Hitchhiking in Indonesia: Padang Sidempuan
17th of January, 2025.
I get up around 6 a.m., and as the toilet of the restaurant is closed, I go on the back. I also find a tap with running water, so I wash my socks. Laugh. We leave soon after 7 a.m.
On the way to the view point we have breakfast: Lantong. Then I finally get to know where they are going, and the loop they are doing until get back home. We pass by a super crowded tourist spot, a circuit of hanging platforms, which should offer a great view of Lake Toba. It should, I say, because as for now, there’s a thick fog around so you cannot see anything! Still, the amount of tourists here is insane! And they park everywhere, not respecting the fact that the roads are small, and the cars can barely pass.
We finally manage to arrive to the intersection where Dewi’s family will go right, and I left. Dewi buys me three packages of biscuits and one traditional cake with many layers. I try to refuse but it’s impossible! I still have some bread from Rosalia’s family, and crackers from Malaysia! It’s OK! It’s food and it will last long without spoiling. I just need to make sure I will finish the cake first.
I say goodbye to this lovely family with whom I have spent quite some time in a very unusual adventure.
Tim stops for me soon enough. I wish that was a sign that things regarding hitchhiking will get better. It doesn’t. But Tim is a very nice guy, who can speak good English. He lives between two places: Bandung (my final destination and volunteer work place in Indonesia) and Balige, a small town not far from here. He produces tofu in Balige, with the help of locals, and sell it in Pangururan. He invites me to come over and check his production, where he also makes pineapple wine. It sounds super interesting and I would love to come but I am already so late with my schedule, that I make the difficult decision of refusing the kind invitation.
We stop at the intersection with Siborongborong, where I make a new sign reading Padang. My final destination it should be a beautiful place in West Sumatra, near Padang, called Harau Valley, But another difficult decision I must make is to skip the visit to this place, otherwise I will get even more delayed. Padang is on the way to South Sumatra, so my chances of people going there from here should be better. Should.
Winning or losing, we never know what our decisions will present us until we choose. There’s a quote from this movie which I really don’t like it (even though many people love it!), Mr. Nobody, which says: “As long as you don’t choose, everything remains possible.” In my case, my choice of not going to Balige and visiting the tofu / pineapple wine production, gave me the wonderful surprise of meeting Nor.
Nor, her sister Tior and her mum, are going to visit some family members. They will be driving for about 3 hours, which is great for me, as Padang is about 12 hours from here.
They are all so kind and lovely, always worried about me. Nor is current living in Paris, France, but she has lived in many different countries, due to her husband job. They were married for about 30 years, and unfortunately he passed away two years ago, so now she’s living alone in Paris. Their daughter lives and studies in Switzerland, and for what Nor told me about her, she is an extraordinary young girl. Well, just like her mother! Nor is such a vivid soul, super open mind and caring woman. When she tells me she is almost 60 years old, I cannot believe it! Although I would expect so many wonderful qualities, and so much enlightenment from someone around that age only.
We get to what looks like an intersection on which we will go separated ways, so I get off in a gas station. I start walking a bit more, as I want to be as outside of the town as much as possible, but the end of it never comes! I am rescued by Nor again, as they come back for me because they were told that the end of the town is actually quite far. So we drive together for a bit more, and Nor keeps on offering to pay for my bus to Padang, what I kindly refuse.
I have only one more hour of daylight remaining, but still, I decide to keep on hitchhiking. I’m hoping to make at least to the next town.
But it doesn’t happen. As it gets dark, I believe that, if people were no stopping during daylight, now during the night that’s definitely will not happen. So I start walking back, and planning to ask in some family house for shelter, when I see who? Who? My guard angel and saviour: Nor!
I actually forgot to tell you but, right before Nor stopped her car for me, I was mentally asking for a miracle, and that’s when she showed up! Now, she’s just outside her hotel, getting something from her car, when our paths cross again. I am so blessed! Nor immediately grabs my hand and says: “Come, you’re staying with me!”.
As the other hotels in town are fully booked, they have to stay in this one. But as they don’t have double beds rooms, Nor had to book two rooms with one double bed each. Her mother is already sharing the room with her sister, so she tells me I can share her bedroom with her. That’s perfect, and so much what I needed, as I am in such a need of a shower.
After shower, Nor and I got for dinner. Just across the street, I have some good but super spicy fried noodles. Nor herself has only an avocado juice, as she prefer not eating in the evening, and we grab some take away for Tior and their mum.
Nor and I spend the rest of the night chatting. She likes classical music, and when she start listening to Chopin, I immediately think of Aamir. She tells me that her late husband used to play the piano. I tell her that is luckily for her. We also have some traditional Dutch / Indonesian biscuits, which remind Nor from her childhood. They are delicious too! I could spend hours talking to her if I wasn’t so exhausted, so we go to bed soon after 22.00 hours.
Next morning, after some more biscuits and tea, I hit the road again around 9 a.m.
10 Years Around the World 