Bukit Baby

In an attempt to see "everything" before A returns to the US, we've spent the past few weekends traveling. Two weekends ago, we took a little drive to the jungle to see the famous orangutans of Bukit Lawang. Orangutan is actually an Indonesian word meaning "man of the jungle". Anyway, we had planned to take it easy by going on a little hike and watching the orangutans from a feeding platform. Our plans changed a bit. We decided to make the most of our time by hiring a guide to take us on a full day trek. Besides, schlepping through the jungle has kind of become our thing, right?

Bukit Lawang was at one time a rehab center for orangutans who had been illegally captured and traded. That operation has supposedly been shut down, but they still do feedings twice daily for the semi-wild orangutans who had been rehabilitated and released back into the jungle. Unfortunately, tourism has created a bit of a problem. Tour groups want to see the orangutans as closely as possible, and many guides are too happy to satiate that desire by feeding them. The wild orangutans then become dependent on people for food, and...you see the problem. Luckily, we had a great guide who cared about the impact of tourism on the orangutans and the jungle, but we did see another guide handing out bannanas for people to tempt orangutans out of trees.

We ended up seeing several orangutans, gibbons, and monkeys. We also got to try some interesting herbs, plants, and fruits along the way. There is a crazy little pod called "magic fruit". When you bite into the pod, it's extremely bitter, but it turns amazingly sweet when drinking water after chewing.

The trek was pretty difficult. We went off the main path and through the jungle. We were slipping and sliding through mud the whole time. It kind of reminded us of Laos, without the leeches. At the end of the trek we were treated to an amazing river ride back to town. The guides tied together a few inner tubes, and we rode the rapids. It was a lot of fun!

Formatting pictures around text takes forever on this site, so I'll describe them here. The first two pics are of a semi-wild orangutan we saw on the trek. We saw some wild ones too, but they're hard to photograph. The next photo is of A with our guide. In the fourth photo, Kar is deciding if we do the hard trek, or the easy one. The pic of the hammock was taken from the balcony of our room. It was beautiful. We were right across from the jungle on the river. Finally, A wonders if he could pass for an orangutan.

Penang Bang

We took a great little trip to Penang, Malaysia over the 4th of July weekend. While we enjoyed walking around town taking in the beautiful old colonial architecture, the true star of the show was the food. Penang has huge ethnic Chinese and Indian populations, and the food of both of those countries is well represented. Some of the highlights included the best tandoori chicken and dim sum we have ever had. We're getting hungry just thinking about it!

These are some photos of just a few of the meals we enjoyed. The pics of the plated food are from a Chinese restaurant we went to in the main area of Chinatown. We had twice fried pork and stingray in a clear broth with tomatoes, hot peppers, and fresh herbs. Both were fantastic.

The picture of the cafe is the dim sum restaurant. A picked out our dumplings and buns at the front of this place. Not really knowing what was going on made for a crazy and fun experience.



We spent much of the time seeking out little delicacies, but we had plenty of time for exploring as well. We went on walks of Chinatown and the colonial district, as well as a big hike down Penang Hill to the botanical gardens. We were so sore the day after our hike that we had trouble walking. We figured going downhill would be easy!

These are a few photos from some of our adventures. A took advantage of a hat and gun laying around at Fort Cornwallis. K looks like she's growing horns at a temple near Penang Hill. And the two of us take a little break on a bench in old Chinatown.








A was excited by the botanical gardens, because monkeys were running around everywhere.


Just to give you all an idea of where we were, Penang is an island off peninsular Malaysia. It's very close to where we live in Indonesia. We were staying in an area called Georgetown. Unlike most of Indonesia and Malaysia, which fell under Dutch rule, Penang was colonized by the British. The British influence is still palpaple. While much of the area we stayed in has given way to monster hotels and backpacker bars, we were able to stay at some beautiful old guesthouses that have been converted from colonial era mansions. Our final night in Georgetown was spent at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. It was built by a wealthy Chinese businessman dubbed the "Rockefeller of the east". It had fallen into squalid conditions not 15 years ago, but has now been restored to much of it's former beauty. Some truly amazing feng shui elements have been kept in place. Below are some photos of the outside areas. It was a real treat.

Desynchronosis

In case you're wondering about the title, it's the medical term for jet-lag. We both have a bad case of it...real bad. Instead of focusing on the endless trip back to Indonesia though, we'll share some pics of our amazing, whirlwind trip back to the U.S. for K's and L's wedding. Unfortunately, we discovered that we don't have any pics of the bride and groom on their wedding day :( Ahh, we're sure the photographer they hired will have plenty of great ones. Here's a few from the Lake George wedding extravaganza. It was a blast.




































































Most of these photos were from the rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, KSR did not wear a raccoon skin hat to the wedding itself.



One funny moment to note from our trip back was the spray of disinfectant we got when we returned to Indonesian soil. We had to walk through a machine that looked like a metal detector, but instead of making loud noises, it sprayed us with some sort of mist. We were told we were being disinfected. We guess this is Indonesia's solution to stopping the spread of H1N1. Hmm.

