Medan, Indonesia June 14th-16th 2017

The flight from Penang, Malaysia to Medan, Indonesia was short, just 45 minutes. Then a bus took me from airport to Medan Fair, and with a tricycle the place I was staying at, was nearby. It was called “Permata Inn Guest House ” as was suggested at airport by information. a single room for 155,000 rupiah’s (15.50 CAD) per night, breakfast complimentary, tv, air con, but still a cold shower.

Medan often reminded me of Manila, being over congested with traffic always honking their horns, pollution, hard working poor people with sad faces sometimes. The busy city areas are too crowded and too much smog from tailpipes for me. I tend to like trees, mountains, lakes, seasides and beaches. So it was a 2 night, 1 day stay, before I make my way to Toba Lake, I found a barber to shave head and face, minus the goatee, which cost 25,000 IDR (2.50 CAD), it is cheap here or very affordable.

I was walking around exploring after the shave, ate and had coffee for like less than $4.00 CAD, then found a mall walked in and came out with new sandles. A tuk-tuk driver started talking to me and then wanting to ride me all around to see the city, so I did, got into his sidecar while his motorbike plugged along, I was taken to the largest Bhudda Temple in Medan, Maimoon Palace, Chinese Temple, ate at a buddhist restaurant I believe for a vegetarian meal. The tuk-tuk driver was a good guy, I believe I made his day because he got good coin from me and treated to extra’s. Medan was just a short stay and where I was in the heart of the city, I did not like too much, many poor people and garbage on the streets, traffic too congested with too much tail pipe pollution and the horns constantly honking, much too noisy for me.