Medan - of Minibuses to Berastagi

Without a motorcycle, we opted for a minibus from the Pinang Baris bus terminal.

Tip #1: Always Know How Much You Should Be Paying

The local rate for a minibus ride from Medan to Berastagi is 10,000 Rp (Source: Wikitravel) for a local person and 25,000 Rp for a foreigner.

Tip #2: Write Down The Price Before Agreeing to Pay

While a youngster told me 'twenty five!', it was written on his palm '250,000'. Stick to your guns on the price you are willing to pay and if he does not agree, walk out.

Tip #3: The Next Bus to Leave is Outside the Terminal by the Road

So do not worry that you will not get on a bus! The youngsters overcharge to pocket the extra and the actual drivers are older men. Our driver was really nice and gave us seats up front beside him, the value of which we only realised on the ride back when we sat behind.

Given the fact that the young punk tried to overcharge up till the last moment and that we found the bus on our own, I was annoyed that halfway to the bus, he decided to 'remind' us to tip him instead of insisting on 10 times the foreigner fare, 'tip, tip, smoke, you know, smoke'.

No, I don't know that youngsters like him should be smoking and no, I don't think any service was provided.

Tip #4: The Bus Looks Something Like This:

(taken from Donsboyz)

Our minibus took us behind the buildings of Medan city onto the winding, village-looking dirt paths (see above picture), picking up 'villagers' along the road.

I suspect it's all done via telepathy, or a secret wink, as I wouldn't be able to tell if the random old lady with her shopping bag standing by the side of the road was chatting with a neighbour, waiting for her husband to pick her up, on the way home from marketing or waiting for the minibus to take her up to Berastagi.

The minibus driver always knows.

Him or the passenger-spotter/baggage-flinger hanging precariously on the outside of the minibus.

Just as I was impressed with the driver's knowledge of small roads and what I presumed to be a shortcut to Berastagi, off the crazy roads, our minibus emerged from the back alleys, did a U-turn over a road divider to take its deserving place amongst the crazy flow of traffic.