It was a very early start for Han and I this morning - 6:30am!! We'd been up late chatting so we were not happy when the alarm went off, but we had to cath our flight to Medan, Sumatra (Indoneasia) at 10:30am. We kind of waddle (highly ungraceful)with our bags, so needed to put in a fair amount of travel time!
We landed in Medan at about 11am and got a tax to a hostel that had been recommended to us. It is alright - double bed, air con, little e-suite with a cold shower and loo that doesn't have a flush! After a bit of a rest, we headed towards the centre for a bit of a mooch and to get our earings.
We had been out of the hostel for 2 seconds before a guy on a motorbike with sidecar / taxi was shoting and wanting to give us a ride. We said no thanks and carried on walking and a moment later someone was shouting, another wanted to take us in his motorbike taxi thing - this continued for the entire time we were on the road!
Once we had found the centre we went into the mall to get some food and everyone was looking at us, staring and some were even pointing! It was like being an animal in the zoo - such a strange feeling to be stared at and have everyone think we were a novelty! A lot of the men just said "hello miss" or whistled or shouted but not in a nasty kind of way.
There was just one guy who totally freaked us out - he folowed us for about 2 and a half hours around the city! Everytime we thought w had lost hime, he popped up! We asked him what he wanted but didn't / couldn't say and we told him to go away, but to no avail. We didn't want him to know where we were staying so we went into a posh hotel for a drink... he came right up to the door and peered though the window but luckily didn't come in. Very odd behaviour and we were very glad to have gotten rid of him with our hotel trick!
Tomorrow hannah and I are leaving for Bukit Lawang - this is where there is a jungle with Orangutans and other animals that you can go trekking in. We're going trekking in the jungle on Tuesday, spending the night in a tent in the jungle (mad, i know!) and then 'tubing' back down the river on Wednesday. Should be great fun!! We are also meeting Julia tomorrow - another girl i met online so fingers crossed she is as lovely as hannah!
I have put photo's on facebook for those who want to have a nose..
M xxxx
