NOW PLAYING: WHEN I'M 64, by Paul McCartney

DIVE THE FLORES SEA, INDONESIA with NEAL SKRENES & FLYING DIVERS 16 MAY-5 JUNE 2016
(Why I get confused sometimes on exactly WHERE and WITH WHOM he is going . . . so many plans, so many changes; I can't keep up with 'em all, especially as I'm in Florida, while plans are being made in Wisconsin.) It all began a year ago . . . 16 JUNE 2015: What I want to schedule for 2016 The Indonesia trip is with Flying Divers (May group mostly - a few different individuals). Then maybe Matt Savatski (roomie from Odyssey trip 1) will meet me in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, or (wherever I decide to go out there). 23 APRIL 2016 I will pretty much be incommunicado from 16 May - 17 June. (Now leaving a day earlier due to airline flight change). I don't know if I'll even be able to bring my laptop! Carryon luggage restrictions are ONE 11-pound carryon. My laptop alone weighs six pounds. I usually have a 27-pound roller PLUS my CPAP, laptop and batteries. I must carry on my CPAP and dive mask - dive computer, too. I'm looking at (just found out) somewhere around 1,500.00$ in CASH overweight charges if I take two 50-pound suitcases (I'm not sure I can manage only one 50-pound bag). 2 MAY: OUR ITINERARY 16-17 MAY: China Eastern Airlines flight from Chicago O'Hare to Shanghai; arrive 7:10 a.m. 17 MAY; overnight in Shanghai 18 MAY: China Eastern Airlines from Shanghai to Denpasar, Bali; arrive 12:05 a.m. 19 MAY 19 MAY: 2:40 a.m. to Mercure Sanur 20 MAY: Garuda Indonesia Flight departing 7:20 a.m. for Labuan Bajo, Indonesia; arrive 8:55 a.m. 20-30 MAY: Komodo Dancer liveaboard 30 MAY: Transfer from Benoa Harbor to Anumana Ubud 30 MAY-2 JUNE: Three nights at Anumana Ubud - Superior Lagoon Access Anumana Ubud Hotel located just few metres from Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud, 15-minute walk to Ubud Center 2 JUNE: Transfer from Anumana Ubud to Kuta Paradiso Hotel 2-4 JUNE: Kuta Paradiso Hotel (Deluxe Pool view Room) Jalan Kartika Plaza, Tuban, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali, Indonesia 4-15 JUNE: Dewi Nusantara liveaboard 15 JUNE: Transfer from airport to Bali Rani - Deluxe Room and evening transfer to airport 16 JUNE: China Eastern Airlines departing 1:05 a.m.; arrive Shanghai 7:15 a.m. China Eastern Airlines departing 11:40 a.m. to Chicago O'Hare A year of planning, and then, finally . . . Neal's system: Panel was Armed Away at 10:26 am on Monday, May 16, 2016 Heidi, my friend and driver . . . 16 MAY, 12:43 PM: ON MY WAY 12:45 p.m.: LINE AT CHECK-IN 1:24 p.m.: Standing in TSA line now Chicago O'Hare has no TSA pre-check line! Took 30 minutes to get to the counter, and 30 more for ticket! 2:28 p.m.: In the gate area Standing in TSA line. Took about an hour. Got some Chinese currency. They had no Indonesian on hand.
	2:29 p.m.: Selfie . . . . . . of me and my bags
2:33 p.m.: The gate area Terminal 5. We're scheduled to begin boarding at 3:10 3:22 p.m.: Boarding now
3:35 p.m.: My seat 31 H. Aisle right behind first class. Near exit and restrooms.	First class The first class seats convert to beds
17 May [Neal turns 64!], 7:40 a.m. (Florida time): I'm in Shanghai Fourteen-hour plane ride, an hour from landing to getting bags (that's pretty good). Now waiting for hotel and meals vouchers, also transportation. The tight spot is the first leg in Bali, where I land at midnight and need to be back at the airport by 3:30. I have a room, but if it's a long ride there and back, it may make more sense to just sit at the airport, unless it closes. It is 7:30 p.m. here now, but for my body it is 6:30 a.m.! 10:16 a.m.: It's after 10 p.m. here; I'm going to close my eyes and try get some sleep for a while. I had to wait over an hour and a half to get arrangements to go to the hotel. I think the were waiting for another passenger to go to the same hotel as I am because suddenly there were two of us, and bada bing bada boom away we went. It all worked out well, though, because she was a young Asian woman who spoke Chinese and that helped immensely; she was helpful, but seemed upset in the van. I don't know if it was over a missed flight or other issues. She said that she had been in New York and was going home to China during a break. Breakfast starts down here at 7 a.m. and I'm going to the airport at 1 p.m.; that should give me plenty of time to allow for traffic and lines at the terminal.
FaceBook Birthday card sent to Neal by his nephew & niece-in-law, Noah & Holly . . .

MAPS ON PLANES HERE