Was missing your video uploads for a while. Was going to check your channel out for any news and you upstaged me with your latest post. Was nice watching this video. Train travel is Always a pleasant adventure, when everything goes well. Paddy fields are always a delight to see. The oil palm plantations seemed not well taken care of, with heavy undergrowth. Must be saving on weeding expenditure.😢
I noticed the undergrowth in the palm oil plantations as well. I wondered what was going on. I've ridden my bicycle through lots of oil palm areas on Sumatra before, and they usually look quite neat from the road with ordered rows of trees and cleared spaces. Perhaps, just like areas in cities, the sections of palm oil plantations near railroad tracks get neglected. Yes, the train ride was great. I find that once I've figured out how a particular train line and the train stations work, I want to ride on it all the time. I could easily hop on this train and go back to Medan and then return here just for the fun of riding the train. Sit in the dining car with my laptop and let the scenery flow by.
@PlanetDoug BTW, the oil palm plantations industry was spurred by the arrival of European expatriate planters from Malaysia who had their job contracts ended. So the structural tree planting scheme was brought along to Sumatra and the start of massive rapid oil palm tree planting to the point where Indonesia eventually replaced Malaysia as the world's largest palm oil producer.
Yes, I was reunited with my bicycle. I didn't show it in the video. I guess I was a bit flustered by the long day. But as the man escorted me to the stairs, he pointed to the left and he was indicating that my bicycle was still there and was safe. I had made sure to grease the chain and otherwise get the bike ready to be left unattended for a while. And I had covered it with a tarp and tied it down to keep it safe from water and dust, etc. I'm a big fan of timelapses, as you know. The wider world doesn't seem to appreciate them quite as much. But I guess we camera geeks and RUclipsrs get a kick out of them.
It was a pleasure to meet you, too. I hope you didn't mind all of my questions about your life and your work. It's somewhat rare for me to have the chance to have such a long conversation in English. I always have so many questions about life in Indonesia. And, as you saw, I had no trouble getting a becak from the train station. I told you that I was going to walk from the train station to downtown before getting a becak, but that older man walked with me all the way through the parking lot, and it made sense to just get a ride with him. That was a lot of fun. By the way, what did you think of the price for that ride? I remember you told me that it could cost around 20,000 rupiah. And he charged me 30,000. But that's not so bad, right? I was also curious about how he asked me to pay for gas as well. That has often happened to me when I've taken a becak. I don't mind doing that, of course. But I wonder if that only happens to a foreign visitor like me. Is it normal to ask the passenger to pay extra for the gas?
@@PlanetDougyouve been scammed from head to toe Doug. I think you shouldve realised that by now. In Indonesia they called it 'pungli' or 'pungutan liar' (wild collection). Its a disease down there. Even the authorities are doing it.
I guess it just doesn't seem that serious to me. I was pretty sure that it isn't normal to charge your passenger for a bottle of gas on top of the price for the trip itself. But it's not such a big deal at 7,000 rupiah. And when it happens, it's almost like the becak driver is asking for a favor or a tip. He gestures at the bottles of gas in a friendly way as if to say, "Hey, what do you think? You think you could spring for a bottle of gas, too?" So it doesn't feel like a scam, if you know what I mean. I remember when I took a becak to the ferry terminal a couple of months ago, we agreed on 50,000 rupiah for the trip. And he also asked me to pay for gas as well, which I was happy to do. But when we got to the ferry terminal, he raised his price to 100,000 rupiah. I thought that was a bit much, and I refused. I had already paid for the extra gas. And we agreed on 50,000 beforehand. So I gave him just the 50,000 and not the 100,000 he was suddenly asking for. A funny thing is that if he had asked for 100,000 right from the beginning, I would have agreed to it. It was quite a long trip, and it was very early in the morning. I think 100,000 was a reasonable amount to ask for given the time of the morning and the distance. But he asked for 50,000 only. So we agreed on that. Then it felt like too much to suddenly ask for 100,000 when we arrived. So I guess I treat these things on a case-by-case basis. 😊
I know? Isn't it amazing. I couldn't believe it. I guess all my talk about how much better the Indomaret stores are trickled up to the head office and they put one in my neighborhood. I've since had the chance to visit both the Indomaret and the Alfamart. And the difference was just as dramatic as I expected. The transaction was smooth and fast and efficient at the Indomaret and quite slow and problematic at the Alfamart. Both are equally popular, though. I thought the Alfamart would be a ghost town, but it was as full and bustling as always.
It's a secret message on Planet Doug. CC stands for the Crunch Club. People leave the CC comment to tell me that they watched the video all the way to the very end, which makes them members of the prestigious Planet Doug Crunch Club. 😁
I remember last time you talked about poor wifi connection for this room. Because the router waz little far away😊 is it same? If so you could have booked room near wifi router.
