Vehicular travel in Indonesia

Exchange Rate: $1USD = 9,400IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)

Hello:  Selemat pagi (morning) / siang (late morning) / sore (afternoon) / malam (night)

Thank you:  Terima Kasih

Time difference: 14 hours ahead of PST

Cost of a Room: 300 IDR in Medan

Preferred method of transportation: bicycle of motorbike with sidecar

From Penang, I flew to Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia.  I arrived at night, in the middle of the Medan Ramadan Festival.  This was no ordinary festival.  I estimate that two and a half of the three million people living in Medan attended this festival, which occurred on two blocked off streets.  As expected, there was food everywhere.  I walked, slowly, with the crowd, through a small part of the festival before leaving due to the harassment I endured by the locals.  I was the only white person there, and I am pretty sure everyone was making fun of me.  Although it was in Indonesian, it was pretty clear when a kid would look at me and say 'hello', mutter something to his friend and crack up laughing.  

Thankfully, I was only passing through Medan on my way to Lake Toba.  I left bright and early the next morning in a small, 1970s minivan.  I was prematurely enthusiastic when I got the front seat and the van appeared to be full with no third passenger in the front.  I should have known better, transportation is always full.  The last passenger made it a little crowded, and somewhat awkward as he kept asking me my age and if I was married.  He could not believe I was 32 and not married.  Over and over again, he kept saying, 32?  Not married?, shaking his head in disbelief and translating for the driver. The minivan came with seat belts and smoking was allowed, without any concern for six passengers in the back. My seat belt was shared with the guy in the middle and I am  pretty sure he sat on it as opposed to locking it into a buckle.  

The highlights of the driving were as follows:

 - I learned that a motorbike can fit a family of four and the family pet.  Upon arrival at Lake Toba I was told that it can fix six, but I have yet to see the for myself.

 - There are no such things as 'driving lanes,' with the exception of the occasional fence in the middle of the road, which is also used to prevent jay walking.  You can pass on either the right or left and should signal with a honk to let the people around you know that you are coming and ensure they do not meander into your space.

 - It's OK to pass by following the person in front of you with a two foot gap.  You know it's time to get over when they do.  This particular method of driving does not work in theory, but every time we did it, I closed my eyes and we ended up back on the left side of the road miraculously avoiding a collision.

 - Drivers in Indonesia (Asia in general), know the size of their car to the inch.  Meaning when they follow, pass, or swerve back into the appropriate lane, they are within inches of skimming adjacent obstacles.  Understanding the exact size of the car can be the only explaination, right?

 - The smells are awful in Indonesia.  Because smells come from particles in the air, I refuse to breathe through my mouth, instead forcing myself to endure the pain.  The worst smell was the one that came from a truck filled with rotting chicken carcasses.  

 - One can fit 20 armchairs and 4 full size couches on the back of a flatbed Nissan truck.  Although it might look like it will topple over with the next sway, it doesn't. 

 - All this into consideration, it was a pretty good travel experience.  I thought the trip would take 5 hours, but thanks to the crack that the driver stopped to smoke along the way, we made it in about 4 hours.  And pretty comfortably.