Trans Sumatra

And so to the other semi-mythical story of my travels.  The way I remember it is that I realised that I had a too limited amount of time, now, to reach Jakarta in time to meet E.  The very practicalities of travelling were a little alien to me after these two weeks on Samui.  The chaotic unpredictability of minibuses, boats and buses was an unpleasant realisation to say the least.

Penang had mixed reports to say the least and a cramped minibus of a mixed bag of individuals arrived in this outpost and all concerned suddenly realised that they were in Malaysia now.  It didn't make much of an impact to say the least.  But I don't think I really wanted it to.  My only real memory of this spot was of an enormous cockroach coming out of the overflow in the sink in my room and needing to be scooped up into a newspaper and thrown out of the window.  I'd only seen its tentacles pointing out and thought that a burst of Lynx deodorant would real with it - said burst actually enticed it out rather than sent it packing!

And so to Medan.  And into a different country again.  Our arrival bus was swarmed by rickshaw wallahs - it was like being back in India - the shouting, hawking and deal-doing.  After getting momentary settled, I was overcome with 'advice' from travellers and locals alike about how to get to Jakarta.  I was worried how.  Boat vs Bus vs Plane were debated at length and I plumped for the bus only to be taken around town umpteen times by an increasingly irritating individual who wanted to get me on the right VIP bus, in the right place at the right time.  It seems I was to pay for him and his friends journeys around town and their return journey too!

And so a long 2-3 days of leaky-roofed bus travel began.  My notes use the word 'unbearable' quite a lot.  The bus was packed, the heat intense, the next seat constantly occupied - sometimes by people, sometimes by a box with a chicken in it.  The 'bus boys' thought I was bearing my lot calmly - they thought I must have been on something.  I'd wrap my head in the curtain to protect it from leaks and to use it as a pillow.  The stops involved inedible food and vomit-inducing lavatories.  The 'company' almost always insisted on resting their hand on my knee.  Although my mental state was calm - indeed my head was empty - I do remember letting out a hefty 'sigh' when I realised we had made to little progress.  Oh - and I think it was here that we crossed the equator too.

I arrived in Jakarta battered and bruised - hungover without the fun.  And it wasn't too bad - modern (I did, indeed, have a Burger King) but interestingly cultured - I went to the Museums and the Parks and realised that I was on time - by about three days.  So it was time to explore.  So I headed to Bogor.