10th Day - 28 November 2023

In the last four days, I have not visited any tourist attraction. I’m already very tired and want to finish this trip. The night before, I decided to go to Takengon today. It’s one of the cities that produces the best Arabica coffee in Indonesia. Takengon is located in the heart of Bukit Barisan. This city also boasts a beautiful lake, which can be seen from the city and is one of its main tourist attractions.

I started the ride around 9 AM. At Bireuen, I turn right, which leads to Takengon. After that, the road became smaller and there were fewer houses. I hadn’t taken any break from Aceh, so I decided to rest at the mosque not far from Bireuen. It started to drizzle. I realized my fuel was almost empty. When I checked on maps, there was no more gas station ahead until Takengon. I didn’t want to go back, but I hoped to find a small shop along the road that sold gas. Fortunately, I found a stop to refuel.

As I continued, heavy rain began to fall. I put on my raincoat and kept riding, with rain almost the whole way. The road had lots of turns and crossings. I couldn’t check the route because my phone was in my pocket. So, at every intersection, I had to stop and ensure I was still on the right road. Once, the route took me off the main road, and I just had to trust it. The road was very narrow. Two cars couldn’t pass each other at the same time; one had to wait for the other. The good thing was that this road gave me a new view. A white mist hung over the village and green fields. The air felt remarkably calm, especially with the cool air that followed the rain.

I arrived at hotel Belangi Syariah Takengon around 5 PM. My clothes were still wet, even though I had worn the raincoat. After that, I took a bath, bought dinner nearby, and took a rest. In this moment, I am considering whether to go to the lake or not. I could see how beautiful it is on the road before entering Takengon. But in the end, I didn’t go to the lake and didn’t go anywhere in this city; I was just passing through to take a rest.

11th Day - 29 November 2023

I woke up in a serene morning and heard the Adhan in the distance. After I took a bath, I lay on the bed waiting for the dark outside. The dawn sunlight started to enter through the window, bringing a combination of cold and warm morning air. At that moment, I just checked social media and found a story about this song Tepian Rindu in this podcast. The music and its lyrics add more feeling to this morning.

Today was the last day of the ride. It was the longest due to my habit of being lazy and checking the map. This made me go almost 40 km off the planned route. I missed the turn and just went back to Bireuen. I had no choice but to continue on the new route once I noticed it. After that, the road got busier with trucks. It took time to get past them. When you want to take a break, it feels like all your earlier effort will be wasted.

I took a break at Lhoksukon, where the heat made me tired. I don’t really remember what happened after that, except for one moment. It was already dark when the rain started to fall. I couldn’t see the road ahead clearly because the windshield was blurry, and when the car’s headlights shone on it, the light scattered and was very bright. A car drove very fast, came into my lane, and I almost fell to the other side. It was a very scary moment on this trip. As I approached Medan, the map directed me onto a road with no streetlights or houses. A big truck drove fast, and the rain started again. After riding more than 400 km today and experiencing some challenging moments, the last 100 km were especially tough and tiring.

I arrived around 9 PM in Medan and was quite shocked by how people ride in this city. The traffic light appears to be useless, and people still continue when the red light turns on. I went directly to Sishezu Citytel hotel. This is the best hotel during the trip. It’s still new, and I thought it was still offering a promotion, because the price is very affordable for this kind of hotel, only around 230K. It has very decent warm water, a smart TV, and a fast internet connection. I took a bath and cleaned up all the tools. After having dinner by ordering online food, I fell asleep under a heavy and soft blanket. In a cold room, it’s very comfortable after almost a 500KM ride. Riding at night in Sumatra really teaches us the importance of patience.

12th Day - 30 November 2023

I hadn’t fully recovered when I woke up the next morning, and my body still felt sore. There was one place that I wanted to visit today, Ucok Durian. When I was a child, I didn’t like durian, and I forgot how it became one of my favorite fruits. I arrived at that place, and the server quickly asked me what kind of durian and size I would like to try. It has had multiple varieties, including sweet and bitter, with creamy or mushy textures, and they were available in various sizes. I ordered medium-sweet and bitter durian. The server quickly opened the durian in front of me, and they also offered to swap it with another variety if I didn’t like it. I thought I could easily eat a medium-sized one, but I spent almost half an hour finishing it. Additionally, the server helped open other sections of the durian very quickly with his knife skills, once I had finished one section. During my time there, they provided free mineral water, and for one “medium” durian, I spent Rp75,000. I thought it was cheap for the size and the service. I highly recommend this place if you’re a fan of durian and visit Medan, as there are many options to choose from (depending on the durian season), and the service is quick and excellent. It’s a blessing to be able to eat this fruit in this place.

