Tourism - Emails from Sumatra, August 2011

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Mel


The guy who owns one of the 3 always nearly empty dens of inequity, here in the village, came along while I was having my usual sweet morning coffee, while looking out on the lake. He tried to get me to go to his cafe sometimes. I told him, the women at the cafe we go to is a fantastic cook and the cafe is right on the lake, so there would be no reason to go any place else. And, I privately felt happy that we had found the cafe we go to by the lake, as it is much nicer than sitting in the middle of a smoggy village, with the driver of every car and moped that passes keeping his elbow or fist firmly on the horn. The guy from the other tourist cafe told me that catering to tourists is the best way to make money here, as a regular job only pays 25$ US per month. He said, there are not nearly enough tourists though and thinks it is because of the fish farms and people dumping garbage in the jungle. I told him I think it has to do with fear of earth quakes, because the ones that appear on the world news look terrifying. Backpackers wouldn't avoid here because of the garbage in the jungle. In fact, they would likely volunteer themselves now and again to spend a day cleaning it up. I am not sure there is any kind of recycling here at all though. People dig holes and put all household garbage in them, including plastic bags and bottles, or else they just throw it in the lake or the jungle. Plastic really should be banned here and in any country that can't recycle it. Wrapping things in bananna leaves used to be perfectly adequate not so long ago. I suppose, people find plastic bags more modern or something, and don't want to deprive themselves of creating as much garbage as the countries with sophisticated recycling facilities do.
The wailing from the mosque is starting again. They are so incredibly loud, that every word can be distinguished even from the one several KM away, whose purpose it seems to be to wake the cockrals up so they can crow at dawn, to start of the rest of the days noise.

Dirk Jan

Only three more sleepings :)

Mel


2 more sleepings now. :) Be sure to start checking your flight on the internet to make sure no changes happen.

Also, bring your medical insurance card with you to Asia. Maybe the bank card would also be useful. Nobody can use it without the pin number? You could keep it in your backpack and your money in your moneybelt, as back up. As far as I know, you can use that card in a lot of ATMs here. But, there is a charge everytime, so not really great except in the event of an emergency. I hope, they find a good home for the guesthouse kittens, because we are not accepting the offer of one to take back to Germany with us. And, beside the lake where they can mewl at the fishermen every day to toss them a treat has to be better than living in a poop hund ridden German suburb.

Lydia found another pet yesterday, and damn scary it is too. Nevertheless she was petting it and finding it leaves to stand on, that would take its weight yesterday. It is a huge beetle, of the type I have only every seen behind glass in show cases before. And, she helps catch shrimp for the cafe turtle everyday, with the son of the cafe owner. She is unafraid of handling the live and wriggling shrimp too. I insisted, that she keep all her pets at least a meter away from me.

Hopefully, we will come accross flip flops for sale, before the ones we have give up. I think they would be here someplace, because everybody wears them, but I haven't seen them in any shops here in this town yet.


Dirk Jan

I'll pick some up at the Aldi or something.

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