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Published: January 19th 2010
A nightmare with real pains woke me up in the morning. I have to take some pics of this place, I thought. Cleaned up the wounds and took some painkillers, still walking like a zombie I went downstairs took a book I been reading with me.
Freddie and his crews said hi and asked how am I doing. I continued my walk down to the sun chairs on the terrace. That was the longest walk I had from staying 3 days in there. Sunbathing was punishing me but I felt good after. Checked out from the rooms but hang around at the restaurant for hours, I ordered beer because it was a hot day, my face swollen and it’d be nice to have sips of beer.
“You ordered beer.”
“Yes.”
“You’re a local.”
“Yes.”
“Muslim?”
“Why?”
“We cant give beer to a muslim single woman.”
First, just because I am alone and temporary ugly, doesn’t mean I’m single, even tho I am. Second, I didn’t ask you to give it for me, I meant to buy it. But of course I didn’t say that because I’m a polite local woman.
“I sometimes drink wine in the church.” I smiled at him,
Angels
picked me up and took me to paradise, where they heal me and took care of me :)he smiled back and gave me a can of bintang.
Finally the Thais arrived to pick me up to Gapang. After 3 days in pain it was so nice to see them. I felt so much better already on our way to Gapang. One hour of great view and good laughs, there were already some awareness signage at the protected forests and area. there were too many monkeys.
Arrived at Gapang, we were so happy to see calm clear blue sea in front of us. The girls were so excited about diving. I was worried if my wounds would stop me from taking my first diving course.
Gapang is a beach with probably only 30 tourists, 5 restaurants and 4 dogs around. Most of comers who stay there are divers.
We checked in at Lumba lumba inn and wrote names for the dives.
Blue and quiet beach makes its ambience very relaxed.
We met Dani, the girl I met at the waterfall of Bukit Lawang jungle. We chatted for a while and then made a time to meet for dinner.
There’s something special about eating at Gapang. It’s not the food, it’s not the price, it’s the time they
take to cook the food you order. I really don’t know why. We had to wait for one hour for our first dinner. But we chat with new people. Most of them are divers. They would ask ‘what happened to you’ first, but after I heard stories about dive and experiences, I was really excited to start the introduction the next day.
So I did. Let’s skip the wetsuit part. I had 4 other girls were helping me through it, wasn’t something I want to remember. So 9 meters was my first time. Mask cleaning wasn’t easy to learn with stupid wound on your forehead. But I managed to learned it somehow and did my first dive. Underwater is really something. I feel weirdly uncomfortable in a new world i never been before, then i adjust a little bit, then it just gave me a changed of a new life that i never want to leave. And then I felt nauseous. So the instructor said I should get a rest and start over tomorrow. Which is good. I spent the afternoon sunbathing with Dani, burning more scar. Salt water, sun, salt water, sun. Later the dive boat went back
like i told you,
my instructor was very patient and the Thais joined me for snorkel and we took good pictures too. We have a good tip to order lunch on breakfast, and order dinner on lunch. We’d just come at the time we promised and had everything prepared.
Next morning I had my first video watching session and lessons. Mask cleaning. It’s the phrase of the year. The next ones are: Crocodile fish, Garden Eels and moray eels. I was like, eeeeeeeewwwww.. what’s that?? Seriously, before I being excited I never thought I’d find so many kind of alien species down there! I was just aiming for: seahorse. And seastars. Nothing else! Underwater Sabang is high populated by creatures with ugly faces, over weird organs, and beautiful, extremely beautiful colors. I wish I had certified at some other plain place (like swimming pool?) before I dive in Sabang. Do you remember your first dive lesson? Too many things to pay attention to! “Okay, weightbelt, mask cleaning, keep the level, regulator.. what do we call it in Indonesian? BCD or was it OBC? Breath! Don’t forget to breath! Now, try to hover, hover slowly. buoyancy.. I wonder what that means, they use it often on that video.”.. so
many things, I forgot to enjoy those beautiful ugly creatures!
That night, for a random ocassion (I’d like to say it, my first dive celebration,) we ordered grilled fish. HUGE! This place mama jungle, she’d cook everything we asked and we only had to pay 3usd/person. It was a fest. 10 of us, we couldn’t finish it, not even close.
