Thankfully Marooned

 It has recently been announced that Bali is now open to 18 countries for tourism rather than the six originally announced. Nonetheless, the restrictions remain daunting, to my way of thinking anyway. Tourists must come from a country with a positivity rate less than 5 percent, present a negative PCR test taken not longer than 72 hours prior to departure, provide proof of a completed COVID vaccination, must have health insurance with a coverage of at least $100,000, provide proof of payment for accommodation during their stay in Indonesia, quarantine for 4 nights/5 days at a pre-booked hotel, and must undergo two PCR tests, one on arrival and one on day four. 

Other than that, have fun!  

I read just now in the Sanur Weekly that visitors are also required to install and use the PeduliLindungi tracking app while in Indonesia--although I sure don't know how they're going to do that, because you can't get the app without having an NIK number (Indonesian identity). So ... whatever.

I do hear, though, that some 3000 tourists departed from Sanur's Matahari Terbit beach yesterday on tour boats bound for the island of Nusa Penida, so things seem to be looking up. Bali bangkit! they say. Bali is arising again. 

Oh, speaking of rising, there was an earthquake the other night. I woke up to the bed rocking mildly back and forth. In a distant province, as I read next day on Facebook, a house collapsed and a family was killed. 

And now for the good news. I discovered earlier this week that I will not need to leave Indonesia this year in order to renew my foreign resident permit (without which, of course, I cannot live here). According to normal rules, I would need to leave the country every five years, if only for a day. This rule, however, has been temporarily suspended (and quite reasonably so) in the presence of COVID and all the associated difficulties of both leaving this country and entering any other country. So hurrah! Likely I will have to face the usual rule next year, one year late, but for now I'm relieved. 

And who knows, I might not even be alive next year to worry about it. Not feeling well lately. Very fatigued, and there's some kind of pain in my right side, just under my ribs. Wonder what the heck that could be? Actually, I've had this before and it has gone away eventually, so I'll hope for the same outcome this time around.