From airport to Padang Panjang

Continuing from From Padang back to the airport.

Our friends from Malaysia arrived at around 8 am local time. After their passport, immigration and customs checks were settled we joined them to get on this bus.

There 22 or so of them. Including me and the 4 who came a day earlier that makes a total of 27 or so if memory serves me right.

We have to join them at the airport as they would not stop nor pass by Padang.

For the record (again), Padang is situated some 30 km south of the airport. While our destination for the day, the area called Pagaruyung is about 100 km to the north-east.

As we go along we could see the 9,000 feet plus (from sea level) high Gunung (mount) Merapi, the highest mountain in the Minangkabau world partly wrapped by the clouds.

Soon we started climbing getting up to the local highlands.

We passed by a waterfall then a number of swimming pools fed by a nearby cool river...

Next we reached the city of Padang Panjang.

A check with Google Earth shows it is situated at more than 2,500 feet above sea level.

But this is only 50 km away from the airport. We were only halfway to our destination for the day...