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Indonesia Needing some negotiation skills to just enter the bus

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Next story: Losing a wallet made me some new friends
author
Johan Kruseman
Updated on 18 September 2024


I‘d been to some islands in Indonesia before, but this was my first time stepping onto Sumatra, the northwest one. You‘d think I‘d strut in like a pro, all “I got this,” but nope, my Sumatra newbie vibes were in full force when I landed in Binjai. I was on a mission to reach Bukkit Lawang, which, by the way, is like a 2-0 score against me already, ‘cause it‘s got those famous orangutans, the number one tourist attraction.

So, get this: the guy at the bus station asks me if I know the ticket price. Sketchy, right? Instead of taking a wild guess, I decided to play it all confident yet clueless, and I go, “you tell me!” But, oh boy, that backfired real quick, and now I‘m down 3-0. After some thinking, he throws out “100,000.” I‘m like, “No way, gimme the real deal!” He takes even longer to think this time and finally says “100,000“ again. I‘m smelling something fishy, ‘cause it‘s too darn close to that first tourist price. So, I change tactics: “Alright, if I ask anyone on the bus what they paid, they‘ll all say 100,000, right?“ After some extra thinking, he reluctantly goes, “yeah.” I may not be an award-winning actor, but this guy wasn‘t gonna win any Oscars either. I hop on the bus while he‘s still yelling at me to pay up front, and I ask my new bus buddy what he shelled out. 30,000. Bingo! I go back to the ticket dude and confront him. At first, he‘s all angry, but then he flips and tells me I can call him anytime if I have questions.
Fast forward to Bukkit Lawang: orangutans, river turtles, and a rainbow-colored lantern bug. A real tourist hotspot, gotta admit.

 


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Traveled route: Bali, Denpasar, Buleleng, Boengkoelan, Gili Air, Lombok, Pemenang, mount Rinjani, Komodo Island, Flores, Labuan Bajo, Sumatra, Medan, Bukit Lawang, Banda Aceh, Pelabuhan Balohan, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Imogiri Pine Forest, Borobudur Temple, Malang, Mount Bromo, Ijen, Banyuwangi, Surabaya
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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman
next story

Losing a wallet made me some new friends

Now, heading over to Banda Aceh, I find myself back in Binjai. But guess what? Binjai‘s showing its totally opposite side today. I‘m at a restaurant, just chatting away with this guy for like half an hour. And then, boom, he‘s suddenly gotta da

Indonesia

Did this story inspire you to go to Indonesia? Read more on what Indonesia has to offer, what the best months are for visiting and check the handy links for backpacking there.
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