Indonesian Check Out Process

 Up bright and early.  We chat with sailing vessel Gaia and they have agreed we will pick up Helen at 8 and take her to shore. Jim will row to Maggie.  Rob will bring the dingy  back to Maggie and Jim will row Gaia's dingy to shore with Rob aboard,  Luc will have a taxi waiting at 8:30 and Gaia will have arranged for their own taxi to be there at the same time.  We are off to immigration and arrive before 9.  The place is packed but we go to a room at the front and Rob and Carol deal with their Indonesian visa renewal. We wait awhile and then are asked to head outside the office to wait with all the others.  Around 10:30 we are called in again and told that the person with the stamp is on a large ship and won't be there till possibly 3:00.  Luc is upset... you made us wait an hour and a half to tell us we can't be dealt with until 3.  He asks to speak to someone in charge and off we go.  He explains through an interpreter that he has a meeting with the governor at 3 and the governor will not be happy if Luc misses the meeting and tells him it was immigration that caused the missed appointment. Luc suggests that we meet the person with the stamp in the harbour which is where we are anchored.  A phone call is made.  Another phone call.  The interpreter explains that Luc's plan will not work as the stamped passport needs to be scanned by the computer in the office.  Please come back at 1:30 and we will attempt to get your immigration departure papers approved.  The captains of Gaia and Maggie will now go to customs and try to deal with quarantine and possibly start the process with the harbour master before 1:30.  I join the ladies and we head off to the market in search of vegetables and fruits.  Finally our bags are full and we have almost everything on the list.  We will get some lunch and then visit Saudara, our final store to get cheese and possibly meat.  I will wait in the taxi.  They were going in for a few minutes - a quick stop and 20 minutes have gone by.  At 1:20 I figure it is time to go roust them out or we will be late for immigration. Back to immigration.  The captains have been delayed so the wait continues.  The captains arrive. We are cleared through immigration by 2:30 and they are off to get more papers stamped at customs, quarantine and finally the harbour master.  Later in the day we discover that customs are told it is pouring rain on the boat and they will need to be rowed out in the dingy.  Luc and Jim on Gaia persuades them to accept pictures of the boat and of the motor. Helen on Gaia takes the required pictures and sends them off for Gaia.  Rob fortunately has all the photos he needs to satisfy them.  They are off to the harbour master for the final clearance to depart.  After 6 the captains call requesting I come and get them at the dingy dock.  We are clear to go.  We will put the bilge pumps in the bilge in the morning and be on our way.  And the Indonesian government wonders why cruisers avoid Indonesia when possible.  Maybe if they read my blog and others of horror stories trying to leave the country they might understand.  8 AM to after 6 PM to get the necessary papers and that was with Luc pushing them.  We could easily have spent 2 or more days trying to check out.