Surfacing in Sumatra jungle

Listening to the birds and laughing children from my perch in Lek Jon Cottages looking out of the lake. Mountains ring the mainland on the other side of the water and clouds linger. Smoky and ethereal, morning and evening mist wafts through the trees. Yes, it is very peaceful here!

Very different world from where I woke yesterday morning. Up before 6:00 in the jungle, it was dark outside. There, the mist drifts through the mountains all day long. I packed and went up to the road to catch my first ride of the day. Darkness lightener, treet rattled behind and I stood watching a group of Short Tailed Macaws swing and crawl through the trees. Even at that hour, the humidity was thick.
No schedules for transportation there, you wait and get on what you see. Most are pickups converted to transport with an occasional (rare) van tossed in. Children need to travel to Kutacane (pronounced Kuta CHa ne) for school so the transport starts early. After 20 minutes, one arrives. I load my pack and day pack and crawl under the shelter stooping since there is no space to sit up!

Honking and honking, the truck slowly proceeds down the road stopping where the driver knows children wait or where they stand waiting. Once the truck was full (my interpretation), the driver continues to pull over for more passengers (sardines without the oil).

This first transport of the day is a pickup like a small Datsun, fitted with a custom made cover about cab height and with open sides and front. Benches were built on wheel wells on both sides.  More and more passengers are packed in, girls sitting on the laps of girls sitting on the laps of girls. Part of the space taken up by the huge speaker behind the cab (two foot wide, 2 1/2 feet high and at least a foot deep)  with me shoved into the space on one side of it.  Fortunately the speaker wasn’t working properly or I’d still be trying to recover my hearing. Loud “thumpa thumps” music seems to be required to provide transport here.

By now, my little space is shared with seventeen of us, packed tightly and with 5 boys hanging off the bumper.

They dropped me in town and Johan had told me to go to the stop light and keep walking.   Yes, only one stop light, a landmark for sure. Two people asked me where I was going and pointed ahead.  I saw the medium sized bus, I bought a ticket, got on and off we went.

No kamikaze driver this time, more school zone driver:  don’t drive over 25 mph.  The slow drive so I got to see the country side and also a premonition for how the day would flow.  The drivers friend need a toilet so we stopped by the side of the road and he stepped out to pee.  The driver saw a friend so we stopped on the road so he could give his friend a cigarette and chat.  His friend had a huge dragon shaped party blower whistle and looked like he might be drunk a bit from last night.  A short while alter, a woman called.  We stopped to pick up a pink bag she wanted delivered somewhere.
Very flowing day as I literally felt handed off from one form of transport to another.  Otherwise, I may not have made it in one day. Johan wrote a map of the towns I’d visit.  If I caught the first bus which want all the way to Sidikalang , I would have a long day but be OK.

If I missed it, I’d have to improvise and go one of two ways hoping to catch a bus from one village to the next, hoping for connections and eventually I would arrive. Eventually!  Since I knew the name of the next stop, I always asked to confirm it was the right bus and let them know where I was headed. I also could show them in writing since a little mispronunciation error yielded total confusion! Of course this was immediately followed by asking how much the ticket was to avoid being overcharged on arrival. Getting clear first is crucial!

The drivers were extremely helpful getting me where I needed to go for the next bus.  Everyone on the bus in fact!  “Meestar, Meestar”, followed by much excited pointing and I knew my next ride had arrived.

Eventually, hours later, we stopped for “eating” (accompanied by lots of motions of hand to mouth). It was some sort of police check point that I think was the boundary for Aceh. That was the first leg of the journey.  About 20 minutes later a mini-van pulled in, pointing and excitement followed and I moved my things before the van set off toward my next stopping point.

Views from the mini-bus with accompanying reflections were an interesting view into the life of local villagers.  Lots of litter and debris everywhere, trash tossed out the window of every moving vehicle, lots of people sitting around on porches just sitting, no language skills on my part or an opportunity to ask but wondering what they think about sitting there much of the days?  Many yards with either concrete pad or blue tarp layered with nuts, beans, corn or some coffee drying, ladies with long handled wooden rake like tools rotating and turning the crops.  Lots of mud and dust, also lots of green and flowers.  Bus braked for ducks, sheep, dogs, water buffalo, etc.  Didn’t see any cats crossing in front of the bus so maybe they are more intelligent that I had thought?

Arriving in a wet, muddy and grungy Sidikalang, I didn’t see a bean of coffee in what I had been told was coffee country. I was a hit though as people came out in groups to gawk at the tall tourist. My driver, upon arrival in this large town asked me where I was going? Lake Toba is on the island of Samosir. That one word and he turned, drove to a small cafe and pointed saying “Samosir”. No sign, no bus, only trust so I got off and thanked him.

Helpful traveler:

No one during this day spoke English. Not much of a language barrier when you can point and utter a few words. The young girl inside was embarrassed and went to the room behind. I wondered whether I would be dumped here needing to make my own way and literally mumbled, “a little help here”! Outside, two men sat at a table so I asked “Samosir”? “Yes, Yes” was the reply! Pointing to my watch and raising my hand in question he said, “Ten minutes”. Thirty seconds later, the bus drove down the street and both men waved at the bus and hollered for me.

Next phase underway! On the journey to Panguguaran, I saw coffee plants as we got higher in the hills. It must not be harvesting season as I saw no beans drying. On arrival in Panguguran, my driver stopped at a fork in the road and flagged down an approaching mini-van. He turned looking at me and pointing to the van telling me it would take me the rest of the way to Tuk Tuk.

By now, it was dark and late. I forgot to ask about the fare and was overcharged. However, he was such a helpful driver searching out where I wanted to stay for the night, I was happy to pay him extra.

Where I’ve landed:

Fingers crossed, days away from Christmas and hoping they would have a room, I got out. Before I picked up my pack, I heard a voice above asking, “looking for a room”. Landed, I had my new home for the next few days!