On Day 61, Eric and I pack up and walk over to the local bus station.
Since it’s a small town, there’s only one of them which is easy-peazy. We have to catch a local bus from Bukit Lawang to Medan, and then from Medan we hope to catch a private bus to Bukittinggi. Ideally, we’ll be able to get one for the same day because we’re hoping to spend as little time in Medan as possible.
We catch the bus from Bukit Lawang with no problems. The route back seems a bit different than the route on the way there as it takes double the time, but no worries – the bus we hope to catch isn’t until the evening. When we arrive in Medan, we head to a nearby mall to pick up some supplies before making our way to the south/east bus station.
And this is where our adventure really begins.
We show up at the bus station to find out that the bus company recommended to us no longer operates from it. Eric and I entertain other bus companies but as the other buses do not seem to be leaving when we want, the descriptions of the bus quality and style are continually changing throughout the discussions, it’s just begun pissing rain and it’s now pushing 7:30pm, we opt to wait until tomorrow to sort out the next leg of our journey.
We hop in an opelet to go to a guesthouse and on the way Eric spots the office/bus station of the company we planned to ride with. We holler at the driver, he slams on the brakes and we make a premature stop and head inside. We have high hopes that we may still make the last bus tonight to Bukittinggi and we’re partially lucky – we find out one of us can go as there is only one spot on the last bus. I contemplate leaving without Eric, but then who would I bug for the bus ride?
So we pass on that and purchase two tickets for the VIP bus the next day.
There are typically three classes of bus tickets available. Economy which has no a/c, no toilet and no reclining chairs; Executive which has a/c, but no toilet and reclining, non-cushy chairs; and VIP which has a/c, a toilet, reclining, cushy chairs and leg room that fits our size.
And since it’s a 20+ hour bus ride from Medan to Bukittinggi, we figure we should get the best quality bus possible.
Yes – you've read this correctly.
From Medan to Bukittinggi, it’s a 20+ hour bus ride.
We’ve discovered that one of the best ways to see the real side of a country is through the local bus system. You meet interesting people, stop for breaks in small towns you’d never visit any other way and the view is often spectacular. And since bus travel is the way most Indonesians get around, we wanted to do as the locals do. And if that means a 20 hour bus ride, well then so be it – the experience will make it worth it.
We finally arrive at the “Angel Hostel” which is the same place we stayed our first night in Medan. Tired and ready for bed, we spend the rest of the evening playing Skip-Bo and mentally prepping for the long bus ride.
Our bus does not leave until late afternoon so we spend the majority of the next day reading, wandering, eating and waiting. At 2pm it’s finally time to catch our bus – off we go to the bus office by opelet! And yes I get my bag caught getting in AGAIN. Will I ever learn?
As we wait for the bus to arrive, we are called over by one of the employees selling tickets. She informs us that the VIP bus we were booked on cannot go to Bukittinggi, so she has booked us on another bus, which is a lower class, somewhere between VIP and Executive. We’re not quite sure what she means, but seeing as our new bus is leaving now, she returns some of our money and then hurries us to catch it. Eric and I don’t really have a chance to respond – the bus still has a toilet, a/c and reasonable leg room, and at this point we just want to get on the road, so we figure how bad can it really be?
Well let me tell you…
Eric’s seat is permanently broken in a reclined position. As he puts it, it’s like spending 20+ hours in a dentist’s chair.
The snack consists of a small cup of water and two little pastries.
The bus breaks down 4 times, so the ride of 20 hours turns into 26 hours.
The air-conditioning works so well that at night I have to sleep under 3 blankets to keep warm.
And we see some of the most beautiful mountain scenery I can imagine!
Needless to say we survive the trip and are happy to arrive in the mountain city of Bukittinggi.
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