so after three months of traveling around Java
from Jakarta to Jember
we are finally getting out of Java
today, we're going to Ambon, finally, let's do it
Ambon
that was so easy today, there was no verification of negative pcr tests or antigen tests or
they didn't even check my vaccine status, i mean I'm vaccinated but
they didn't even ask for it
dang it, i got a middle seat
maybe i can move
all right so we just landed in Makassar which is a little unexpected
my email says I have the direct flight from Surabaya to Ambon
my boarding pass that they gave me says Surabaya to Ambon, but we're in Makassar so
surely they wouldn't have let me on the wrong flight would they? let's go uh see what the deal is
thank you
alrighty, welcome to Makassar not staying here
maybe next time but I guess that's how they do it here, you got to go through security again they
already had everybody's boarding pass laid out for anyone who is transiting and so real easy, real easy
let's see some of the cool things you can do in Makassar
you can take a canoe ride in the middle of this beautiful lake surrounded by mountains
you can go snorkeling
you can check out some caves
probably some beautiful islands that you can go see some waterfalls
I'll have to come back to Makassar what do you think? yeah we're already boarding
my layover was just not even 30 minutes so
it's time to get back on the plane and head to Ambon, let's go
Ambon, i'm coming
all right so they've taken us all the way to the edge of the tarmac
(awkward small talk with the flight attendant) what's your number? 15E
in the middle?
is it a full flight?
it is a full flight? pardon?
is it all full today? yeah. it is? yeah okay thank you
(it actually wasn't a full flight and I was able to move to a window)
Welcome to the jungle, is what it looks like, a lot of mountainous jungle and rainforests
i saw one couple from Holland
and he said to me he wants to come to Banda next week
to Banda Neira?
the first person I meet off the plane is from Banda Neira
that's exactly where i want to go. i want to go to Banda Neira. oh yeah? eventually maybe next week
no thank you. yeah let me get your... do you have a hotel there? yes
how hard is it to go there from ambon? what do i have to do
the option by air flight every Monday and Friday, 7:30. oh so you can fly? yes yes
you can fly from here? from here but you have to arrange maybe one, two weeks before
because the company is commercial but a subsidy and they're very limited seats
so i will walk with them
now there's something there today they're stopping in Banda and stay with me
and then there's a flight today actually. oh okay i'm not going today.
yeah but tonight there is a Pelni boat.
how often does the ferryboat go? every week once a week
once a week? yeah. this is ferry boat, called Pelni
Can I get your WhatsApp number? yeah
we gotta figure this out so maybe I can stay like one week in Ambon and then we'll go to Banda Neira next week
but if you don't have any activity here let's join with me tonight.
i already booked my hotel. I want to see Ambon first. okay Ambon is also nice
I want to see Ambon and do that
so maybe next week. you gonna be there next week? yes okay
all righty so hopefully that's a sign of good things to come here,
meeting somebody like uh his name's Abba
who lives in Banda Neira and maybe can work things out for me
and we can head that way but i've booked the hotel for six nights here
just said you know let's do six nights go from there
see if we can see as much of the ambon as possible and then
try to figure out how to get to Banda Neira. see how it goes
alrighty let's see how this goes.
i already checked Gojet to see what a price would be from here to my hotel.
it's not a very far journey and the price was 144 000.
and i can already see the taxi people taxi drivers lined up check them out they're already looking at it hello
scooter? no scooter
there are a lot of people here
125? that may be a good deal. yeah i am a taxi driver. for RumaRuma (Farvet Residence) hotel. how much? 100?