We are off to Penang, Malaysia this weekend for a little July 4th holiday. The food is supposed to be amazing. We'll make sure to give a full report of the delicacies!

They're Coming to America

As you may have noticed, we haven't given much attention to our blog lately. The problem is, we've settled in here, and are living a life somewhat similar to that of a suburban couple in the U.S. (with the traditional gender roles reversed). A's days generally consist of doing a load of laundry, making lunch and dinner, cleaning an area of the house, going to the gym, and watching a baseball or basketball game. K's days and nights are spent working.

We haven't had an opportunity since our last blog entry to visit any new and exciting places. That will change in the coming months though! We are returning to the States in just a few days for K's sister's wedding. Granted, it's not a new place, but we are incredibly excited to see everyone. It's going to be a lot of fun. When we return here, we have trips to Penang, Malaysia and Singapore planned. A doesn't have much more time here in Indonesia, so we are definitely going to make the most of the month of July!

We haven't taken many new photos either (I know, what good are we?). The only set we have is from a business trip K took to Jakarta. A came along for the ride and took a few photos. The first ones are of another great seafood restaurant A went to for lunch. They had all of these coolers filled with different kinds of fish and shellfish. You told a person what you wanted, they weighed it, and the cooks prepared it for you. A had the little guy below. The other pics are from Sea World. There's no Shamu at this Sea World...just some sharks, crocodiles, and an overhead aquarium filled with all kinds of fish.

We can't wait to see everyone in NY and CT! We're almost there.

Jamu for What Ails You!

We are back in Medan and ready to share a few pics and brief stories about our latest Indonesian adventures. Lucky you!

K was away in Sabang for a week on a work retreat, so A took the opportunity to get out and do a little exploring on his own. He ended up in Yogyakarta (pronounced jogjakarta with a long o) in Central Java. It's an artistic and culturally rich city that is home to Indonesia's top university. It's partially independent from the central government, as it is still under sultan rule. A really enjoyed it because it was walkable and bikable.

On the first day, A rented a bike and rode the city from bottom to top. He stopped along the way to check out some art galleries and the main tourist streets. He treated himself to a delicious lunch at at a place called Jimbaran. As soon as you walk in the restaurant, you pick a fish from a large ice display, and they cook it up as you wish. A enjoyed some huge grilled prawns while relaxing on a deck overlooking a rice paddy. It was a magical meal! Leter that night, he enjoyed watching a local band play some old punk standards. There was a lot screaming and a lot of laughs.









A decided that he didn't need to stop here.




The second day was filled with a tour of local jamu makers. Jamu is the traditional medicine of Indonesia, and apparently a lot of people still use it for everything from passing wind (Indonesian's blame a variety of ilnesses on trapped wind) to abortions. A drank bitter conconctions, wore a sticky rice mask, and got a massage from a blind woman. He doesn't think it cured what ails him, but nothing else has either!

After his Yogya adventures, A did some island hopping and ended up back in North Sumatra to meet K for another weekend in Sabang. It was a lazy couple of days at the beach, but at least we made it to the other side of the island this time. We got in some great snorkelling (we saw a sea turtle!) and had lunch with some local expats. Best of all, K got some R & R after a long work week.



Stumpy had her babies

Our balcony view

City of Malls

K had to go to Jakarta for work last week,
so we decided to spend the weekend there
and live the big city life for a few days.

On Friday, A explored the old port built by the Dutch during colonial days. He wandered some of the only narrow streets in Jakarta. (The rest of the city is massive

urban sprawl: huge highways and eight-lane roads, glass high-rise towers, malls that take 1 hour to cross, and five-star hotels, all interspersed with large monuments erected by the two dictators who reigned through most of Indonesia's independent years.)

This was inside of a mall. Rockfeler Center lookalike?












The "Welcome Monument"


A hired a local 'guide' to give him a tour of old Dutch buildings, large cargo ships, small fishing neighborhoods, and a big fish market.

Hangin' out at the docks...

She sells seashells...

Saturday morning marked the beginning of the decadent birthday festivities. We certainly know how to spoil ourselves. K was awoken by a call from the hotel restaurant, asking when we wanted our (free!) birthday cake! Hooray for birthdays! The message on the cake was the best part:






I hope Mr. Chamberline didn't miss his cake.







We unintentionally created a European getaway weekend for ourselves...started out the day heading to an exhibit by a Romanian artist at the French Cultural Center. We then had a strange afternoon: attempting to find a gallery of local artists, failing, giving up and heading to the hotel for a massage.
Dinner was at a supersleek Italian restaurant in a mall. (It's hard to find a restaurant that's not part of a hotel or mall.) The all-white decor and ambient techno music could have been mistaken for a SoHo spot. We shared 3 courses, prepared by a real-live Italian from Italy who introduced himself later: carpaccio & parmesean, homemade ravioli, and branzini. Delish!


...and it was only the beginning. Really, we spoiled ourselves. Sunday brunch was at another swanky spot. It consisted of a huge appetizer buffet, 30 FRENCH CHEESES. (yes, 30! not quite 31 for my 31st!) and free-flowing sparkling wine.


