Hey, Pulau Weh!

Still to this day, after all we've seen Pulau Weh is still one of my favorite islands. Just off the northwestern tip of Sumatra; Pulau Weh is beautiful, tranquil, and cheap. We snagged a rustic bungalow amongst the jungle with an unobstructed view of the ocean for less than eight dollars a day. (The last photo in this post is looking out from our deck). Most of our food was cooked by Mama, the sweetest old lady I've ever known. The quantity of food was beyond American portions for barely over a dollar. 

So what actually makes this island better than all others, I think a few things. Being a mostly muslim populated island drinking is expensive, so there are almost no bars on this island. Unlike our nights in Koh Phangan and Koh Phi Phi the evenings are quiet and peaceful which lends itself to wonderful conversations around Mama's dishes. Muslims also don't really go swimming too often so the beaches are almost always deserted. Lastly, the island is small enough that you can rent a motorbike and see the whole island in just a few short hours, soaking up the rays on deserted beaches. Need any more reasons to quit your job and live here for a few months? I don't think so...

Our furry cousins

After being in the Jakarta area for a couple weeks we decided to fly north to Sumatra to see some of the only oragutans living in the wild. Let me tell you orangutans are amazing creatures that are unbelievably flexible, and can manipulate a tree like no one's business. We got to the little town where all the treks are organized and signed up to go the next morning. While on a seven hour trek we we lucky enough to see two sets of mothers, each with two babies. One of the moms got so close to us (the guide gave her some sugar canes) that we could hear her chewing! 

Ch-bodas Waterfall!

One of our reasons for heading out to Bogor, Cibodas, and Cianjur was for the easy access to beautiful nature. We settled into our place in Cibodas and we headed out early the next morning to hike up to the Cibodas Waterfalls. I believe it was three or four waterfalls in total. While the hike was a little streneous, it wasn't too bad, unlike the actual condition of the trail, which was falling apart at the beams. Like the one I just happened to fall through. Don't worry though, I was fine and back up on the trail in minutes.

It was certainly all worth it in the end. The waterfalls were beautiful, and on a plus side it was missing the usual trash that has a tendency to spoil beautiful sites in Indonesia. After soaking up the mist and snapping our photos we headed back down the mountain to enjoy some food. As we're sitting chatting to a restaurant owner we realized we had stickers from Seattle all over his shop: Huskies, REI, Mighty O Doughnuts. After chatting for a while he told us his brother had lived in Seattle for a few years and was a chef at one of the sushi restaurants in Belltown. Small world.  

Bogorians?

While waiting for our friend Stephanie to arrive from Seattle, we took a small side trip to Bogor for a few days to do some hiking. Getting us the heck out of the congested, hot city we hopped aboard a train. It was hilarious having Citta drop us off at the station afraid for our lives as we embarked on the short two hour ride south of the city. 

While the side trip took us to a few small towns surrounding Bogor, my favorite part were the people we encountered along the way. Smiling faces from kids who don't usually see "bule" aka white people, and even a few grumpy folks selling their goods in the hot Indonesian sun.

Friends abroad

It is a great thing when you're lucky enough to have some friends abroad. We met Citta and Stephanie while in Seattle through a mutual friend by the name of Henry Sia. They moved back home, to Jakarta, and we were able to visit (crash at their houses) while there. They are both some of the sweetest people in the world, and we enjoyed staying at both of their houses. Citta showed us some of the finer Indonesian eateries Jakarta had to offer and one hell of a rooftop bar. While Stephanie showed us more local attractions and more amazing food. We also ate lots of fruit from Indonesia and beyond with her boyfriend. As we relaxed, we watched the weight pack on while being at their houses. Hopefully in the furture we will be abe to repay their generosity. Thanks so much ladies!!