Medan - Day 5

Early morning and we took the 9am boat back to the ‘mainland.’ Our aim was to catch our 10am transport back to Medan, just in time for Samwise’s flight back to Kuala Lumpur in the evening.

Of course, it went awry at some point in time. Our ride was supposed to take not more than 4 hours back, but this being Indonesia, and this being a relative backwater (please pardon my language), things go a little differently.

Lake view from the main road

Resident cats at Toba Cottages

We asked nicely if we could take the northern route back to Medan, which would pass the famous Sipiso-piso Waterfall: a blade-like waterfall that courses in to the lake, and is the source of the name ‘sipiso-piso.’ (Piso is the local term for knife.) Sadly, our driver said no.

However, his action would cause us much chagrin later when he picked up his sister/girlfriend/free-rider on the way, without informing us, and then stopping for an unscheduled stop at a trucker stop for an hour as the two of them have lunch while he was chatting with his friends, all while Samwise, SSM and I were stuck in the car, like a few other travellers who were stranded there, without ceremony, by their own drivers.

'Domes-R-Us' at the trucker stop

After a rather tense drive and confusion between ‘Airport’ and ‘JW Marriott,’ and me giving the driver and his boss a very stern wording, we made it to the JW and a final good riddance to the driver. I would caution other travellers on this, and the antics these drivers can get up to, and sadly, the indifference of their employers.

At the JW, SSM, Samwise and I had a nice lunch, the standard Western fare with burgers, chips and ketchup somehow making us feel better, before Samwise had to leave to meet up with a friend and head off to the airport.

I, true to my nature, on the other hand, couldn’t really sit still, and with this JW Marriott in Medan being a little bit of a disappointment with the crowds and all, decided to drag SSM on a walkabout around town.

Church near the railway like

View from the JW Marriott

General Post Office by Lapangan Merdeka

Having seen much of the place earlier, we decided to stretch it a little, to the sights I had left in my journal. From our room, I spotted a beautiful looking structure down below. Curiosity got me, and we ventured down, discovering a beautiful Protestant Church.

Bank Indonesia building

City Hall + annex

Walking down towards Lapangan Merdeka, we walked past the old Bank Indonesia building, a beautiful white-wash neo-classical structure and visited the Town Hall next door, now converted in to a luxury hotel with a hideous looking annex, and stumbled upon old pictures of Colonial Medan.

Court house buildings near the Aryaduta Medan

Emmanuel Church Medan

Governor's Offices

Eventually, we found ourselves exploring even more of old Dutch Medan, and paid a visit to the Roman Catholic cathedral and the Protestant Emmanuel Church, before stumbling upon more beautiful Dutch colonial buildings.

Medan Water Tower

By pure coincidence, we found the famous water tower of Medan, a known city landmark, which conveniently helped us locate the elusive Jalan Selat Panjang, the city’s main commercial hub for the Chinese community in Medan, a rather large community with an even larger appetite for food.

The next day, our last day, was spent at leisure. Nothing much, apart from being surprised at the massive crowds at the JW Marriott buffet, a look through the city’s largest shopping mall and the very Spartan facilities at Medan Polonia International Airport.

All in all, a rather eye-opening and somewhat testing trip. Would I recommend Medan? It has its secrets. Would I recommend Lake Toba? Definitely. The beauty of the place would make all that hassle worthwhile.