Tag 69 - freed

08.07.19

Day of the driver's license decision - we wake up early to be at the police station as early as possible. We manage to be at the Polresta Denpasar (police station) around 08:00 am, park our scooter in the courtyard and go directly to the patrol. A cleaning staff member says that the office is not open yet and no one is there - 'this can't be true!', I think.

However, the annoyance only lasts for a short while, as a friendly-looking woman joins us a few seconds later and confidently takes the blue slip from us, then she asks us to follow her into the office. She puts on her uniform at the desk and immediately starts working on our request. After we mention that the police still have our driver's license, she promptly calls a responsible officer and tells us that he will be here in one to two hours with our driver's license. Compared to the energy and time we have invested in the problem so far, one hour is of course nothing. We arrange to meet again at 09:00 am, leave the police headquarters and have an early morning ice cream and buy some small things.

We stroll around the courtyard for the rest of the waiting time, waiting for a traffic police officer who has files with him. Exactly one of them parks his motorcycle at 09:15 am and goes into the office - we follow him. As soon as we enter the office, the normally quite relaxed policeman waves us over to his desk. He frees my driver's license from an envelope, opens another fine catalog and points out the fine of 1,000,000 Rupiah (approx. 65€). Since we have thoroughly informed ourselves in advance and know that if you have an International Driver's License, but don't have it with you at the moment of the control, but can show it later, you only have to pay 250,000 Rupiah (16€), we once again point out our International Driver's License with emphasis. Immediately the man says: 'Well, 300,000'. We don't want to discuss another 50,000 now, hand over the money, shake hands with the gentleman and leave, including the driver's license, the police station - finally!

We drive back, buy something for breakfast and then take care of some things in our accommodation. Since my rib pain has not improved yet, we decide not to go surfing today and instead just go to the beach to lie in the sun for a while. We watch some children as they fly self-made kites.

Before sunset we start our way back home - we planned to try out a burger place today, which was recommended to us by Lucy and Ian. The problem is that the restaurant is closed today - we only realize this when we are standing in front of it. As an alternative, we get a plate of rice topped with various culinary things. Again, we order something without knowing what it is. we get baked potatoes, fried vegetables, and tofu (by the way, the best tofu I have ever eaten). We also get a chicken leg a few meters away. After we have eaten our surprise, Lucy joins us and we spend the rest of the evening playing Rikiki.

- Alex