Took our self-prepared visa extensions in to the Immigration Office today and they were accepted as is with a kind request that I get Katrinka to sign hers next time.
Then trusty driver Nyoman and I dropped by the organic Indian store where the owner, Depak, asked if I'd train someone to make the sesame salt I'd given him as a sample. Driver Ketut's wife needs work. Spent a couple of hours going to aluminum shops to see if I could get the missing piece for the kayak oar made - a ten or so inch tube segment to join one paddle to the center piece. It was missing I explained, not wanting to admit I'd thrown it in the recycling having forgotten what it was. No one had the right size tube. Finally we gave up and drove more through the short shop streets of Denpasar to a boat equipment place - no boats, nothing displayed nicely - some outboard motors, boxes stacked, sort of junky. They had one canoe oar that was too long and heavy and didn't come apart anyway. Looked in a catalog with the Chinese woman who ran the place. She could order something like what I wanted from Thailand - or was it Taiwan? She'd look further. She asked for my number. Nyoman walked up with a stainless steel tube. I tried it - almost but too big, a loose fit with the orphaned paddle. I gave her Nyoman's number cause the Indonesian would likely be too difficult for me if she called with a suggestion. On the way out Nyoman was talking to a worker, snooping around as they chatted, looking into piles of this and that. Picked up a piece of grey PVC pipe. Brought it over. I stuck the paddle male end in it. Snug fit. Perfect. We figured out how long it should be. Worker marked it. The holes on each end would have to be perfect I pointed out for the recedable knobs that stick out to snap into place just right to hold the paddle tight. He agreed. The woman said they'd have it ready tomorrow. Wanted to be paid first. 25,000 rupees - a little less than $2 these days. "Ajaib ajaib" I said as Nyoman drove off - miraculous - miraculous thanks to his snooping. Nyoman dropped me off short of the place to meet Katrinka so I could walk with a group of Hari Krishnas. I gave him 250k - about five bucks an hour to drive me around all afternoon, wait, help out, and solve the unsolvable. He was pleased - a major haul. I chanted down the street behind the group with Ukrainians and Russians and Indonesian men in orange and spinning Bali women in colorful sari, a trumpet and harmonium - Feliniesque. Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Hare Rama! Hare Rama!
Then trusty driver Nyoman and I dropped by the organic Indian store where the owner, Depak, asked if I'd train someone to make the sesame salt I'd given him as a sample. Driver Ketut's wife needs work. Spent a couple of hours going to aluminum shops to see if I could get the missing piece for the kayak oar made - a ten or so inch tube segment to join one paddle to the center piece. It was missing I explained, not wanting to admit I'd thrown it in the recycling having forgotten what it was. No one had the right size tube. Finally we gave up and drove more through the short shop streets of Denpasar to a boat equipment place - no boats, nothing displayed nicely - some outboard motors, boxes stacked, sort of junky. They had one canoe oar that was too long and heavy and didn't come apart anyway. Looked in a catalog with the Chinese woman who ran the place. She could order something like what I wanted from Thailand - or was it Taiwan? She'd look further. She asked for my number. Nyoman walked up with a stainless steel tube. I tried it - almost but too big, a loose fit with the orphaned paddle. I gave her Nyoman's number cause the Indonesian would likely be too difficult for me if she called with a suggestion. On the way out Nyoman was talking to a worker, snooping around as they chatted, looking into piles of this and that. Picked up a piece of grey PVC pipe. Brought it over. I stuck the paddle male end in it. Snug fit. Perfect. We figured out how long it should be. Worker marked it. The holes on each end would have to be perfect I pointed out for the recedable knobs that stick out to snap into place just right to hold the paddle tight. He agreed. The woman said they'd have it ready tomorrow. Wanted to be paid first. 25,000 rupees - a little less than $2 these days. "Ajaib ajaib" I said as Nyoman drove off - miraculous - miraculous thanks to his snooping. Nyoman dropped me off short of the place to meet Katrinka so I could walk with a group of Hari Krishnas. I gave him 250k - about five bucks an hour to drive me around all afternoon, wait, help out, and solve the unsolvable. He was pleased - a major haul. I chanted down the street behind the group with Ukrainians and Russians and Indonesian men in orange and spinning Bali women in colorful sari, a trumpet and harmonium - Feliniesque. Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Hare Rama! Hare Rama!
