In Palau Weh Sabang

13/7/11

   Left in the afternoon for Medan in a car with some others, was dropped off at the village where the bus goes to Banda Aceh. It's an over night bus which got to town at about 6am, so 12 hrs, really not liking this bus thing, motorbike is wwwaaaayyyyyy better.

 Here's the guides song from Bukit Lawang

14/7/11

From the bus station I shared a taxi with the only other westerner to the ferry terminal, and after meeting some guys from a Pulsar (225cc) motorbike club, even got to go for a little ride on one, nice bike actually. Court the 9.30 ferry to Palau Weh, then another shared taxi out to Iboih Beach.

Finally some time to relax, got a bungalow that is near the water with a slightly obscured view, i.e a bit cheaper. 

From behind

From the deck

15/7/11

  Went for a swim/snorkel around the neighbouring island, about 3km in total, very good visibility, lots to see so will be going for some dives tomorrow.

16/7/11 and 17/7/11

  Went for 3 dive was great saw heaps of moray eels, fan corals, trigger fish, angel fish, and a black tip reef shark. Have decided to do my advanced open water as it is only $237EU.

18/7/11 to 24/7/11

  Have been diving a lot done my advanced course so now can go to 40m, had an awesome night dive saw the Biggest giant Moray yet and almost swam into a massive turtle. This happens when you are near the bottom looking at little shit with your light, sense something move to the left look up and about 5ft away was this big guy cruising along straight across my path, magnificent. I signaled the others and we all followed it for a while, he did seem to mind, stopped for a bit of a feed on some coral then swam on. We ran into him again later on in the dive but he wasn't so keen to have all our light on him then so buggered off.

  Well it sort of gets same same is now, as always when I spend a long time in one spot, swimming eating, playing games, studying, swim eating sleeping (sometimes in the middle of the day) eating.

 I did rent a motorbike yesterday and pretty much road around the island, was great to be back on the road, even on a shitty semmy auto rental that got a flat tyre before I made it to town, 23km. So I had to buy a second hand inner tube for just over a dollar including fitting. 

I'm looking at spending the rest of my visa here then fling from Banda Aceh to Penang, Malaysia before heading back to KL for my flight to Sri Lanka on the 10^th of August, man am I looking forward to getting to India. I WANT A MOTORBIKE, I WANT A MOTORBIKE, yes I'm suffering withdrawal.

 Anyway hope everyone is well in the world

  Enjoy your life.

   I am.

Bukit Lawang

7/7/11

Feeling much better in the morning so have decided to head for Medan. It is school holidays here and it seems everyone wants to travel by bus, it took 6hrs to catch a bus 2 an hour where full. Eventually got on one and lucky I called ahead to reserve a room as I didn't get to Medan hostel till after 2100. The trip itself was suppose to be 4 hours but took 6, it seem all bus trips are half again whatever you are quoted.

8/7/11

Place I stayed in Medan wasn't too flash, very expensive for food, but they did have some scooters and one motorbike for rent. So I told the lady I wanted to rent the bike last night for about 4 days. But the bike hasn't been here all day today and she doesn't seem to care about finding the workers who have it, I think they expect all people who come here to buy tours and pay them for transport to Bukit Lawang.

and you must keep your eyes down at all times on the foot paths here.

9/7/11

Off to Bukit Lawang, took a while to get to the bus, took a local bus to the middle of town. Then walked to the main road out of town, lucky have GPS again, and then share taxi thing to some Plaza, he heard me wrong. Walked back to main road then another share taxi thing to a petrol station, this one had where I was going on the windscreen, but still got dropped off at the wrong place. Walked back toward the main road and saw some tourists getting out of a taxi, asked and they where heading to Lawang too so just followed them.

In Bukit Lawang book a two day one night trek in the jungle to see the Orangutans, with the same guide as the Quebec couple I had follow here. We ended up with 5 in our group, but also 5 in another group doing the same.

10/7/11

Started early ish, the trek actually started from where I'm staying just walked out the back and up into a rubber plantation, also straight into the first group of monkeys. Once everyone had taken plenty of photos and video and gone ooohhhh, aaahhhhh a bit we carried on to the jungle itself, which wasn't really that far. Very soon after entering the Jungle proper we got to see our first two Orangutans which was cool, they where high up and doing some warm rain, you have to be very carefully of the warm rain they like to get over you and pee, they where a pair male and female both wild too I think. That encounter obviously had a lot more ohhhh's and aaaarrrhhh's and photos and videos.

  Internet wa too slow so have added this video. As you can see ladies it is in our nature to scratch our ass, we cannot help it.
We headed on after a while, the guides don't rush you really unless there are a few groups starting to pile up together. Not far from the first two where a mother and baby, unfortunately we had spent too long ooohhhhing at the last, as they had just been on the ground and up to the group ahead of us just before we got there, the mum had stolen a scarf off one lady and was draping it over here head, like a good Muslim Orangutan. We had to go up and down a bit, not high just steep, and walking along the very ridge of the hills looking down fairly steep slops on both side, it was awesome.

A while later we come across a huge male who was wild, not a rehab one, who was close for a while. I'm not sure if it was the case but I believe the 2 people taking photos with flash where making them go up the trees a bit sooner. I still got some good video and photos of the big fella. After that I pick up my bag then went to get something out of it and a big red legged centipede came out the top, it hadn't been on the ground very long, but of course it is only partly seal able at the top by Velcro so have to be weary of that.

