Indonesia, Sumatra, Lake Toba, Tomok, 24-02-2009. The quiet foreiger's enclave Tuk Tuk on the bulb shaped peninsula facing Parapat on the main land, might be tranquil and peacefull given over almost completely to agriculture now that all the foreigners that once wandered around its winding and hilly streets, are gone. The village has gone back to its quiet village life where gossip is the main entertainment of the local populace. Tomok, maybe an easy five kilometer walk from Tuk Tuk, is like Ambarita just another small hamlet where women do all the drudgery in and around the house [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Sumatra, Lake Toba, Tuk Tuk, 23-02-2009. Though I've for a change moved into a top-end hotel in Tuk Tuk, still my room is in a serious state of neglect with an army of red forest ants marching right through the middle of the room coming out of a crack in one wall and leaving my territory again through a hole in the opposite wall. They start there endless trek at early sun-up and finish it at late afternoon sun-down, two neat lines never bothering to check the rest of my place, just up and down they go with me accepting [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Sumatra, Lake Toba, Ambarita, 22-o2-2009. I leave the quiet foreigner's enclave of Tuk Tuk and walk the 5 kilometer to the pretty village of Ambarita enjoying the typical smell of pine trees and the singing of birds. Wooden houses, chicken with cicklets idling around in the undergrowth, a few happy pigs dozing in pools of mud, kids following me asking the usual questions trying to practise their English and hoping for a free school pen, maybe bon-bons or Dutch coins, a couple of scarwny village dogs that can't be bothered to give my Ferringi heels a bit of chase. Th [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Sumatra, Lake Toba, Tuk Tuk, 21-02-2009. According to Mama Ceska untill about twelve years ago the Dutch airline company KLM used to fly into Medan three times a week with big Boeings unloading up to 350 Dutch and German holidayers all making it to Lake Toba, the number one tourist destination on Sumatra. However the Muslim autorities in Medan realising that the Christian Batak people were making tons of money while the rest of Islam oriented Sumatra could only watch the big line of tour buses loaded to the max with hard currency packed Europeans fast tracking it to Lake [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Lake Toba, Samosir Island, Tuk Tuk. 20-02-2009. Every year Peter comes to Asia for about five/six months, big and fat he is and somewhere in his mid sixties, an aura of fat sigar smoke mixed with an unhealthy bodily odour, rancid and salty perspiration poring out of his massive body and streaming down his fat in swollen rivers, wheezing even when sitting down. A prime candidate for a fatal heart attack sooner rather than later, maybe a stroke before reaching his pension allowed age. A huge balding head with piggy eyes lost in the slabs of fat that make up [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Lake Toba, Samosir Island, Tuk Tuk, 19-02-2009. Nets on the quay spread out in the early morning sun to dry and yellow colored plastic crates full with fish caught during the night, attracting huge number of gulls in search of free breakfast, screaming while flying overhead, diving down during a moment of inattention to steal a fat pike, his mates waiting up there in the air, gliding on their wings, waiting for the bold featherly fish thief, ready to discuss his prize.... I'm waiting for the ferry to depart for Samosir Island while making quick sketches in my scrap book [View Full Entry]

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Indonesia, Sumatra, Medan, 18-02-2009. Adios and goodbye it is to Penang with its neglected Chinese shophouses, its lively Chinese culture boldly mixing with its other city dwellers like the big Indian and Malay populations and backpackers from all over the world, no more relaxing evenings on the malecon watching the locals stroll tranquilly while enjoying an ice-cream, a bit of a chat with long robed Hindus while making serious work of my cherished Masala Dosa in Little India. I leave my hotel early morning dressed in my faded blue jeans and old T-shirt, my favorite travel clothes, read [View Full Entry]

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Malaysia, Penang, 17-02-2009. In its heydays the Hong Kong Bar situated in the heart of Penang, was a busy place visited by countless sailors from visiting American fleet ships, aircraft carriers and the like. Sailors from the International commerce whose ships would be moored in the narrow strait between Georgetown and Buttersworth, backpackers on big overland trips with thirsty throats would add to the international rowdy mood. Fight were as regular as the vermin outside in the narrow streets, Somehow the Hong Kong Bar survived it all, the place even got burned down to its foundations [View Full Entry]

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I leave Little India alone - it might be better named Little Tamil Nadu since nearly all the Indians living in Penang seem to originate from the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu - and walk the short distance to the Kuan Yin Teng temple dedicated to the Chinese Goddess of mercy, good fortune and most importantly....FERTILITY, always a hot topic in the history of mankind. You wanna found a new religion, you should dedicate your new God or Goddess to FERTILITY and you can be reasonably sure to get lots of worshippers, especially so among the Thai and Chinese [View Full Entry]

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Malaysia, Penang, 15-02-2009. Little India is a Hindu enclave smack in the middle of Goergetown just off Lebuh Chulia, it is an inviting place to stroll around, especially so if you have been to India before!!! Hindu music blaring out of the many Bollywood video stores will greet your backpacker's ears well before you enter this typical Indian neighborhood, chai shops with over-sweetened Indian tea which in India is called Chai, colorfull shops specialised in saris, a tradicional dress for Indian ladies, clouds of sandalwood insence, big red spots cover the streets, a leftover from [View Full Entry]

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