lacasadeikuchijima-admin I returned to Japan in early September! After spending about ten days in Kyoto, I came back to Ikuchijima.
The last two or three weeks I stayed in Bali were in the Kuta area — the very essence of Bali, close to the ocean and with beaches that were always full of people.
We had been enjoying a laid-back Bali lifestyle — visiting cafes, going shopping, and relaxing on the beach — when things suddenly took a turn for the worse.
My conjunctivitis got worse, which led to a corneal infection, resulting in sleepless nights and eventually a high fever…
The day before the fever spiked, we had visited a very popular massage place where the air conditioning was freezing. At first, I thought I had just caught a cold.
However, the fever wouldn’t go down at all, and the muscle and joint pain became severe. I started to suspect it might be the flu. I was planning to visit an international hospital to get tested for COVID-19 and influenza, but the doctor suggested, “Just to be sure, let’s also test for dengue fever.”
And to my surprise… the result came back positive.
During the consultation before the test, the doctor mentioned things like, “Bali has a high number of dengue cases” and “If it turns out to be dengue…”. It felt as though he was already assuming it was dengue even before the test. Honestly, it seemed like he was about 80–90% sure before confirming it.
In the end, I ended up with a fever reaching the high 39°C range for about a week (and fever reducers hardly worked during this time). On top of that, I had severe muscle and joint pain, a sore throat, nausea, stomach pain… and an overwhelming sense of fatigue throughout my entire body.
The first few days were especially tough — the muscle and joint pain was so severe that I could hardly sleep. I later found out that dengue fever is sometimes called “breakbone fever” because of this intense pain.
Even having experienced the flu several times, as well as COVID and even altitude sickness, this was by far the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced.
On top of that, my platelet count dropped significantly during the infection, which meant I had to get blood tests every single day until I returned to Japan.
The reason? If platelet levels fall too low, it can develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever, where bleeding occurs throughout the body. Scary stuff…💦
Mosquitoes are seriously terrifying. I once read somewhere that they’re considered the most dangerous creatures on earth — and honestly, that’s no joke. Dengue fever and malaria are the real deal. Everyone, please be careful.
When infected with dengue, platelet counts typically drop to around 50,000–100,000 (normal levels are roughly 150,000–300,000) before they start increasing again. In my case, the day before my flight to Singapore, my count had dropped to 80,000. The doctor told me flying was dangerous and advised me to cancel my trip and get admitted to the hospital.
However, since my visa was expiring just a few days later — and because I couldn’t get a clear explanation of why flying was so risky (I assume it’s due to changes in air pressure and the risk of uncontrolled bleeding if I got even a minor cut) — I decided to stick with my original plan and take the flight as scheduled.✈
In the end, I was able to return to Japan safely, and I’ve had two blood tests here so far. Yesterday, I got the results from the second test — my platelet count has recovered to 270,000, so the doctor said things should be okay for now!
However, my liver enzymes (AST, ALT) were about 10 times the normal range, and my pancreatic enzyme (amylase) levels were also abnormal. When I asked the doctor, they said this was likely still an effect of dengue fever. Honestly, dengue is terrifying.
I also did some research myself and found that even after the fever goes down, it’s common for organ-related numbers to stay abnormal for about a month — which is what makes dengue so scary. I’ll need to keep an eye on these values for at least a month, and I plan to do another blood test in about a month’s time.
I had plans to visit Bali again next year, but since getting dengue a second time is even more dangerous and increases the risk of death, I’ve completely lost the desire to visit any countries or regions where dengue is common — at least for the foreseeable future.
To make matters worse, the hospital visits over those few days in Bali cost me around ¥100,000 (roughly $650).
Just earlier, I called my credit card company to check if the complimentary insurance would cover this, and…
「Overseas Travel Accident Insurance Coverage Conditions
Your trip will be covered from the point when any of the following conditions (1–3) are met:
- Before leaving Japan, you paid with the eligible credit card for the fare of a common carrier (※1) such as an airplane, train, ship, taxi, or bus as a passenger.
- Before leaving Japan, you paid with the eligible credit card for a package tour (※2) that includes accommodation.
- After leaving Japan, you paid with the eligible credit card for the fare of a common carrier (※1) for the first time as a passenger.
※1: In Japan, this refers to vehicles operated under the Aviation Act, Railway Business Act, Maritime Transportation Act, and Road Transportation Act, such as airplanes, trains, ships, buses, and taxis. Overseas, it refers to equivalent means of transportation, only when used for the relevant trip.
Regarding condition #3, I thought I would qualify since in Bali I used a private taxi (with a pre-agreed fare with the driver) and Grab. But when I checked, they told me:
- Grab in Indonesia does NOT count as a “common carrier.”
- Private taxis don’t count either — only metered taxis qualify!
…Excuse me, what??? I’ve never even seen a metered taxi in Bali! And why on earth isn’t Grab accepted in Indonesia? Seriously, if that’s the case, they should clearly state “only metered taxis are eligible.”
At this point, though, it’s too late… I’ll just have to accept the fate of paying off my credit card bill. Goodbye reimbursement, hello repayment festival…🔥 I guess I should’ve done a better job double-checking all this beforehand… lesson learned. Still, I can’t help feeling frustrated — but it’s time to let it go and move on.🔥🔥
I’ll be reopening my guesthouse on September 16, so right now I’m busy giving La Casa a deep clean. After being away for two and a half months, the garden and entrance have been completely taken over by bugs and weeds…
Before leaving Japan, I had actually called the power company to let them know I’d be away for two and a half months and wouldn’t be able to make payments. They agreed I could settle everything after coming back. But for some reason, the electricity still got cut off in early September. The fridge was a total disaster… the smell was unbearable. When I called the company, all they said was, “Sorry, but we can’t handle individual cases like that.”
I couldn’t help thinking, Well then, at least tell me ahead of time that the power would be cut after two months! Honestly, it feels like this year just isn’t on my side. ( ﾉД`)…
It’s been one misfortune after another, and even shifting my mindset has been tough—but I’m hanging in there.