Bukittinggi, Round 2
Trip Start
Jan 07, 2009
1
46
47
Trip End
Aug 04, 2009
Bukittinggi, Sumatra, Indonesia
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
As soon as I arrived at the airport, I was reminded of how amazing Indonesia is! I had forgotten how different things feel in this country, but I defenitely felt the difference as soon as I arrived at the airport in Pekanbaru. I decided that in Indonesia, people even seem friendly when they are trying to screw you over! Seriously! An immigrations officer asked me if I had a return ticket, and since i can't lie I said 'no'. He kept asking me the same question like 10 times, clearly giving me the chance to give him some money to make him forget about it, but I wasn't going to do that. Eventually he said to "come into his office" when I am done (where a bunch of guys are sitting around doing not much at all...serious work...lol). So I asked if he has a phone I can use to call Air Asia to book a ticket, and he was like "um, well do you have any money...any US dollars..."...*hint hint*...when he found out that I actually had no cash on me at the moment, he eventually just made friendly chit chat (along with the big group of guys in the office who were just hanging around) and stamped me through. I find this hillarious! They'll try to get your money but if you don't have any, well then fine, just go...
Then the friendliness continues at the bus station, and then on the bus. Even though it was a frustrating bus ride, I really enjoyed it! I took a minibus that has door-to-door service, and since I was the first one on the bus, I already expected that we would drive around town for about an hour picking up passengers, but I'm used to that...but this was a record: we drove around for THREE HOURS before actually leaving Pekanbaru! and by this time the van was really packed!!! But the driver was super friendly despite his very limited english, and then one lady on the bus spoke english so she took good care of me throughout the whole trip. (Not that I really need help...but she was so funny, kept wanting to buy me local snacks and whatnot, and it was really nice to talk to a girl for a change instead of always guys!) I can't explain it, it was just such a friendly bus ride...even though it took twice as long as I would have expected!
and then finally we arrived in Bukittinggi, where I had the most amazing welcome I could have imagined! No one knew I was coming, so it was extra funny. Roni and An (see previous blog entry...two of my favorite people in Bukittinggi) were sitting outside the hotel when I walked up, and it was really really funny to see the surprised/confused/happy look on their faces when I walked up...PRICELESS!! So I checked in, and within a few minutes everyone I had met in Bukittinggi somehow turned up at the hotel and I was so happy to see them all! I didn't think most of them would really have remembered me that much....but it turns out that actually (quite embarassingly) many of them had even read my blog! It was just a hillarious and very fun night, and I couldn't stop smiling!
The next few days, everyone kept being very nice to me and really kind of spoiled me. On my second day Adek took me around the countryside and some villages on his motorbike, and perhaps got himself a bit lost, but we made it back in the end. The day after that it was Enk who took me around to lots of beautiful places I had never been to yet, first by motorbike and then a sunset tour in the oldest truck in the world. It was all very wonderful! I had forgotten how beautiful that area is!
My next adventure was a trek from Lawang top to Lake Maninjau with Al and Adek, who had decided to do this "just for fun" on their day off, and invited me to come along. :) It was a pretty funny day and defenitely kept me busy. and I thought I'd be sitting in the Bedudal Cafe reading a book everyday...but people defenitely made sure I kept busy. They are way too nice and generous, all those Bukittinggi boys. :)
It's hard to explain all that went on in Bukittinggi. Over time, I started to spend less time with the Orchid Hotel people (sadly...because they are still my favorites) and got to know the people around the Bedudal Cafe a bit better (who are also very awesome people). My daily routine went something like this: wake up, say hello to the Orchid guys, go for breakfast at the Canyon Cafe, and then sit around the Orchid chatting or reading until lunch...then lunch at the Bedudal Cafe, sitting around and chatting there, and then often joined the guys from the Bedudal Cafe in whatever wandering around town they were doing (generally hanging out at one other cafe that they always go to)...then everyone would go to Panorama Park for sunset...and then in the evening hang around the Bedudal Cafe having a few Bintangs. :) Somehow, days and days went by with this little routine. :) I also went back to lake Maninjau for a few days with my good friend Mr Internet Man Abel and we had a terrific time! A bit of a break from the usual routine. :)
One of my favorite evenings was the night when the power went out at the Bedudal Cafe and so there were candles everywhere, and the cafe was just packed, and the guys started to play the guitar and bongos and to sing lots of Indonesian songs, and I can't explain it, there was just such a great atmosphere. :)
It's hard to explain my two weeks in Bukittinggi, it was just all about good conversations with great people, and lots of laughing because they are very silly boys. They just made me feel right at home and it was wonderful. :) Cant really explain it in a blog...so maybe a few photos will help.
