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Published: January 1st 2011
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so where to begin?
We are no longer sick and in sumatra. our second trip to malaysia was short and very sweet. The goats at permaculture perak were stubborn but we once again made them our friends and had them eating out of our hands. Christmas was a small but merry time celebrated with fun folks from around the world. we feasted on a far from traditional dinner of stir fry, prawns and water buffalo bbq. After the buzzing streets of bangkok the highland jungle was the perfect place for respite and rejuvenation. we parted from our farm friends grudgingly but recharged and ready for the sumatran gauntlet. that lies ahead.
leading up to the flight from kuala lumpur to banda aceh it felt as though a dark expanse of unknown lay before us. it was not a negative feeling just that we truly have no clue what the next two months will hold. our flight was short and seemless if a bit bumpy and directly after exiting customs we were floored by the massive number of people smoking cigarettes everywhere. Another traveller who had been in sumatra a while mused that it is rude to Not smoke here.
As smokers its nice to have the freedom to light up anywhere however we come from the land of no smoking and this is all quite odd for us.
As a side note we are typing via our new tablet computer, a chinese knockoff that we picked up on the cheap in KL. We are behind the times and mostly clueless as tom how to use the thing and are trying but it came with no manual or instructions. our fingers are fatter than your average asian and typing is difficult but we hope to be able to chat with you fine people more often because of this cursed machine.
Remember the boxing dead sunami in 2004? We are smack dab in the middle co where it struck and killed tens of thousands of people and one of our favourite hardcore bands singers. Everything around the tiny island of pulau weh is less than five years old but with the way things age in the tropics one would not think that was the case. There was a new years bonfire supported by bad trance and house so we rang in the newyear on the beach with all the
locals then at 12:02 fled to our bungalow, away from the noise. Again a very non traditional celebration (we only drank one beer!) but very enjoyable (and balmy as heck at 28 celius).
Snorkling the nearby reefs is all we have planned before we leave this gem of a village and press deep into the volcanic jungles of the worlds sixth largest island. The holiday season had our thoughts lingering in hamilton and swirling around all you wonderful people. We deeply miss you and look forward to your lovely presence.
As for now we are off to eat dinner and fumble our way through another new language. Best wishes to everyone and may this new year be filled with more joy than sorrow.
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Dean
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Long Time Away
I am continually amazed at your adventures. Having done some travelling, I know that the memories will go for the rest of your lives and that someday you will marvel even more at what you have done. Thanks for keeping in touch and sharing the bits and pieces that you have time to send! Happy New Year!!! Looking forward to hearing about more adventures. Quiet here in southern Ontario with strange weather as usual. No snow. Temperatures about +8 this morning with 5 species of flowers blooming in our gardens and the Spring Peepers calling. Should be back to sub-freezing temperatures tomorrow and a bit of snow by the end of the week but so far we have missed all the storms that have been all around us. (4 feet of snow in London a week ago and one of the 400 highways closed for about 48 hours stranding hundreds of people on the road near Sarnia. Ran in -16 wind chill a week ago and in +8 for the New Years Eve Resolution run in Hamilton last night.)