After-Action Report

The last few days were spent battling an acute gastroenteritis that manifested itself on the early morning of the 15th, obviously when my return flight was scheduled. I was unable to keep anything in my stomach for more than half a hour or so (and it went either up or down, if you get what I mean) but had barely the energy to move from bed to toilet and back. Taking the plane that night was pretty much out of the question.

A doctor recognized it as gastroenteritis and gave me antiemetics and antibiotics, but on the morning of the following day the situation was only little better. It took a shock antiemetic therapy to calm my stomach down enough to swallow more or less a shovelful of antibiotic tablets per day, and a few other pills. The situation improved rather quickly (apart from the heartburn), and on the 20th I was able to travel again; this time, with the magnificent Singapore Airlines - if it's not the best airline in the world, it must be among the top 3. But those airline ticket thingies do not come for free, rest assured.

Things I learnt in and around Jakarta: changing the timing belt of an old Opel car is one hell of a job; yes, you can lose 2 kilos in 3 days; air conditioning is a blessing upon humanity; Indonesians like Italian soccer; I could get used to living in a very nice apartment complex; a travel insurance is no guarantee of having your ass covered; I should be able to cook a decent sweet & sour sauce myself. And other miscellaneous stuff.

Today is once again the Winter Solstice - it doesn't make a difference in the Tropics, but above my homeland of Italy, it does. Yet now the days can only get longer.