K & A pose in front of the cheeses






















K, digging in.

Needless to say, we didn't have a particularly productive afternoon. We set out to WALK to some PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION to check out the Chinatown neighborhood. We almost made it, then stepped into a nearby mall to cool off. And look at what we found:

That's right, folks. A four-story multi-colored tube slide in the center of the mall. A was in heaven-we had to try it! We took the escalators to the top of the mall...where we discovered a movie theater hosting a French film festival! K was in Frenchie-heaven!

Off we went down the slide (fully equipped with windbreakers, knee pads, elbow pads, and helmets), then back upstairs to take in a VERY French flick about a guy and gal who meet while visiting their dying loved ones in the hospital.

We finished off the day with a late-afternoon margarita (K had been craving one since our arrival in the tropics) in a Mexican restaurant that we happened upon in...yessir, yet another mall. What a spectacular weekend!

Jakarta Bound

Just want to let everyone know that we're headed to Jakarta for a long weekend. It's K's birthday on Saturday, so don't forget to send her an email! We'll give a full report of our adventures when we return.

Stick to the rice

Sorry we've been M.I.A yet again. K has been busy with work, and A has been under the weather. We've been living a fairly monotonous existence the past week and half, so we don't have any exciting travel stories to report. Instead, we'll share some of the fun(ny) things about life here in Indonesia.

BREAD

Good bread can be hard to come by here in Medan. Last week A was at the supermarket and decided to buy a loaf of bread that was topped with what appeared to be a little melted cheese. He thought that he would make himself a crab salad sandwich with some canned crab, celery, and mayo for lunch. Well, he did make the sandwich. However, it wasn't melted cheese on top of the bread; it was toasted coconut. To make his sandwich even more interesting, once A pulled a slice away from the loaf, he discovered the bread had a chocolate swirl within it. His western lunch turned out to be one of the worst he has ever had. If you're thinking of trying one of these delicacies at home, don't. Dried out crab meat, watery mayonnaise, and chocolate-coconut sweet bread aren't a combination that we can recommend. A finished every bit of it though.

PIRATED DVDs

Pirated DVDs are everywhere here. You can buy almost any movie for about $.90. Sellers may be able to get a little more for their wares if they payed closer attention to the advertising on the DVD covers. They tend to quote reviews that are tepid at best. Some of our favorites include:

Stepbrothers - "The hilarity never ensues..."

Burn After Reading - "...perfectly good but never truly great."

Body of Lies - "Less sexy than it sounds, but still the right kind of war story."

Perhaps when selling pirated DVDs, honesty is the best policy!

SUPERMARKET GIVEAWAYS

Supermarkets like to give away stuff here. We've won 2 liter bottles of coke and Valentine's Day cakes, but nothing prepared us for the water giveaway. Last week we took our receipt to the customer service desk and found out that we had won a large box of 50 miniature water cups with straws. Woo-Hoo! Wait, what are we going to do with 50 miniature water cups with straws? One sip and you're done. I guess we could always sell them to an airline or a hospital.

Beach Bums

We spent another lazy weekend on the beautiful island of Pulau Weh. This time instead of Freddie's, we stayed next door at Casa Nemo. It was even better than the same trip two weeks ago! The big activities were eating (the food was great), sipping on gin and tonics, and snorkeling in the water in front of our bungalow. The relaxation turned into celebration when, after several attempts to get internet access, A discovered that he got accepted into the program at Widener University! It looks like we're going to be Philadelphia bound.

S, A, & K celebrating A's acceptance

K taking a little nap


Rather than give you the blow by blow of our naps and walks down the beach, we'll tell you a couple of funny little animal occurrences over the weekend:

When A was on his way to the hotel in Banda Aceh (the main city on the northern tip of Sumatra), the taxi he was riding in nearly hit a big cow. They were speeding down the main road from the airport, when a cow stepped into the street from the middle divider. The livestock in Banda Aceh seem to really enjoy grazing on grass found in road dividers. Anyway, the cow stepped out, brakes were applied, the taxi swerved, A dug his nails into the seat in front of him, and then a small crunch could be heard on the side of the car. We had avoided the accident! Sort of. A and the driver laughed nervously afterward. A avoided looking behind him at the cow or at the side of the taxi when he got out. Let's hope the cow is ok!

When A and K checked into their bungalow at Casa Nemo, there was a tailless, pregnant cat sleeping on our back deck. Many cats in SE Asia have stumps for tails. Supposedly it's a genetic defect. A opened the doors to check out the view from the deck and give the cat a little petting. Big mistake, as it was instant love. It was too hot to keep the doors closed, so we had a permanent house guest over the weekend. At first K didn't like the idea of a mangy, tailless kitty rubbing against all of our stuff, but keeping it out was hopeless. As soon as we settled into bed the first night, the cat came running in to join us. It slept on the bed platform next to A all night. Luckily, we had a mosquito net to separate us a little from the local wildlife.



A's cat friend Stumpy





Mmmm...sate and all the fixins