Dumai, Indonesia (November 2017)

22 November 2017 (Wednesday)

Never thought I would have to travel out of Singapore to attend a wake and funeral in this lifetime. It was a last minute trip because my eldest aunt broke her leg and couldn't attend so my dad had to attend in her stead. My parents couldn't go there alone cause the journey there is complicated af so I had to accompany them there. Although the place looks quite close in the map to Singapore but there is no direct flight there at all. There are many alternatives to arrive at Dumai but because it's a last minute one, there aren't many options.

Firstly, we had to travel from Singapore > Medan. I heard Medan is a beautiful place but the furthest we could go was the airport 'cause they aren't enough time to transfer to a domestic flight to Dumai.

We went to eat and etc while waiting for the flight which was at 11+am. It took quite awhile and so I went to check the boarding time at the screen and suddenly it became 3pm or something??? I went to tell my mum and she went to ask the people there. Apparently the flight really got delayed for 3 hours plus :-( Had to wait so long for just a 30 minutes to an hour flight.

So we waited... and waited... and finally board the flight but we nearly board the wrong one :-) Thank God we noticed it fast 'cause the plane was so huge. The air stewardess even checked our ticket and she had no clue at first that we boarded the wrong plane zzz. So we squeezed our way out of the flight and asked the people there. Apparently we had to take a bus to the plane cause it was quite far away. WHUT!? LOL

In the end, the plane was so small and squeezy and really humid. Never boarded such a plane before... It was quite scary.

Finally arrived at the Dumai Airport (it doesn't even look like an airport). Cultural shock because they have to push the luggage out of the plane and drag it to the airport.

Yeah, and they just put the luggage on the floor and you can just go and collect it like that. HAHAHA.

The airport and toilet looks like something that comes out of the 70s or 80s. We don't even see this kind of building in Singapore anymore. Waited for our cousin to come fetch us to the hotel which was just near my granduncle's house.

We were so shock 'cause all these banners were up throughout few streets?? They were all for my granduncle from all over Indonesia I think, I don't know.

But anyway yeah we reached there safely and didn't missed any flights...

Didn't do much but had dinner nearby and then stayed around the house and went back to the hotel at night to rest early.

23 November 2017 (Thursday)

Woke up the next day and had breakfast and the hotel first before heading to the house to wait for the funeral which started at around noon I guess. There was so many people and it's really quite an experience. After everything, the driver drove us to the burial area which was a huge land in between some plantations.

After the funeral, we went back to rest before heading to the house in the evening just thinking we would stay awhile there. My relatives ended up bringing us out to eat Satay and then headed to one of my uncle's house to visit. Stayed in the house till around midnight or something before we headed back to the hotel.

24 November 2017 (Friday)

Went to the house in the morning again while waiting for one of my uncle to call and let us know when it's time for the flight before the driver sent us to the airport.

Back to Medan again and it was so nerve-wrecking 'cause the flight timing was so close to one another and I'm so afraid the flight from Dumai would delay?? Thankfully all went well and we were able to get home safely... Such a tiring trip. Also thankful my mum speaks malay else the trip's gonna be worst.