I hadn’t had any meal that day, but I was already full after eating durian. I visited a shopping mall in Medan to purchase new clothes. At that point, I didn’t have any clean clothes left and was too lazy to do laundry. Additionally, my jacket was already torn, and the zipper no longer functioned. After that, I went back to the hotel and spent the rest of the day resting.

In the afternoon, I returned the motorcycle. The owner comes directly to the hotel to pick it up without any additional cost. I highly recommend Ganda Rental Motor Medan for renting a motorcycle in Medan. With minimal hassle and friendly service, you can rent a motorcycle to explore Sumatra.

13th day - 31 November 2023

Today was the last day of this trip. I went to Grand Mosque of Medan to have Friday prayer. Unfortunately, the mosque was still under renovation, and you could see dust everywhere. I thought at that moment that it wasn’t ready to use yet. After that, I went to Bika Ambon Zulaikha to purchase some gifts, such as Bika Ambon and passion fruit syrup. Not long after that, I returned to the hotel to collect my belongings and then ordered a taxi to the airport. I had small-talked with the driver. He also said he used to enjoy touring around Toba Lake when he was young, but as life progressed, he no longer had the time to do so. Nothing much happened after that, and just like that, I arrived at Jakarta on time. Finished this trip with many things that have just happened in the last two weeks; still, I don’t believe I could have done it.

Budget Breakdown

Here is the budget breakdown from my trip, in case you need it as a reference. It can be significantly lower or higher, depending on your preference and the way you travel.

  • Round flight Jakarta - Medan: Rp2.623.921
  • Lodging: Rp2.390.483
  • Rent motorcycle : Rp1.280.000
  • Fuel: Rp493.000
  • Ferry Aceh to Sabang: Rp137.000
  • Meals: Rp479.000
  • Snack + Groceries : Rp192.500
  • Ticket (some tourist place): Rp74.000

Most of the costs were for flight and lodging, but you can find cheaper places to stay. Food and entrance tickets are reasonably priced.

Learnings

These are some learnings I got during the trip:

  1. Bring bug repellent, you don’t know what kind of place you will visit or stay at along the way. The rash, which eventually became a scar, I got during this trip, lasted for more than six months. Additionally, the itchiness you experience can reduce your sleep quality.
  2. There were many “not-so-good” stereotypes about North Sumatra. What I found there was that it was indeed dangerous to ride at night, especially when riding alone. But also, along the way, you could find many good people. Although some research suggests that people tend to be nicer to strangers than to acquaintances, we still need to be careful, but don’t let the stereotypes stop you from doing what you want.
  3. When you meet someone from the same place unexpectedly, quick connections form. We discuss similarities and help each other, which helps us connect better when used with good intentions.
  4. Despite reports of scams in Toba, I found most people honest, though I encountered one scammer. I chose to enjoy nature regardless.
  5. “Nervous means you’re alive,” one sentence from Simon Cowell in one AGT show. That’s what I feel during this trip. The unexpected moment, the unknown place, and the strangers make me nervous, but when I have passed through it, I feel some feelings that make me feel accomplished. Really, we feel more alive compared to when we just do our daily habits without anything that makes us nervous.
  6. Based on this post-title, the most memorable moment when got advice to bagamat. I know she means to take it slow when I ride. However, after a year, I can also apply this advice to life itself. In this fast-paced world, where we can access information quickly, AI has revolutionized the way we work over the last few years. For myself:
    • I need to slow down with what I consume. We have too much information, but it’s just information, not knowledge, which has changed how our brains work. Our brains enter a state that requires continuous stimulation. I need to choose carefully what I want, not go fast just because I can, and let all the stimuli enter my brain.
    • Slowing down our lives didn’t mean we got behind. It provides us with more safety and allows us to appreciate what we have in the present moment. When I ride fast along the road, I don’t really enjoy the view. But when I ride at the right speed, I can enjoy the view. In life, we can also need to appreciate what we have in this moment, rather than just thinking about the future. It’s easier said than done, but this is what I believe now.

I hope this story opens up new perspectives. If you want to do something and have the money, take the opportunity; it’s worth it.