To Jakarta, and Beyond!

Sunday June 29, 2008 - I arrived back in Medan around 10am, in plenty of time to use the internet and get to the airport for my 1:30pm flight to Jakarta. I had to get a bus into the city but wasn't sure exactly where to get out. Luckily it was Sunday and the Christians were out. One started to talk to me and said she could show me the internet that was by her church. Ok. And yes, I said, I'm a Christian too. It's easier that way. So she showed the way there. As we were walking we met a friend of hers who asked if I was a Christian, and why was I not going to church? I blamed my flight and he said "God Bless you" and off he went. So I got to the internet and said goodbye to my new religioys friend. I spent an hour and then right as I was putting my shoes back on, it started to rain. I waited it out a little and then got a becak to the airport. It was covered so I stayed mostly dry, but then got dumped off at the entrance to the airport so had to walk quite a bit in the drizzle. I stopped and had some lunch outside of the airport, where all the food is (nothing is inside the airport). When I finally got into the domestic terminal area, there was a huge line to get in and crazy shuffling. I had to put my bag on the X-ray machine as I entered the airport and then shuffled over to Air Asia to check in. They politely told me that my flight was delayed for four hours and could I please come back at 4pm? Christ. So they took my bag and checked it in for me and put it down behind the desk. They then gave me directions on how to get to an internet place in town so I could have something to do in the meantime. My plan was to use the time to update my blog and finally figure out how to add the pictures with the card reader I bought. The problem was that I wasn't having any luck finding my pictures. So I spent the whole time talking to my friend Kris from home, who insanely enough, was awake between 3 and 5 am his time and kept me occupied and not quite so angry with my flight situation. Finally it was time to go and so I got a ride back to the airport and checked in again. This time they gave me a little box of food to eat to occupy myself. I went to take a picture of said food only to discover that my card now had an error and wouldn't work. So I think that all the pictures I took from Sumatra are gone and I am very sad. I have no idea what happened or how to fix it. Technology sucks. My biggest worry with my plane arriving so late was that I would miss the last cheap bus to the city and then the train to Yogyjakarta, where I was meeting my friend Miranda. I just wanted to get there as soon as possible and take the overnight train to her place. Finally it was time to board the plane and I got to walk out onto the runway and find a seat as it was all open seating. I got a window seat and a girl and her mom sat next to me. We talked a little bit and when we finally arrived she let me borrow her phone to call Miranda's friend Jenni who lived in Jakarta. If I missed the train I would be staying at her house. I was glad that I was able to get the bus into the city - $2 instead of a $20 cab. A guy sat next to me and started to talk to me. He made some class and found that I had missed the last train to Yogy, as I'd feared. So I called Jenni back to tell her I would be coming after all. The guy put me in a cab and off I went to the 31st floor of the 11th tower of a huge apartment complex in the city. I met Jenni and she was great to talk to. She caught me up on the gossip around town and took care of some stuff while I got ready for bed. So nice of her to let me stay the night. By the time I slept it was midnight, and I had to get up at 5:45 to get my cab to the bus station at 6:15 to try to catch the 8am train.

It worked. I got there at 6:30, before the ticket window opened, though there was already a line. I asked someone if I was in the right line and he said yes and told me when the trains were to Yogy. He helped me with how to buy the ticket and he was going there as well, so we had breakfast together and waited for the train. He sat in front of me on the train but didn't talk to me for the whole eight hours. Polite and uncreepy. Huh. I enjoyed the train ride. I slept for a few hours, then read and listened to music. They provided lunch and the scenery, mostly rice fields, was beautiful. After a while there were even mountains in the distance. Really pretty. I watched people working in the fields and it looks lke such hard work. Always bent over, knee deep in water, sun blazing, super humid. I give them so much credit.

When we got to Yogy I called Miranda and we waited together until she came to get me. I made it!

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