I tend to have some offbeat/quirky experiences wherever and whenever I travel. And here in Sumatra, Indonesia (Payakumbuh specifically), it’s been happening yet again.
And know what? I’m really enjoying it. I’ve gotten many laughs out of these situations (especially #5) and I hope you do, too.
Without further ado, here are 6 of the most offbeat experiences I’ve had so far on this trip:
1. Being flirted with by a reclusive mountain man who loves Westerns
Augus is a smart, funny and cool 56-year-old dude who says “I’m just a farmer who lives in a hut on the mountain.” (He’s actually super intelligent and helps many of the local kids do their homework.)
I hiked up and visited him there, with my friend Eti and some local students, and thought it was a great place to visit. It’s a gorgeous spot with lovely views of some serious mountains. And it’s quite far from town, so his solitude and privacy are guaranteed.
Anyway, Augus likes American TV (he watches it when he stays at his mother’s house down in the village) and says he calls himself “Augus Eastwood.”
Watch out, Clint!
‘Augus Eastwood’–mountain man and flirt
And he loves to memorize and use American idioms–even if they don’t always make sense in a given context. When he discovered that I’m single, as he is, he began to flirt. There were many entertaining lines he used on me, but here’s one of my favorites:
“I’d walk barefoot on broken glass to see your face again.”
Thanks, and if you do, I think you should wear some shoes.
(PS: I suspect I’ll be writing a full post about him at some point.)
2. Being told (by a 15-year-old) that I “walk like a man”
I was hiking with Afdhal, an English teacher from one of the local schools, and—Dino—a 15-year-old student of his. The hike got pretty rough and at one point, I opted to use a stick. Personally, I thought I resembled Moses in the “10 Commandments” movie, but, according to Dino, I was…
…“walking like a man.”
Me, Afdhal and Dino
I asked him to explain, perhaps by showing me what a woman walks like. And he did.
He gently placed one foot in front of the other, almost like a model might. Or someone walking on a balance beam. I mimicked him and he and Afdhal laughed.
And then, I resumed “walking like a man.” It was easier.
3. Getting pseudo kidnapped by an English Teacher/club owner
Early on during my time here, I went for a walk and got lost. Met a man named Hanafie. He invited me to speak to his students at his English club somewhere in the area. I said maybe, but I wasn’t sure. I already had quite a few things planned and didn’t want to over-extend myself.
Hanafie, the Pseudo Kidnapper
Later that day, after a few texts were exchanged (in one, I said I was not available…not sure if it went through), he showed up. At Eti’s house. Unannounced. He sent a student to the door to lure me outside. Then, once I was outside, another student somehow got me over to the car.
“Come on out for a little while…just a drive,” they said. Why I agreed, I’m not sure. (My bad, I know…)
An hour later, we somehow ended up at the English club. Hanafie’s place. The driver disappeared. Now it was me, him and some students. They were nice kids, but I wanted to return to Eti’s house ( I had other work to do) and couldn’t. I was felt trapped. And I didn’t like it.
And it was raining hard….and some mosquitoes had found their way inside. Fun, right?
Felt like I’d been kidnapped. No ransom required, fortunately. Just my time being taken.
Finally, a few hours later, I was freed from captivity. The driver returned and drove everyone home. (Hanafie has since apologized and I’ve accepted…he’s even invited me to his wedding!)
4. Visiting a “beautiful cave” that was…full of bats!
Eti, the English teacher and friend I’m staying with, told me that I really had to see the “beautiful cave” nearby—at a place called Ngalau Indah.
Sure, I said. Why not? We took her motorbike to get there and when we arrived, I thought the place was lovely. Rolling green hills and mountains. My kind of place.
“Come see the cave,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
And when I did, I wasn’t sure what to think. Yes, technically, it was beautiful. And trippy.
But it was also full of creepy sounding bats and the smell of their poop. And the electricity happened to be off when we were there, so we had to walk through with my iPhone as a flashlight.
Bat cave
A couple times, when I felt a bat flying a little too close (this didn’t happen too many times), I wigged a bit. Fortunately, we weren’t in there for too long.
And once outside again, I felt better. The scenery was lovely. And no more bats. Phew.
5. Being told ‘Your hair looks like orangutang hair.’
I was in Bukkitinggi with Eti. We were at the zoo, checking out a wide variety of animals, including the orangs. Sure enough, one of them had its hairy paw sticking out of the cage; it was red, orange and blonde.
Orang hair
Eti glanced over at it, then at my hair, then back again and said, “Your hair looks like orangutang hair.” She smiled, then laughed hysterically and I, well, I didn’t know what to think. At first.
Then, I started laughing, too. Why? I think she was right! My dad’s a hairdresser and has, over the past few years, led me into the realm of red/multi-colored hair.
My hair
If you look closely, you may see the resemblance. Or perhaps not…
6. Being reacted to with extreme fear…by children
Mostly, people (adults and children) here in this village are shocked and fascinated by my presence here–the fact that I’m foreign and that I’m even here. I haven’t seen one tourist in a few weeks (only when I went to Bukkitinggi, a tourist town that’s 1 hour away.) I’m the only one.
And so, many people look (and stare) at me. Kids sometimes follow me. “Hi, miss,” they say. Lots of people try to have extended chats in English and/or Indonesian. And they’re so friendly that I usually participate even if not in the mood.
On occasion, however, children are frightened by me. No joke here. One girl made some peculiar faces –really fearful ones–at me and touched my back and arm a few times—almost as if she didn’t think I was real.
Then, yesterday, a little boy burst into tears when I made eye contact with him. He ran to his mother and hid his face.
Scared baby
I’m not used to this, as you can imagine. It makes me feel a bit like Damien in “The Omen”. At least, the orangutangs didn’t run when I stood near their cage.
Oh wait, in that movie, I think it was the baboons that freaked and made a run for it.
Oh well. Close enough.
Thoughts/Reactions?
Have you been to Indonesia? Any quirky/offbeat experiences you’d like to share? Any thoughts/reactions re: those I’ve shared?
Ever had a child cry at the mere sight of you?
Does my hair look like an orangutang’s hair? 
Wherever you’ve traveled, I’d love to hear about your offbeat experiences with people/situations. Feel free to link to a relevant post if you’d like.
And if you’re still reading this post, I thank you. It’s now around 1250 words.