On the weekend of New Years Jo, Me, Nerys, Remko and Erica went back to Sabang for some chill out time. I stayed in a slightly better Bungalow than my last visit (Although Jo was adamant that it was merely a hut “Bungalows don’t go on stilts!”). It got me thinking about how much else has changed since last time I was here, only 2 months ago. When I came here last time I had no ties, my life in a backpack. Now I’m back with a job, friends. On New Year’s Eve I thought aloud, “What did I do to get this lucky.” “Well it certainly wasn’t dancing like a crazy monkey.” replied Jo, charmingly, as usual. I’m not quite sure I agree with her. New Year’s Eve was cool. There were a big group ... read more

My birthday (3rd of December for those who missed it!!!) was so legendary, that it warrants 2 blog entries. During the day I received the welcome phone calls from friends and family. It was really special to hear from home. Then I went to the beach with 4 local staff from work, 2 tunas ($11) and a BBQ. It was great to spend a day on the beach; I really love to swim in the sea. It was also cool to hang out with some Indonesian people, to remind me of where I was actually spending my birthday. However going to the beach was also a reason of why I was here. The area is still devastated by the tsunami. Hills stripped bare up to the water mark of the wave, People living in tents. Look ... read more

OK, this is where I feel a little guilty, and really lucky. Once I officially got the job, I moved into one of the NGO houses. For someone who had spent the last month backpacking around Sumatra, living in some fairly grotty accommodation just having space to call my own was luxury. But it was far more than just that. I am sharing the house with an older Peruvian doctor called Atilio. He’s great, we’re already planning the first party! There’s a DVD player, Satellite TV, Stereo, Fully equipped kitchen. Everything provided! Every house has its own driver, to take us where we want to go; plus a cleaner who comes in during the week. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone clean my room! I feel kinda like I don’t deserve all this, I ... read more

So what does an Australian guy who works in Indonesia, with only 2 days holiday do when there's no ferry - He charters a boat, and drags me along for the ride (and to share the cost). Sure, it totally blew the days budget, but, hey it'd be an adventure. As it turned out abit too much of an adventure. A 6m boat, which the driver pretty much surfed down the ocean swells, a diesel engine right next to my ear, and I got drenched. But at least by the end of it I was on a tropical paradise. There was one catch to my plan. This being the biggest holiday of the year, and this being the best holiday destination for the 1800 ex-pats in Banda Aceh, accommodation was somewhat at a premium. However I ... read more

OK, this is where things get REALLY interesting. My primary reason for coming to Aceh was to find some volunteer relief work to help people who were affected by the tsunami. It has been quite an adventure. I will be putting daily updates to cover everything, if you're still interested! After getting off my flight from KL, I easily enough caught an overnight bus to Banda Aceh. Arriving in Banda Aceh was one of most challenging parts of my trip so far. The section in the Lonely Planet or Aceh is rather concise, plus I really wanted to find some volunteer work. After finding my basic bearings and some very basic accommodation, I went for a walk around the city. The part of the city that I'd arrived in, and that I was staying weren't heavily ... read more