Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Bored in Johor Bahru

I have got to stop being so overly cautious! I always figure out travel times and then add an hour or two for a "just in case" buffer. Yesterday the guy at the tourist information center in Singapore said there would be massive amounts of traffic crossing the border (because it is National Day) and that I needed to leave a ton of extra time. He also said the first bus left at 6am but if I missed my flight to do A, B and C. Well, as soon as he started talking about missing my flight, I started to panic (I really want to be in Bali tonight!) So, up at the crack on dawn, I took the bus to Johor Bahru. Not a smidge of traffic. None.

Maybe it's a good thing I was early, because I realized the bus was heading to a different stop that I have used in the past. It's nice to not be worried even when you have no idea where you're going (I knew I had plenty of time to get a taxi or a bus back if I ended up on the wrong side of town). As it was, I arrived in a bus terminal and waited patiently for another one to turn up that said the airport. It took awhile, but I still made it to the airport FIVE hours before my flight. Yikes.

Johor Bahru's airport has improved since last year: a new coffee shop and a bathroom with nifty sinks and a fountain. Still, it's quite basic and really lacks amenities to keep me entertained for five hours. Thankfully, internet is cheap and I've gotten right into my On Beauty novel. Only three more hours to go!

Posted by Kathleen @ 11:08 AM