Unfortunately, all the inexpensive single rooms are in the same location. They are all just as far away from the router. To get a better WiFi connection would mean getting a more expensive double room in the main part of the hotel. But using a smartphone Hotspot with this Asus TUF is working fairly well. So I'm just paying for mobile data and getting online that way. It's not great but it's working out okay.
I was using only one camera on this train ride, the GoPro Hero 12. I don't know if you could ever see it when it was mounted on the neck harness. You'd only be able to see it if I walked by a mirror. But maybe you're thinking that the quick release mechanism on the neck harness is actually a camera? It does look a bit like an Insta360 Go. Those are very small. However, what you're seeing, I think, is just the mounting base of the neck harness itself. It's quite large.
It IS interesting that just this quick release mount is about the same size as the Insta360 Go camera. And those Go cameras have gotten so much better that I wonder if one of those would be a better option than trying to hang a GoPro around your neck or on a chest harness. I've been watching videos from a motovlogger called Marc Travels, and he is using only two Insta360 Go cameras and nothing else. I'm not sure if they are the Go 3 or the Go 3s models. He has one mounted on the chin of his helmet and one attached to the mirror of his electric motorcycle, and that's all. And his videos look fine. Though I'm not sure how he is handling audio. I'm also not sure if he runs into trouble with battery life and memory limitations etc. There might be problems with using such small cameras that I'm not aware of. But they seem like a viable option. I'd love to try one out. It would be a lot more convenient than hanging a GoPro plus Media Mod plus Rode Wireless Go around my neck.
Indonesian teacher requires period of certification especially if you got teaching jobs with non-permanent status. To get the actual permanent status which means higher salary , you need those certifications or you can always get back to college and getting that teaching degree from qualified universities. This is the bad legacy from the past when many schools hiring teacher under non-permanent status due to teacher shortage with actual teaching degree. Thats probably what the lady said to you.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I kept looking at the food track behind your seat, so distracting lol
CC. Nice video thanks Doug
Thanks. It was a fun train ride despite the challenges along the way.
Was missing your video uploads for a while. Was going to check your channel out for any news and you upstaged me with your latest post.
Was nice watching this video. Train travel is Always a pleasant adventure, when everything goes well.
Paddy fields are always a delight to see. The oil palm plantations seemed not well taken care of, with heavy undergrowth. Must be saving on weeding expenditure.😢
I noticed the undergrowth in the palm oil plantations as well. I wondered what was going on. I've ridden my bicycle through lots of oil palm areas on Sumatra before, and they usually look quite neat from the road with ordered rows of trees and cleared spaces. Perhaps, just like areas in cities, the sections of palm oil plantations near railroad tracks get neglected.
Yes, the train ride was great. I find that once I've figured out how a particular train line and the train stations work, I want to ride on it all the time. I could easily hop on this train and go back to Medan and then return here just for the fun of riding the train. Sit in the dining car with my laptop and let the scenery flow by.
@PlanetDoug BTW, the oil palm plantations industry was spurred by the arrival of European expatriate planters from Malaysia who had their job contracts ended. So the structural tree planting scheme was brought along to Sumatra and the start of massive rapid oil palm tree planting to the point where Indonesia eventually replaced Malaysia as the world's largest palm oil producer.
Did you get reunited with your bike on that day itself? Was it well kept? Btw love love love the timelapse sequence of you unpacking.
Yes, I was reunited with my bicycle. I didn't show it in the video. I guess I was a bit flustered by the long day. But as the man escorted me to the stairs, he pointed to the left and he was indicating that my bicycle was still there and was safe. I had made sure to grease the chain and otherwise get the bike ready to be left unattended for a while. And I had covered it with a tarp and tied it down to keep it safe from water and dust, etc.
I'm a big fan of timelapses, as you know. The wider world doesn't seem to appreciate them quite as much. But I guess we camera geeks and RUclipsrs get a kick out of them.
We are the couple that you meet in train. It's nice to talked with you sir, a nice conversation. Have a nice trip in Malaysia sir.
It was a pleasure to meet you, too. I hope you didn't mind all of my questions about your life and your work. It's somewhat rare for me to have the chance to have such a long conversation in English. I always have so many questions about life in Indonesia.
And, as you saw, I had no trouble getting a becak from the train station. I told you that I was going to walk from the train station to downtown before getting a becak, but that older man walked with me all the way through the parking lot, and it made sense to just get a ride with him. That was a lot of fun.
By the way, what did you think of the price for that ride? I remember you told me that it could cost around 20,000 rupiah. And he charged me 30,000. But that's not so bad, right?
