Back in civilisation
There was some commotion as I stirred in the morning. We were preparing for arrival. I got up, walked around a little and we pulled into Gorontalo’s port around 0540. It felt like we were back in civilisation on mainland Sulawesi. With a 1h delay at departure, I had expected us to arrive around 0700. It was daylight already.
Disembarking, our first priority was to check on the availability of a whaleshark trip. Local touts said none were currently available so I continued to the Amaris Hotel sharing a bentor (tuktuk) with Reinhart and Maria; they were seated in the front cab while I was pillion bitch. They were destined for the New Melati Hotel not far from the Amaris, where it was supposedly a pleasant place to kill the day with Marco and Barbara (in a separate bentor) before their evening flight to Manado.
At around 0630, it was too early for me to get a room. I killed some time on my phone catching up with emails, messages etc. The buffet breakfast was OK but I wasn’t ready for it so I went for a wander to the New Melati Hotel to see the others.
I found their hotel beside a padang (field) where youth were doing exercises led by the military. At their hotel, we chatted in their pleasant garden courtyard. The half-Dutch owner Alex helped Marco with information of old Gorontalo. As it turned out, the old Melati Hotel featured in one of Marco’s photos and it was only a few doors away but now rather unrecognisable. Alex and another staff member also looked at Marco’s grandparents’ old home and tried to guess where it might be (even though Marco already thought he had found it).
I had breakfast at the New Melati at half the price of the Amaris’ buffet (for a lesser selection though still adequate) before leaving them. We didn’t say proper goodbyes as I had offered them the use of my shower and toilet if I managed to get a room early enough.
Back at the Amaris around 1000 I wasn’t able to get a room still so headed to Citimall Gorontalo across the road. I wandered around, bought some toiletries and had lunch at 1200. Fortunately I was able to get a room thereafter at 1245.
I had my long-awaited shower and brushed my teeth before relaxing air-conditioned comfort for the rest of the afternoon … and on the internet. Oh AC and internet, how much I missed you!
Ear infection
My right ear seems to have developed a problem. I thought it was a pimple at the opening of the auditory canal but googling it, it seems to be an outer ear infection (not outside but the outermost part of the canal). The outer ear area is sensitive to touch and there was slight pain when chewing or yawning.
It is also called Swimmer’s Ear and can result from swimming in dirty water or having been in damp conditions (aggravated with broken skin in the area). I recall having a pimple in my outer ear last week that healed itself (so I thought) but swimming in the water of the jellyfish lake probably brought it on.
Normal treatment is eardrops but I had good antibiotic cream which I applied with the aid of cottonbuds purchased in the mall (taking care not to go beyond just the opening). As it turned out it largely resolved itself within a day but it was several days before it disappeared completely.
In the evening
I had dinner at the shops outside the mall. There was a gorgeous Alaskan Malamute tied up outside my resto. To my surprise many Muslim girls and women were patting the dog! It wouldn’t have happened in Malaysia where people are more aware of religious-aware. In their religion, dogs and pigs are unclean.
I retired at 2100 for a very good sleep.
