Day 73

11/09/2009

Checked out of the hotel and got a taxi to the Sumatra ferry terminal for loading at 8:30 and a 10:00 departure. The boat was quite small, seating about 200, but was quick through the water. The crossing was a little over 6 hours but the sea wasn't very smooth, several people requirng the use of plastic bags, including Beth once and Simon four times.

On arrival we were supposed to be meeting with a lady from a shipping agent. We thought we were getting into a taxi to take us to her office but seemed to have somehow got the local Mr Fix-It-At-A-Price along for the ride. He, of course, worked for the same company so would be able to help us get our vehicles off-loaded and through customs. Cost would be a mere 3.2m Rupiah (a little over £200) and that was just for the first vehicle. It had cost us less than £300 at Penang and that included the passage on the ship.

We arrived at the shipping office to find our contact had already gone home and the office was little more than a private house. Our Mr Fix-It told us that the customs house was also closed but he could find us a hotel. We insisted on going to the customs house where, of course, we found it to be still open. His credibility was falling fast.

Unfortunately without the required language skills we weren't going to get very far but did establish that it was open 8 to 12:30 tomorrow.

We then made the mistake of asking Mr Fix-It to take us to a hotel of our choosing in Medan without confirming a price first. We got there OK, but were royally ripped off on the price. I don't think his English was good enough to understand what "tosser" meant.

Spoke to Mr Lim who is also not able to contact the agent over here so it is looking like monday will be the earliest we can drive out of town.

Got a text from Mr Lim later to say our boat is expecting to dock at 12:30 tomorrow so we need to be there as the vehicles are unloaded.

Hotel is OK but it didn't meet Pat's standard so they are staying across the road. As it's Ramadam, the restaurants are all packed immediately after sundown, so we ate a little later this evening. Pat and Simon didn't like the look of our choice so ate at their hotel, but Pat wasn't able to have her first choice of jacket potato and her second choice was sent back as the beefburger was soggy and cold. Stick to street vendors would be my advice. Tomorrow they're considering changing hotels - moving to the Novotel - keeping their tourist pound in the hands of the multi-nationals.