MY 1ST working trip out of the country

MY JOB takes me to places I never imagine I had the chance to go to. I've been to most of the countries in SEA. Most of the places I've been to were not really considered as tourist spots, but rather the deep jungles or the outskirts of major towns.

I remember my first working trip out of the country. I had to to do a presentation in a pulp & paper company back then in 2004. I was still working in my old place, I've not even joined the new company yet, but said they require my services urgently, so I had to take a few days off, to travel to this place.. (of course they paid me extra $$ back then). What I didn't know was how the journey would be. So, on 24th Sept 2004, I took a flight to Medan, Sumatera & after that we had to drive up to Lake Toba and spent a night there. The client's place is another hour away from Lake Toba. Driving up to Lake Toba took 7 hours.. on some long and winding road. Along the way, I saw many impoverished villages, mostly the of Orang Batak natives. Looking at their facilities or rather lack of facilities, made me feel sad for them. I saw naked kids running along the road, and people with no shoes walking around. It's hard to imagine living there.

I did not take my camera with me there, but these are some of the souvenirs I got.

It was great experience travelling there.. although the 7 hour journey (in an old jeep with lousy suspension) on the rocky road would made anyone even with balls of steel feel sore in their nuts....haha Travelling to these places sure made me appreciate the life I have back here.