Next days are mostly filled with tutorial videos, salt water swallowing, wound treatments, over laughs and expensive beer cans. It is sooo hard to get alcohol around here. Healthy divers should all be happy around gapang. But we had the best time with fresh roots and leaves. So easy to get. Well we just passed out most of the time anyway. So I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not.
About Mama Donut
So she is a lovely mama who making donuts. With limited restaurants on the beach and not too many vendors around, it is so nice to have someone offer you fresh snacks. So she comes with her basket after dive hours to the dive center. She will sit, smile, and everybody will come to her to buy snacks. And she has been
mama donut
always around after dives hours doing that everyday for the last 12 years. She paid for the kids to go to school from that, bought the son a motorbike to come home every month from Banda Aceh, and, like divers, she doesn’t speak English, she does sign language. But I get to chat a lot with her and heard lots of stories.
Everybody in the island has their own version of tsunami story. One day Mama Donut was making her snacks in the morning like every other day. When suddenly her son rushed in and yelled “Mom, stop making donuts!”
“But why?”
“Because the beach is flat. Tsunami. Nothing left there. No one there to buy your donuts. So stop making it.”
Luckily all her relatives were okay because they live quiet on the hill. The dive masters also telling us stories when they were separately thrown 20 meters underwater when the earthquake happened. The boat man was crying when they went up because he was worrying about his motorbike at the beach. When they went back to the beach everything was flat and the boatman was still crying. But after a while his friend came up and told him he saved his motorbike to
the hill. Then he stopped crying. Most of the population at the island were saved, but not at the province’s capital. The tragedy took over 200’000 lives on end of the year 2004. It was first hit for Indonesia, they were not prepared at all. After that, we have many natural disasters lining. Floods, earth quakes, and it is also happening in other countries all over the world. Even after watching it so often, I still and will never get used to watch the devastation on the news. I had been experiencing earth quakes for few times these last 5 years. Will never get used to that as well. My brother is still working for the post-tsunami areas, even they have build back the city, the hardest part is psychological surviving after traumatic torture. But people in Aceh is recovering. Even most of the NGOs has left, the programs they build are expected to be sustainable and stable.
After 4 days and almost failed examination (I blamed it to my brain capacity when being injured plus the language limitiation. Indonesian in Indonesia had to use English text book. Buoyancy? Ascending? Inflate? Decompress? Where those words coming from?), I finally
got certified. Yay. I’m a injured-ugly-trying-to-be-funny diver! It was definitely worth it. My instructor was very patient.
We left early on day 6 to catch a flight to KL. Yes, ridiculously it was cheaper for me to go oversea first to get the capital of the country. But it was great, I get to go with the girls and some new friends we met there. We had few hours to go to the tsunami museum (which hadn’t opened for yet), and we also checked the barge that swept away 4 km from the shore to the middle of the city when the tsunami happened, to the top of the houses. A 3600t 10 MW diesel barge, swept inland. They also had memorial photographs there, but we had to catch our flight so we just passed it.
We got in KL and stayed at a dorm inn at Chow Kit area. It was clean for an unexpensive place, they have good information about how to go around, and have a good living room with dvd player, etc. We met people from all over traveling all over there.
After shower we couldn’t help to spoil ourselves with the best food around.
Restaurants, Elevators, Buildings.. after 2 weeks of jungle and nature, I feel like a monkey lost in the big city. After short walking around and MRT tour, we hit the club which called Reggae Club, that played Top 40 and also infinity Top 40 like In da Club, Get Busy and Me against the music . It could be a nice disco place after your 5th shot of Tequila. It was a great night, we met up with some folks from the dorm and party until late. I, somehow, end up buying a small bag from the taxi driver. I really don’t know how. But of course I got rid of it before I left. At the dorm inn at chow kit area (only one around there I think), on the bathroom, last room on the right side if you came in from the door. I left it on the window. You should check it.
The next day everybody left to spread directions. My flight is in the afternoon so I had some time to go around. Guess where I went. IKEA. I’m not sure why and how. But it wasn’t close, it was packed, everyone was staring at
breakfast
hangoverhangover my swollen face, I was broke with no money to shop there, but I was just too happy with my stupid meat balls. I didn’t go there for the meat balls, by the way. I just didn’t find any other place I wanted to go. Later the night I went home and can’t believe I’d have to go to the office the next day. But it’s always like that. No wasting time, (better use it to go to ikea?).
