I caught the ferry this morning from Penang, Malaysia across Malaka Strait to Medan, Indonesia. The water was incredibly smooth and the boat trip was pretty relaxing. I was half expecting to be sick on the trip and didn’t eat anything this morning for breakfast.
Lining up at immigration at the port was a hassle and getting a visa. I had read up on it before hand and had US$25 cash ready to get my 30 day pass. It is amazing how some clueless people. The seven day visa is US$10, so you had people asking, “I only want to stay 8 days”. “Where is an ATM?” “Your exchange rates are bad”, etc.
We then had to take buses to Medan which is a 26KM journey. The fare quoted was about $2, which seemed reasonable enough to me, but other foreigners kept arguing and arguing. No-one wants to get ripped off, but when the amounts are 20-50 cents, it is hardly worth it.
Had a quick walk around and the place reminded me of Cambodia, with 10 tens the number of people. After cruising through Thailand and Malaysia the past few months, it is a bit of a culture shock, but then again, it is a bit exciting and something completely different.
Lots to see and do in Sumatra and planning to spend at least a day or two in Medan acclimatizing to Indonesia.