150? i'm looking at uh here 144 right now 144.
how much uh 150. all right sure why not it's only 6 000 more than here
okay you know? okay yeah yeah you stay yeah okay
let's see if we can
we'll take a local taxi, see how that goes
there are a ton of drivers here
thank you
made it to my hotel and uh tell you what man this country is always throwing curve balls at you
and always testing you
we uh on the way back on the way here we were on the road maybe five minutes
we're just talking to each other to chit-chatting and he goes, "where are you from" I said, I'm from texas
and that split second that i said i'm from texas for whatever reason
he like, he raised his hands and he said something and he looked in the rearview mirror and
there was a car parked on the side of the road, in that split second a dog walked out in front of the
and uh
we plowed right through it
didn't stand a chance
damn damn
i mean i didn't even look back i knew
that that dog did not stand a chance (of surviving)
anyways, I'm at my hotel and let's go check-in
i think i picked a good place, all the reviews online were good, 5 out of five
i think it's pretty new. yeah okay
on the corner
all right
not too shabby nice and clean, you can tell it's semi-new awesome yes
okay well i'm here and uh i'm gonna chill out for a little bit and uh just maybe relax and uh
watch some NBA highlights, the playoffs because I missed the game this morning and uh yeah try to just uh
recuperate a little bit and uh
and then we'll get out and maybe go get some food, but dang, hey that ain't bad look at that view wow
this is a fun little hotel isn't it? i like the color the artwork on the walls
it's a fun little place okay so we're just gonna go downstairs look at their menu
and uh get a bite to eat here
see what they have cooking up in the kitchen
hello, do you have a menu? is it open? can i see that menu
coffee....
actually I'm hungry, I want to eat something
all right so i just went with some classic mie goreng (fried noodles)
uh chicken with some egg, yeah i just need to get something in my belly
because i haven't really eaten anything all day so
uh yeah this would be my, i had some bread this morning before i took off but that's it
damn that's good that egg is good
so yeah i am excited to be in Ambon kind of the reason i came here
is because there's just so much history, here in Ambon, and the spice islands and in this part of Indonesia
that in a lot of ways nowadays it just kind of gets overlooked and kind of forgotten in a way so
there's so much history with the spice trade and the dutch coming over here and the English
and starting off with the Portuguese and there are forts all around here that i want to go check out
there's the tragic story about the Australian army that was sent here to fight off the Japanese
that were defeated within like a day and had to suffer three years of harsh, you know their POWs
you know harsh treatment
and so there are some war memorials and that kind of stuff around here that i want to want to check out
and talk about in these next upcoming video so but for today
i think i'm just going to enjoy this meal, enjoy my coffee i'm working on a video
and hopefully get gonna get that up later so
but yeah man you know you're excited to be here
you're you know you're just chit-chatting with your driver and then in a split second
the worst that you can imagine happens again like i said it happened so quick it happened
i mean the second that he put his hands up looked at me for that split second
a dog came and walked out and didn't have a chance
and like i said it wasn't like we clipped it it wasn't like
uh hit it hit it head-on you know and sorry if i share some of this in the vlog
and you don't want to hear it but you know i can't act all cheery and happy when [ __ ] like that happens you know
and obviously, me talking about it earlier I got a little emotional about it and
never hit an animal before and especially in that manner, like we just f'n plowed it man
the sound of the dog and
the the sound of the impact you know something i don't think i'll ever forget so
anyways
okay thank you for watching and yeah more videos from Ambon to come peace
all right one last thing before I go.
i've just been sitting here replaying what happened over and over again
and watching the traffic and noticing that there are a lot of Angkots here in Ambon.
those right there, lime green, kind of ugly green-looking vans
but i just want to say one last thing
you know,
if it's not obvious i love dogs i grew up with dogs
and a lot of times when you have a dog they become part of the family
so i think that's kind of what got me so upset earlier
but i don't know this dog story but i know it probably had a home and
tonight you know a family probably lost a dog and i just want to give my condolences
and say i'm sorry to the family tonight so
okay i'll be all right i'll be alright
this place is probably like man every time this guy
talks into the camera he starts crying this guy is weird
i'm not that weird, i promise, i promise
anyways okay, no more about this, we're gonna do some other stuff tomorrow