Out of Aceh

Well. Not really sure why I’m writing. Just bored I guess. I’m sitting in the Tiara Hotel in Medan, on the way back to Simeulue. I’ve just hit up Sun Plaza for some groceries – I always stock up on the comforts of home (which in this trip have included baked beans, cheese, capsicums, pasta, yoghurt – but no olives! Boohoo!!) – and have wandered back to my hotel room.

I have been in Banda Aceh since Saturday, so 4-and-a-bit days all up. My boss Paul, his wife Popy and I went back to farewell Natasha, our Logistics delegate, who used to work on Simeulue but has spent most of the last 3 or 4 months in BA. Oh whoops, I meant we went back for some staff meetings. On Saturday night she had a farewell bash at the Big Brother House (one of the 2 ARC staff houses – the better one with younger people and not the boss!), which was good fun and involved Proper Food.

Tuesday night was the local staff bash; everyone came around for a yummy Chinese dinner and karaoke on the magic mic – which we originally hired for the national staff who love to sing, but ended up being way more fun for us when they all left! We dug up quite a few gold nuggets from the 70s and 80s and spent the night screaming our lungs out. Great fun.

BA is such a different world to Simeulue. For a start, it’s a bustling metropolis of 400,000 people and a hell of a lot more expats. In fact almost every NGO and Red Cross society known to man ascended on the place soon after December 26, 2004. As a result, amny support services and buildings sprung up everywhere and the place rapidly grew (and continues to grow) at a rate of knots. There are proper restaurants (many of which are able to legally sell alcohol, and most of which I’m yet to visit – although I’ve managed to eat at a different one every meal this week!), parties on every weekend, and many groups of active people getting out and playing sport, mountain bike riding, surfing and running. A big singles scene exists there too. I’m always exhausted after visiting Banda because I spend the whole time drinking, eating and partying too much (oh yeah as well as working)! It reminds me a lot of Monrovia actually.

On Sunday, we went for a drive around BA. I’d done “the tour” before, but the others hadn’t… That said, we went to a beach I’d never seen, and a major leg of the tour I hadn’t yet seen was to mosque in the centre of town.

Baiturrahman mosque is, by far, the most beautiful mosque I’ve seen in Indonesia. A huge, sprawling white complex with beautiful contrasting black domes, it is the religious centre of the city. I was not allowed inside the building, but I was able to wander around the spacious grounds, with my hair covered of course (and long sleeves/pants. No arms or legs showing, ladies!). Let’s just say I was the only bulé for miles around, and the locals thought it was rather unusual-slash-amusing for one to be wandering around their sacred mosque. Not that they minded; I was just the focus of the gaze of every Acehnese for 20 minutes.

Banda Aceh is also quite mountainous, considering it is right on the coast. I was surprised at this when I first arrived. There are a number of hills behind the town shadowed by volcanoes dotted around the countryside. It really is a beautiful area; when you drive from the airport you are surrounded by these mountains, which slope down to a maze of rice paddies dotted with villages and mosques. And it’s just so green! Whenever I compare Indonesia with Australia, I’m always amazed at the contrast. Funny what a decent amount of rain can do... :)

And so it’s back to Simeulue tomorrow morning. Thank god the early morning (6:40am) flight was fully booked. We get to fly at 10:40 instead. Hooray for sleep-ins. We plan to stock up on gin (and other things, like olives!) from “Mr Ben’s” – which is just around the corner – on the way to the airport. Hopefully we can smuggle it through the airport. Shouldn’t be a problem on little Susi Air... fingers crossed.

In some ways I’m looking forward to going back. The simple life really is refreshing after the hustle & bustle of places like Medan and Banda Aceh. Not that I mind the big city, but when you get used to living in Simeulue, these places become very tiring very quickly! (not to mention access to alcohol 24-7!)