Walked for a while after that stopping for lunch along the way, heaps of fruit and some nasi goreng. When we where getting closer to the end of the days walk we came across Mina who is famous for being aggressive, she has bitten a few tourist and guide including our guide, so we where hurried past and down to a stream, apparently Orangutan's don't like water because they cannot swim, she start following us down the hill though so had to head up the other side and away.

Finally arrived at a camp area next to the river, which was lovely and cool, and enjoyed a swim. Dinner was great and slept on very thin foam mates which I didn't find too bad after living in a tent for 6 months around Aussie.

11/7/11

Nice relaxing day as we had seen 9 Orangutans, 4 types of monkey, a peacock, and monitor lizard the day before everyone was happy to chill by the river and stand under a waterfall on a tributary. An English guy and myself floated back to camp for lunch which hurt a bit as it was through some rapids but still enjoyable.

12/7/11

Looked into getting a ticket to Bali or at least south Java but the prices went up soon after I looked so I didn't book any in the end, will look at heading to Archa instead in north Sumatra. Went to the bat cave but my light, on my lighter wasn't good enough lol. Will buy a torch tomorrow.

Phone numbers

Obviously i have a phone again so if you want me to contact you aat any point you will need to send me your number.

Now in Indonesia

29/6/11

   Did very little just hung around the hostel catching up on Internet stuff and waiting for William to arrive. Court the train to the airport to and meet William and his friend Ian, then went back to Ian's place. Had my first Durian on the way there, was ok actually surprised at that, although the flavour does stay with you for quite a while.

  Great minds have the same hair style

30/6/11

   We went around some local places, and had some lovely Indian food. Also went to the Batu Caves in the afternoon which where interesting, now I have a new phone, thanks to William, I actually have some photos again.

  Some creatures would be scary in the dark cave...

1/7/11

   Walked around the local area in the morning, it is nice to be out of central Kuala Lumpur and away from all the touristy shit. Went with Ian for a drive south to see a Burmese monk who had come over. Lots of palm trees, apparently for the palm oil. Had some lovely vegetarian meals, nice to be in places that don't charge extra because your a tourist.

  So which is the more developed country....
  Yes you guessed it the satellite dishes are in a little village just over the border from Vietnam in Cambodia and the aerials are in Malaysia. Unfortunately i do not have the photo of a little bamboo hut, about the size of my hotel room squeezed in a gap on a 3 way intersection in Laos with a satellite dish.
  Why are they so expensive in New Zealand and Australia when people who cannot even afford a piece of land can afford one?

2/7/11

   Went up north with William and some of Ian's friend for a Durian run, well feast actually for Ian and friend, William and I had more fresh pineapple and other fruits. Once the feasting was done we headed out a back road to a Durian orchid which was very cool. As one person said luckily Newton sat under an apple tree or he would have died discovering gravity under a Durian tree.

On the way there this place had the biggest bananas I've ever seen, apparently for cooking.

 The feast.

  The orchard
  Know there is a problem with Durian, those who have traveled Asia will know, it is banned on most public transport and even in a lot of hotel. This is because of the smell, i didn't find that to bad, until it started coming out as burbs and farts from the 5 other people who had been gorging on it earlier in the day...

   Had a wonderful family dinner with Ian's brother and children and grand children, very nice vegetable Currey, king prawns, lemon chicken, fish. The problem with travelling on your own is the fact that when out at restaurants like that you have to order only one dish or waste lots, so was nice to be able to sample lots of different dishes.

3/7/11 to 6/7/11

   Had to rush the plans a bit last night but all has turn out good (so far). have made it to Port Klang in time for the 9am ferry, even though it was 9.15 when I arrived, to Dumai in Sumatra, saying all that the ferry didn't leave until 11am. Lucky I changed some American dollars to Malaysian Ringgit with Ian as the ferry cost $125MYR instead of the $80 advertised, it does mean I only have $5MYR left, which doesn't worry me as I'm on my way to Indonesia lol, I do have some American left tho and that is what I will need for the visa.

Once off the ferry at about 1400 I had no issues getting a visa or with customs, although I did get my first pat down. I walked into town and found an ATM, I had no idea of the exchange rate, so got the max out of 1.2mil turns out that is about $135 Australian. Then as I was getting conflicting information about where the bus terminal was I walk around a bit till I found a CFC, yes that's the Indonesian version of KFC, which had free WIFI, don't you love developing countries where Internet is often free unlike developed counties where they just want your money.

   I found out there was a bus leaving at 1800 for Parapat which is up towards the Orangutang place but could not find where the bus terminal was, so I gave in and let the old guy who had been following me for over 2 hrs take me there on his cyclo, the poor bastard he almost bit of more than he could chew there and unfortunately for him we agreed on the price before we left. He was hoping to drop me at a bus ticket place on the way to the station but kept going to the wrong ones and had to ride the whole way then tried to double the price because it was hard work, I gave him and extra 10,000 for the effort but was not paying 100,000 when he had said 50,000.

Sipoholon, I think, at about 0700 where I had to wait for the local mini van to take me on to Parapat, where I arrived at about 1230. so for those not counting that was up at 0640 on the 3^rd and off the last bus almost 30hrs later, I'll be looking for other means of transport in Indo probable ferry.

   I was obviously shattered by the time I got here and feeling a bit under the weather, sore throat, head ache, ear ache. So I walked into town a little way found a hotel, and have been laid up in bed for the last 2 days. Fever broke last night so only sore throat and head arch to go now.

 Lake Toba

Now if I've counted right this is the 55th place I've stayed, including the boat in Ha long Bay, and Ian's place.