode for the first time in a few weeks. I still have more than ten videos left to upload. Since I usually stay in hostels, it has been difficult to find both the time and a quiet place to record my voice.
I ordered two cups of coffee, which cost me only 30,000 IDR ($1.60) thanks to their morning promotion, something I hadn’t known about before. Between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, certain coffees are only 15,000 IDR each. The coffee tasted great as well. If you stay around South Jakarta, I highly recommend Magia Coffee.
I stayed there until around lunchtime.
My goal that day was to get as close as possible to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport using public transportation so that I could avoid spending too much money on Grab. My flight wasn’t until midnight, so I had plenty of time.
I topped up my transportation card with 10,000 IDR and traveled from Haji Nawi MRT Station to Kalideres Bus Station by MRT and bus. If I had taken a Grab motorbike directly from Haji Nawi MRT Station, it would have cost about 100,000 IDR ($5.53), but using public transportation cost only 37,800 IDR (about $2).
On the way, I remembered that I wanted to buy several packets of Indonesian coffee from a small street shop as souvenirs. I spent almost all the cash I had left and managed to buy about eight different coffee packets. I didn’t have much cash remaining, so that was all I could afford.
After arriving at Kalideres Bus Station, I realized that I had left my cap on the bus. I considered trying to get it back, but eventually gave up.
My plan was to find a coffee shop, have lunch, and kill as much time as possible before heading to the airport. After walking for more than 30 minutes, I found a few chain coffee shops as well as a McDonald’s. At that point, McDonald’s seemed like the perfect place to eat and relax, so I decided to go in.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I had eaten a hamburger and fries from McDonald’s. When I was a teenager, I loved it, but I haven’t really enjoyed it in my twenties.
I ordered a cheeseburger meal with large fries and a café latte. The restaurant was busy with all kinds of customers. I found a seat on the second floor and waited for my meal.
The burger was decent, but I didn’t like the fries at all. They were cold and had a strange taste. I finished the meal quickly and slowly sipped the extremely sweet latte while relaxing.
After spending a couple of hours at McDonald’s, I got tired of sitting around, so I decided to visit a nearby gym called Leo Fitness Lab that I had found on Google Maps. It had a perfect 5.0-star rating.
After about a five-minute walk, I found it on a quiet street.
As soon as I entered, I noticed how warm it was inside. A man who looked to be in his fifties was lying back in his chair, relaxing. He was wearing a tank top and had an impressive physique. It took him a moment to notice me, and he looked surprised when he saw me standing at the reception.
As I had expected, he didn’t speak any English. Although I tried to use the simplest words possible, he replied entirely in Indonesian.
The most important thing for me was whether I could pay by credit card because I had already spent almost all my cash. Pointing to the price board, he indicated that a day pass cost 15,000 IDR (about $0.80), at least as far as I could understand. I showed him my credit card and asked if I could use it.
He simply replied, “No.”
Although I really wanted to work out, I had no choice but to give up and leave the gym.
If I had been able to train there, I’m sure it would have been a great workout, judging from the equipment and the warm atmosphere inside.
After leaving, I finally headed toward the airport.
I wondered whether I could take a motorcycle taxi all the way there, and fortunately, I could. The ride took only about 20 minutes, and I got off just before the gate where motorcycles were no longer allowed to enter. From there, I walked to Terminal 2.
I bought some food at Circle K and still had about six hours before my flight. I spent the time organizing the videos I had taken, listening to a podcast, and unsuccessfully trying to take a short nap.
About three hours before departure, around 12:30 AM, the check-in counter opened. The other check-in counters were almost empty.
I completed all the procedures and waited at my departure gate, where, for some reason, there was a strong smell of cigarette smoke. While I was waiting, an airport staff member checked my boarding pass again, something I had never experienced before.
I boarded the plane about 30 minutes before departure.
Luckily, nobody was sitting next to me in my row of three seats, so I had plenty of space to stretch out comfortably.
About 30 minutes after takeoff, the cabin lights were turned off, signaling that it was time to sleep.
As the plane climbed into the sky, I felt incredibly grateful for all the people I had met in Indonesia.
Without a doubt, Indonesia had been my favorite country on this trip because of the kindness of the people, the affordable prices, and the delicious food.
I definitely want to come back someday. Next time, I’d like to visit Bali—if I can afford it.
I think I fell asleep at around 1:00 AM.