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Ha ri
Hans Richtersen
Pulau Weh East Coast - new Travel destination
Halo travellers, Some weeks ago I made my first trip to Sumatra Island. Really interesting and worth to visit. Some travelers I met told me about Aceh and a small island in front of Banda Aceh - Pulau Weh. As usual I went to an internet shop and tried to find more information. By Bus and Ferry I arrived the port of Banda Aceh - next time better I will take an Airplane to Banda Aceh I tell you something - better forget all you can reed about Pulau Weh special the official Websites of Tourist department. I asked Taxi drivers at the Port Balohan (Pulau Weh) where best to go. Most answered with Gapang and Iboih and others offered me Freddy’s Santai Sumor Tiga what means the three wells. My first mistake - I didn’t follow my stomach. So I took a transport to Iboih and Gapang (it’s not a Taxi) it’s more like what you find by scrap dealer. Smelly, hot and f…expansive. After more than one hour in this vehicle together with seven other People, Vegetables and a lot of luggage we reached Iboih. The horror began. What there was called Bungalow is even not easy to describe. Rough Wooden planks - some already rotten - just nailed together and some with space between so wind and rain blow in. it was a rainy day! Inside a lousy mattress and something what looks like a small table. No Toilet, no Water. I don’t want to blame someone, so I want name it. OK it was really cheap, but I want to make holiday. So I tried to find other accommodations. At least there where some others, little bit better. People told me is made from Shelter after Tsunami. If you ask me - tasteless and to expensive. I decide to go back and try other places but it’s already afternoon and I’m hungry. My next mistake. All “Restaurants” looks same and offer also the same food. I like it spicy but this was too much for my stomach. After this I just want go back to City Sabang and try to find out something better. No Taxi, no transportation available at this time - but maybe a car will pass by and take me with. Lucky wise really someone came and stopped. He is also German and we talked a lot. Really nice Guy and his Wife is Indonesian but speak also very well German. To late he told me, that he own also some Bungalow in Iboih Area named Tien's Place and is on the way to Kilometer Nol. He advised me to visit the east cost of Pulau Weh, a new Tourist destination for People who not only looking for low budged accommodations or diving. Arrived at the City I follow his advice and took a Becak. Where to go? I tried to ask the driver and his answer “Freddy Freddy. OK bring my there. …And my holiday began. I found in Internet already many statements about this place, so I don’t need to repeat. A really nice Place, excellent food and very friendly. Next to this Place is an other Place named Casa Nemo, also nice Place but very difficult to go in and out. You must really climb and for not so sportive or older People like me to difficult. In Freddy’s you must also climb but there are many other things that let you forget. During one of my walks - I like to walk - I saw an Advertisement of a new Hotel Resort located in Anoi Itam what means black sand. It named RASA SENI and is just 6 Kilometer from Sumor Tiga. I’m curious and let me bring there. The Driver follows the one and only road always along the see. Beautiful few. The colors of the see are turquoise, dark blue, light blue and silver. It’s fascinating. After about ten minutes we arrive to Anoi Itam Area. On a Place named Benteng what means Bunker and is an old Japanese fortress the well made street ended abrupt. Benteng is on a small hill and gives you few to a Bay and the wide of Malacca Strait. Where is this Hotel - it seems after Benteng will be nothing anymore. I ask the driver and he just smiled - lima ratus meter (500 meter), ok 500 meter but what can be in this Area? We arrive - nice Place - very different already from outside but not yet very special. The road is still in old condition and than I go inside. Wow, this Place is soo different to any other Place I have seen on this island. Exotic, Stile, Taste and high standard - that’s just some words I can find so fast. Nothing to climb, with beach (black sand) direct in front. Exotic garden that you really feel like in Bali or other exotic places. I want to see the rooms. And again wow. You can really call it luxury and any comfort. Clean is not the right word - it’s really clean and you feel well. It’s cool inside and no Mosquito. Sure coz all rooms have air condition and that close to sea no Mosquito, just birds and butterfly’s. It’s a real relaxing place - the right place for people who like nature and want enjoy there spare time. Beautiful Restaurant with panorama view over the Bay, excellent and delicious food (Asian and Western), Café-Bar, Sun chairs and outdoor Shower are available and the staff is very friendly and well trained. But find out by yourself and maybe you will feel same like me…Next time I will spend my whole holiday there and try to dive and snorkel - also available there. There is a website:rasaseniresort.com buy the way - i visited tien's Place - if you really want go to Iboih Area - it's recommandet