A Long Journey of Mine (part 1)

Last week was probably one of my busiest week. It was started on Tuesday 19th August, I went back home by motorcycle from Semarang. Then, the next day, I went to Purwokerto with my family. Then on Thursday night I went to Jakarta by train to apply visa in the Embassy of Portugal, it was around 11.15 p.m. I arrived on Friday morning at 4.30 in Gambir Train Station. There I prepared everything like the documents needed, changing clothes, etc.

Around 5.30 I went out from the train station but... I didn't know where to go, really. So I decided to go to Trans Jakarta bus stop and asked the officer, then the officer told me how to get there. I decided to take kopaja no. 20 (really, I was really curious to take this as I took this when I was around 5 years old) then I think it was basically the same like when I take a bus in Purbalingga kkk~ but at least I made it happen.

It was a good choice since it was really early and the traffic hadn't been crazy, it was really nice and really cheap. I enjoyed the trip so I didn't even notice when the "kondektur" shouted menteng, then in Kuningan I said stop, and the kondektur seems a bit angry because I forgot and he said he already mentioned menteng, but whatever, I didn't even pay attention to his anger, I just walked out the bus. Then I need to cross the road but it had been really crowded, so I just walked to see whether there was a pedestrian bride or not, then I found that there was no, so I crossed the roal when the traffic light shown red, then I cross the road by going throuh the trans Jakarta bus stop kkk, so I paid for the bus but I didn't take the bus. Then I took another kopaja with the same number and stopped in front of Taman Menteng.

Because I didn't have any idea where the Embassy was, so I asked (seems like) an owner of a shop who just opened his shop about Jl. Indramayu, and he said, "The road is right behind you.. in front of that building" Which meant it was close and just in front of Taman Menteng. Okay, so I went to the road in front of a very huge building and checking the address and olala... the huge building was the one I was looking for. I arrived there around 6.30 a.m.

There I met the security, and he said that the embassy would open at 9.00 a.m. and I couldn't enter. Fortunately it was near the Taman Menteng, so I went to the garden (taman) and having my breakfast there. Then I felt that I needed to go to the toilet, so I looked for public toilet but I didn't find, so I asked an old lady and she told me that I could use the one in the hotel building. So I went to the hotel, and after going to the toilet I went to BNI (Bank) to ask about the procedure of the visa payment.

After that I went back to the Embassy, and I saw an officer coming, but she said that they will start the service around 10.00 a.m. so I decided to go back to Taman Menteng. Then I went back, and voila, it's been started. I met smeone who wanted to take the visa, then it was my turn, and unfortunately there was a problem with the internet or electricity (I forgot)  so she said that at least around 1 p.m. I could go back there, then she took all the visa requirements I brought.

So... I decided to go back to Taman Menteng (sounds boring, yes, definitely) which was like my favorite place to go or even my real destination kkk. I was really tired and bored because I was all alone. So around 10.40 I just going back to the embassy, fortunately the problem had already been over. Then they called me, and she asked me to take a picture and to take the biometric data. It took for around 15 to 20 minutes only. Then I need to make a pay the visa fee, so I went back to the bank to make payment and then oing back to the embassy.

After that I took a bus to Gambir train station, and I found out that the ticket to Purwokerto was sold out T.T , so I asked my uncle who live in Tangerang, asking about another alternative route. But he asked me to just go to his house. So I took two busses to go there, and I arrived at his house around 3.30 p.m. Then I decided to go home the day after.
-to be continued- :)