Gabang - Pulau Weh

   Yesterday we left our tropical paradise of Ibioh to spend a day in Sabang, the bustling metropolitan centre of the island. Taxis and buses are in scarce supply here in the jungle so we decided to take our lives in our hands and get to Sabang under our own steam. Like Rome, the chief mode of transport here is the humble scooter, but considering the state of the roads here it should really be some sort of all-terrain vehicle, although it would probably be more sensible to repair the roads which, for about a third of the hour-long journey, could be best described as a series of potholes linked by a tattered lacework of asphalt. And it wouldn't hurt to clear the road of the wildlife either: cats, dogs, goats (including a pair of billy goats rearing up and headbutting one another), herds of cows, flocks of chickens, and troops of monkeys were all to be found just hanging out in the middle of the road. Welcome to the jungle, baby.

We hired this puppy for a bargain 50,000 Rupiah (about NZ$7) from a local. It had one serious flaw: the horn didn't work. We did get free helmets as well, but they were little better than wearing a padded salad bowl on your head for all the protection they afforded.


   We seem to keep ending up in local markets wherever we go - I guess it's a stage were going through, huh? Anyway we can report that the markets of Sabang have the same filth and squalor as those in Turkey and Egypt, but these guys are definitely friendlier.

This guy had the most beautiful looking fish in the market. And the presentation; so simple yet so effective: Red fish on a green banana frond - just brilliant. Shame those fish aren't back in the reef, but these guys have gotta eat too I suppose.



I quickly made friends with the local chook butcher. Did I buy some of his delicious chicken? Like hell I did. That's just asking for hours bent over a bucket, vomiting your guts out.












The dried fish was likewise avoided, although the local flies seemed crazy about it. I did like the salesman's shirt though, but it was probably too small for me.






The fruit lady was one of the few recipients of our spend up in Sabang.









Cigarette advertising is alive and well in Indonesia. Yes, you too can 'chase your dreams' as the billboard proclaims, providing, of course, that you dream of awful breath, lung cancer, and wasting large amounts of your income on achieving all this.












On our way home we stopped and threw a few morsels to the monkeys. This chap must have been the leader of the gang - he started grunting at us, and I, being the bloke that I am, couldn't help but grunt back at him. And so it went on. Thus communicating, he and I had quite a frank and meaningful exchange of views on many different subjects.










The heat has been doing Rachel's head in lately. And the accommodation hasn't been exactly first rate either - or even second rate. On our way back to Ibioh we passed by Gabang, did a quick investigation, and struck gold. Gabang turned out to be Pulau Weh's answer to Queenstown. We found they had brand new bungalows with clean linen, tiled floors, billowing white curtains, a kitchen with a fridge, a bathroom and - yee-haa! - showers. And they were only €15 per night - and although that's about five times the local rate it's still very cheap. So we said goodbye to Ibioh and have moved to Gabang.




Another thing Gabang has is a nice friendly dive centre. So Rachel's gone back to school and is learning how to scuba dive in just about the best place in the world to do so. And although Rach had some serious concerns about whether or not she wanted to do this she came out of her first dive beaming from ear to ear.