On the west coast of Sumartra is a town called Padang. It’s a pretty place, right on the ocean, and home to a massive bus terminal. It was no problem finding seats on one loaded to the max with trade goods and luggage, but once it’s driven onto a new weighbridge, and is apparently too heavy, the Officials won’t let us leave. Tis a worry, yet how they solve this dilemma is a with a taste of pure Eastern logic.
Half the bags are transferred off our roof onto another truck. We now drive onto the weighbridge again, get the green light, drive 100m further to where the truck is waiting, and
shift everything back onto our roof. This is all done in plain sight of the Officials, but they appear to be not the slightest bit concerned ? Who cares about the roads, their job is only to make sure no overweight vehicle drives over their scales !
The left hand in Asia.
Here a few tips for travellers.
It is very rude in SE Asia to give anything to someone else with your left hand, (even just pass the salt at a meal), because, before the invention of dunny paper, everyone washed their bum with their left hand .
It is also not at all polite to gesture towards anyone with your foot.
Another custom we were advied about is, if you are on a train or bus, never step over any person sleeping on the floor. This is a deadly insult. So if you need to go down a carriage to the toilet, you have to shake every sleeping body. They will sit up, let you pass by, and then lay down again .. well, till you have to come back.