Blogs from Pulau Banyak, Sumatra, Indonesia, Asia

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Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Pulau Banyak November 29th 2019

Indonesia has a bit of a plastic problem. I don't normally talk about it in my blogs, and if you would look at my pictures you might not expect it. But plastic is literally chocking up the rivers, polluting the jungles, and clogging the seas of this country. And every now and again I get confronted with this fact. Mostly I try to ignore it. I try to ignore the people throwing their plastic bags, bottles, cups and whatever else out of the bus, car or boat. I try to look the other way when seeing the side of the roads littered with plastic, I frame my pictures in such a way that you don't see all that I see! But that doesn't mean it isn't there!! It is, always, everywhere. I cycled around Samosir Island ... read more
Tanjung Pinang to Dumai
Parapat
Parapat to Tuk Tuk

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Pulau Banyak March 20th 2011

The tale you are about to read will show, contrary to popular opinion, that a fool and his money are not so easily parted. This parable, though set in the small coastal town of Singkil in the strictly Islamic state of Aceh, northern Sumatra, could just as easily have occurred in any Asian country, but it didn't. You see, what you are about to read is no modern travellers fable, nor is it the invention of a wide eyed journeyer seeking to aggrandise a country he loves: no, this tale is nothing but the unadorned and embarrassingly unexpurgated truth. Ladies and gentleman, the eponymous fool of this tale is, as I'm sure my close friends and family have already assumed, none other than myself. The money was both mine and Anny's, my wholly innocent and long ... read more
One of the beaches on Pulau Bangkaru
Pulau Palambak's gorgeous beaches
The verbose Mr. Jackie Chan in a rare moment of repose, with customary ciggy.

Asia » Indonesia » Sumatra » Pulau Banyak March 7th 2011

This blog is going to be a little different. I am going to seriously reign in the word count and allow the pictures to speak for themselves. We are reaching the end of this particular trip and, due to the imbecility of our bank (detailed here), have all but entirely run out of funds. Planned adventures have had to be abandoned due to their relative expense and replaced with cheaper, necessarily more sedentary activities. It is a shame that we will not see the north of Aceh, Pulau Weh, that we will not go on our planned five day jungle trek, nor climb that volcano. What we have been forced to do is to spend most of our remaining three weeks lazing on a beach, as this is about the cheapest activity we can find. So, ... read more
Or this little stunner from further south, near the village of Sitamlang.
The island of Samosir is as large as Singapore but infinitely stranger. Dotted amongst the villages and hiding in mossy corners it is possible to see strange creatures such as these.
As a tourist it is also possible to avail yourself of some interesting shopping. Here you can buy some really useful rubbish you never realised you needed.




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