Padang → Jakarta

Day 18 — Farewell to Sumatra

Today was the day we flew Batavia Air back to good old Java, to Jakarta.

Yamabe was down with a stomach ache from the morning. KEN and Ooi had breakfast at yesterday's bakery.

A children's drawing contest being held in the square in front of a nearby bank.

Splitting up: Yamabe

Yamabe, who wasn't feeling well since midday, went separately from the other two.

First, to fill my stomach, to Texas Chicken, which they also had in the department store in Bukittinggi.

I wasn't feeling well, so I meant to stay in the restaurant the whole time, but that was boring, so I went to a museum right near Texas Chicken, about 15 yen to enter, introducing Minangkabau history and so on.

Stuffed animals, including the smallest tiger, the Sumatran tiger.

About 15 minutes after I went into the museum, a group of girls surrounded me and asked if I had some time. Our meeting point was the bus stop for the airport, and I still had just under two hours, so I said OK, and the girls squealed with delight; one of the group clung to me, pressing tight against my shoulder, and like that they took me to a nearby something-or-other school. Somewhere along the way my stomach ache had completely gone. These girls were local high-school students, about 16 years old. The place we were going seemed to be something like the international school they attend.

I was warmly welcomed at the school too, talked with the teachers about Japan and Indonesia, and a teacher gave me a lift to the bus stop on his motorbike. It turned into a fulfilling time I could never have imagined that morning while battling my stomach ache.

Splitting up: Ooi & KEN

The two headed for Siti Nurbaya Park, a little way from the lodging.

But all they saw were derelict buildings, a goat and a drowned goat, and thanks to locals giving unwanted directions they couldn't even reach the park, and ended up back at the bus stop.

After waiting about an hour at the bus stop, a DAMRI bus, which had also helped us in Jakarta, finally came. The airport building was modelled on a traditional Minangkabau house and had a nice atmosphere.

After checking in and waiting in the lounge for a while, the announcement came right on time. Well done, Batavia Air! Padang airport is also a simple building with nothing around it. Unlike Mataram airport, there was a proper walkway to the plane.

The sunset seen from the plane on the way to Jakarta.

There was no in-flight meal, but they gave us a sweet bun and water.

Arrived in Jakarta for the first time in about ten days!

We had booked a cheap lodging by phone, so we had plenty of time. Dinner was our third A&W at the airport.

To the next day