sat day 50!

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So I guess today should of felt like a bit of a milestone - it didn't but it kinda feels good to have got to the 50th day of travelling on my own, over my 40th birthday - and not buckling under the pressure and coming home. Met up with Bob at his hotel for breakfast as it was free - and posher than mine - at 7am so had an early start. Sitting down by the lake bob was catching his ferry at 07.30 and mine at 10.00, the one ferry ( that we saw) turned up at 09.00, so rushing back to my room to grab my bags we ended up on the same ferry back to Parapat on the main land. We were then getting 2 separate minibuses to the airport - bob flying to Bangkok and me to Jakarta, so we said our goodbyes and didn't see each other again. So i shared the ride with 4 people from France and after stopping off for some lunch - and meeting 2 twins who wanted my photo - we made it to the airport 4hrs later. We had made such good time i then had 4hrs to wait for my flight! So after receiving a number of missed calls from Samuel - the pushy tour guide who partly helped me out in medan, i reluctantly answered and we met in Starbucks. Samuel hangs around at the airport waiting to meet tourists that have pre booked with the tour company and also to pray on tourists that haven't to try and sell them tours as soon as you've landed! After a 5 minute catch up sure enough Samuel was trying to sell me tours in java and Bali - and i haven't even left Sumatra yet! So not signing up to anything and not leaving Samuel with a tip, we said our goodbyes and hope never to see him again. The flight was 1/2 hr late and we landed in Jakarta at 21.00, so after being advised that the city is not that safe at night - especially for lone female travellers i got a taxi to the hotel. Being told to lock the doors from the inside as people come up to stationary cars and grab peoples bags out of them and then the taxi driver trying to fleece me for more money than what was first agreed it was a harsh welcome to the capital.

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