Day 378 Penang – Medan (Indonesia) / motorbike GS Dakar RTW overland adventure traveller

• Left – 
  
• 18th April 2015
• Miles rode –

Country No. 30

Lyndon and I took a flight from Penang to Medan at midday and whilst we were in the taxi travelling into Medan it was obvious I had arrived in a completely different culture to what I had been used to for the past five months. The streets were dirtier, the buildings more deteriorated and the cars and motorbikes driving with less care. The roads were more dangerous.

As soon as I walked out of the guesthouse everyone smiled and wanted to talk to me, kids came over and were curious, as Lyndon and I walked around the streets so many people, most people said hello or smiled. The people are great. It’s all about the people. The streets are so dirty and the cars and motorbikes old and sometimes looked fit for the dump! It was dirty and smelly, which whilst I don’t mind was so different to what I had been used to. It felt like I was back in India or Pakistan, maybe it felt half way between Thailand and India in terms of both culture and dirt.

Later, we took a Tuk Tuk or whatever they’re called here and went into the centre of Medan, after dark the city came alive with people out and about, in the centre there was an area with western influences and it was cleaner but as soon as we left it was dirty with traffic everywhere.

We returned back to our guesthouse in a Tuk Tuk which was the craziest ride ever, the motorbike was the oldest and most knackered I’ve ever seen, the engine made the most horrible noises and how it didn’t blow up I have no idea, we ran out of petrol twice, it was so very funny.

I lost count how many times I heard the words ‘hello mister’

I think I’m going to enjoy my time in Indonesia.