I was also curious about how he asked me to pay for gas as well. That has often happened to me when I've taken a becak. I don't mind doing that, of course. But I wonder if that only happens to a foreign visitor like me. Is it normal to ask the passenger to pay extra for the gas?
@@PlanetDougyouve been scammed from head to toe Doug. I think you shouldve realised that by now. In Indonesia they called it 'pungli' or 'pungutan liar' (wild collection). Its a disease down there. Even the authorities are doing it.
I guess it just doesn't seem that serious to me. I was pretty sure that it isn't normal to charge your passenger for a bottle of gas on top of the price for the trip itself. But it's not such a big deal at 7,000 rupiah. And when it happens, it's almost like the becak driver is asking for a favor or a tip. He gestures at the bottles of gas in a friendly way as if to say, "Hey, what do you think? You think you could spring for a bottle of gas, too?" So it doesn't feel like a scam, if you know what I mean.
I remember when I took a becak to the ferry terminal a couple of months ago, we agreed on 50,000 rupiah for the trip. And he also asked me to pay for gas as well, which I was happy to do. But when we got to the ferry terminal, he raised his price to 100,000 rupiah. I thought that was a bit much, and I refused. I had already paid for the extra gas. And we agreed on 50,000 beforehand. So I gave him just the 50,000 and not the 100,000 he was suddenly asking for.
A funny thing is that if he had asked for 100,000 right from the beginning, I would have agreed to it. It was quite a long trip, and it was very early in the morning. I think 100,000 was a reasonable amount to ask for given the time of the morning and the distance. But he asked for 50,000 only. So we agreed on that. Then it felt like too much to suddenly ask for 100,000 when we arrived.
So I guess I treat these things on a case-by-case basis. 😊
Indomerat watching your videos, n decided to open one per your wish. 😅
Cc
I know? Isn't it amazing. I couldn't believe it. I guess all my talk about how much better the Indomaret stores are trickled up to the head office and they put one in my neighborhood.
I've since had the chance to visit both the Indomaret and the Alfamart. And the difference was just as dramatic as I expected. The transaction was smooth and fast and efficient at the Indomaret and quite slow and problematic at the Alfamart. Both are equally popular, though. I thought the Alfamart would be a ghost town, but it was as full and bustling as always.
CC is Closed Caption. I don't understand why they leave comments like that.
It's a secret message on Planet Doug. CC stands for the Crunch Club. People leave the CC comment to tell me that they watched the video all the way to the very end, which makes them members of the prestigious Planet Doug Crunch Club. 😁
Merry Xmas!🎂And Happee New Year!
Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you, too. Hope you have a great 2025.
I remember last time you talked about poor wifi connection for this room. Because the router waz little far away😊 is it same? If so you could have booked room near wifi router.
Unfortunately, all the inexpensive single rooms are in the same location. They are all just as far away from the router. To get a better WiFi connection would mean getting a more expensive double room in the main part of the hotel. But using a smartphone Hotspot with this Asus TUF is working fairly well. So I'm just paying for mobile data and getting online that way. It's not great but it's working out okay.
Cc nice conclusion for the detour....back to tanjung balai
Doug what's that camera on your neck harness?
I was using only one camera on this train ride, the GoPro Hero 12. I don't know if you could ever see it when it was mounted on the neck harness. You'd only be able to see it if I walked by a mirror. But maybe you're thinking that the quick release mechanism on the neck harness is actually a camera? It does look a bit like an Insta360 Go. Those are very small.
However, what you're seeing, I think, is just the mounting base of the neck harness itself. It's quite large.
@PlanetDoug yes it was the quick release! OK that's kinda funny
It IS interesting that just this quick release mount is about the same size as the Insta360 Go camera. And those Go cameras have gotten so much better that I wonder if one of those would be a better option than trying to hang a GoPro around your neck or on a chest harness.
I've been watching videos from a motovlogger called Marc Travels, and he is using only two Insta360 Go cameras and nothing else. I'm not sure if they are the Go 3 or the Go 3s models. He has one mounted on the chin of his helmet and one attached to the mirror of his electric motorcycle, and that's all. And his videos look fine. Though I'm not sure how he is handling audio. I'm also not sure if he runs into trouble with battery life and memory limitations etc.
There might be problems with using such small cameras that I'm not aware of. But they seem like a viable option. I'd love to try one out. It would be a lot more convenient than hanging a GoPro plus Media Mod plus Rode Wireless Go around my neck.
🙏
CC… always
Indonesian teacher requires period of certification especially if you got teaching jobs with non-permanent status. To get the actual permanent status which means higher salary , you need those certifications or you can always get back to college and getting that teaching degree from qualified universities. This is the bad legacy from the past when many schools hiring teacher under non-permanent status due to teacher shortage with actual teaching degree.
Thats probably what the lady said to you.
CC
Cc