Borneo to Sumatra

Saturday 25th July 2009
Day 28

A morning swim and cooked breakfast and we were on our way back to Kuching to pick up our backpacks and set off in search of Sumatra, Indonesia.

At Kuching Airport we bumped into the main man from our hostel - a quirky Chinese Malaysian fella. He explained he was off to watch Liverpool play Singapore that weekend on their Asia tour. "It is the closest we will get to see them with our own eyes." I proceeded to talk to him about everything football from teams in the Midlands to David Platt's failed coaching career. Turns out Villa played Kuching in 1990 as part of an Asian tour - a reward for finishing second in the league. Platty got four that day so is well regarded in these parts.

Our flight into Medan, Sumatra at 9pm was trechourous as we flew straight threw a severe thunderstorm with bolts of lightening piercing the west side of the city. We'd pre-arranged a car journey straight up to Bukit Lawang on the fringe of Gunung Leuser National Park which we shared with a couple from Barcelona. Whilst I'd heard that they'd laid a new road, this was only in certain stretches with some parts a road - quarry crossbreed. However, we reached our destination a little after midnight thanks to the handy driving of our friend who navigated the roads full of motorbikes, kids and animals like a master of his trade.

On arrival we were met by two chapparones, one carried Layla's bag and the other followed behind on a motorbike as we walked the final 20 minutes into town. The biker was a Sumatran Russell Brand http://www.russellbrand.tv/ in dress and manner and showed us to our room in typical flamboyant, over-exaggerated style that was lost on us at this late hour.