Hey guys! I am back again to tell you about my experience on domestic travel in Indonesia, especially via train. Before this, I have mentioned that you would need to obtain a negative result of either antigen test or genose. I have laid out some of the pros and cons of this option via this post Experience Antigen Test . Then, @livinguktaiwan asked a great question.
Is there a minimum distance limit before you need one?
I met two scruffy teenage boys around fifteen at the train station who told me that they are returning to their hometown, which is located about an hour via train from my hometown station. He was hitchhiking with his friend and decided to go back by train since it was faster. These scruffy boys were chatty, so I tried to ask him a few questions. He told me that he didn't need to provide any test since it's only considered a short travel period. Another passenger who was also chatting with the boy confirmed that. So the test isn't mandatory if we're traveling under 3 hours.
That night, the railway station was empty. There weren't that many people traveling. My cousin Ray, who boarded first, told me that he was the only one boarding the train from our hometown station. The empty railway station has never been the case before. It was always buzzing and packed with people. But as you can see below, it was vacant.
We are going with a premium economy train which is always quite comfortable. But, surprisingly, that day the train was quite full. In Indonesia, there are several types of train classes. The first one is the economy train with a three-person seating arrangement and six people facing each other. Another one is a premium economy class with two-person seating. Then, a business class with similar seating as the premium economy and the executive train with two-person seating and reclining chair, table, and more legroom. I normally expect a premium economy to be quite empty, but that day, it was packed.
Five months ago, when I was traveling back home, I was given a face shield upon boarding, but today, my mom and I were only given a face mask and wet tissue. In addition, the staff checked our temperature twice during the journey. I thought it was stricter since the new variant is on the rise, but unfortunately, it's even laxer.
I was quite anxious during the journey. So after 20 minutes of being inside the train, I told my mom that I am going to the train's restaurant. When I went there, I got more anxious as the train stopped due to a sick passenger. Two doctors were checking the woman who was in front of me.
" Does she have covid?" that was the first that came to my mind. After that, I started to get a bit worried. I mean, I was sitting facing that woman in quite a chaotic situation where all the staffs gather at the train's restaurant. But, thankfully, it was just stress, and the staff let her go after 20 minutes. So, I continued pulling my laptop and then updating it. The restaurant inside the train is probably the comfiest place. It has more legroom, the table is bigger, and it has food.
Five months ago, eating food was quite difficult and wasn't recommended during the journey. But yesterday, I got the chance to eat the train's meal. Unfortunately, the train's meal is pricey. So it can feel like a rip-off, but I promise, the meal is always warm and delicious. The train restaurant serves numerous Indonesian meals. Their signature is fried rice, but yesterday, it was only Nasi Rendang.
Nasi Rendang is considered one of the most delicious dishes in the world according to GO CCN and 35000 readers as written by keasberry.com. I don't doubt that. Though, train meal is often synonymous with overpriced and fast-food but the rendang at the train's restaurant is a pretty good deal. So as you can see in the box meal below, this Rendang box consists of rice, rendang (Indonesian beef stew), spicy potato, papaya leaves, and sambal ijo (spicy green chili sauce). The meat was soft, flavorsome, and filling. It was a great meal especially it was served hot.
The journey that my mom and I took is about 4 hours. It felt like one of the longest rides ever. In the past, traveling by train is quite convenient, yet now, riding by train can be quite hassle and scary. To prevent my mom and me from getting covid-19, we always wash our hands, not touching our face, and getting more vitamins such as vitamin D, C, Zinc, and magnesium days before the departure and also during the travels. We also avoid eating food that could trigger our illness. To sum up my story, here are some of the things that you can expect and do when traveling via train in Indonesia:
- Antigen or Genose test result before boarding.
- Never travel when you feel sick especially having flu and fever.
- Please don't get too nervous as I did.
- Sanitize your hand continuously since you'll be sharing handles and surfaces with other people.
- You will get a complimentary mask and wet tissue.
- You'll meet some people who are not quite self-conscious(no mask and no physical distancing).
- You will also get a temperature check at least twice during the journey.
- Finally, just enjoy the ride but stay vigilant.
Despite all the hassles, my mom and I managed to arrive safely. Unfortunately, yesterday was also the first time I fall asleep at around 2 AM. Then, this morning we went to visit a science theme park where we got to experience it ourselves. That will be the story in the next post, where I will tell you what it's like to enjoy a theme park for only the three of us.
 | Mac covers technology, philosophy, nootropics, books, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than those, she is passionate about cooking and travel. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. Hive is the only social media and blog that she has. |