One final comment for the day

As it turns out, the manager at the hotel had forgotten that I need a taxi service tomorrow, so thank god I reminded him.  But that's only where the fun begins.

Now, I understand that "there's a different pace here" and "you can't be in a hurry" and "if you're on-time you're actually an hour early" etc., but why is it to much to ask for just to get some up-front information about the situation? Don't tell me the bus will leave in 5 minutes when you know it will leave in 20, drive a mile, then sit for another 20 minutes. Don't show me a picture of one bus then push me into the tiny smoking section of another bus since mine 'has problem'.  Don't 'forget' to tell me that there actually isn't a boat to Iboih so we'll have to walk and that the taxi taking me, my 70 liter pack and regular backpack to the port that is a 40-minute ride over the hills of the island is, in fact, a motorbike driven by your friend from the village.  Just be honest with me and tell me in advance so that I can be prepared; 9 times out of 10 I'll be cool with it, I just don't like the dishonesty used to get my business. And it just makes me angrier that I can't do anything about it. Don't like the arrangement? Too bad, you already paid. Police? Don't speak English, don't care. You're going to write Lonely Planet? So maybe in the edition 2 years from now they leave out one adjective in their description.

I hate feeling this helpless. And used. And worked over.

Damn it.