Hotel Medan Banda Aceh

... then head down to catch up with the internet. After checking out at 12, I leave my bags in the luggage room and head to the Banda Aceh Tsunami Museum in Becak. When we arrive I come to some sort of sign language agreement with the driver and he waits for me as I walk up to the building. How do I get in? Built on stilts in the style of a house that would weather another tsunami, this is not just a museum but also doubles up as a shelter incase, god forbid ...

... and closer to us and suddenly I wince as it rams into the saide of the car, running us off the road!! Considering there are no rules and regulations on this side of the planet I am surprised such an accident hasn't happened to me sooner!! It is the norm to drive the wrong way up a dual carriage way into the oncoming traffic which although a little scary is great fun when you are in a little side cart of a motorbike!!

The driver got out, had a quick ...

... so my stomach was rumblling and food beckoned so off I went i search of some munch which I found in the form of 2 chocolate wafer bars and some free wafer biscuits!! Not the kind of breakfast I have become accustomed to but good all the same. As I sat munching Carolyn came out in her gear so I skipped along the beach took a few pics and then retired to the shack to grab my swimwear and sarong and then hit the beach.

The sun was out ...

... the most impressive roads I have seen since I have been away (miles better tha the roads of the UK too for that matter). However the sight which gets me most is that of a brand new shiny multi coloured playpark sitting in a football pitch sized area of rubble...this is significant of Banda Aceh, a city which has been damaged in the past but is slowly but surely building for the future.

Once we get to the ferry we purchase our tickets and jump on board. Half an hour ...

... hotel!! Off at the other end and we get into the smartest form of transport we have witnessed since leaving the UK and we are off!! The air con is amazing and other than a few brief stops; one for a bite to eat, one for a 'jungle toilet' stop where the 3 of us crouched behind the trees lining the main road and one last stop so we could grab some red flowers which were blooming by the road and looked very pretty in our hair!!

We made it to Medan in plenty time for our flight and ...

... it to the airport in time. We needn't have worried. Maybe sensing our anxiety, our driver suddenly turned into Lewis Hamilton and put his foot down. We started hurtling along overtaking everything in our path and we felt as if we were on board the bus from the movie "Speed". As we rounded a corner at full pelt, unbeknown to us, Tracey's backpack rolled across the floor and fell out of the open back door, landing on a verge on the side of the road. Thankfully, a French girl who had ...

... we took some time and visited a few sights that helped us appreciate the enormity of this disaster.

It was strange to recall the images that covered the news during those days over 4 years ago and then to be standing in the same place where such a human tragedy occurred. From the viewpoint of a casual observer entering the city, the aid workers and redevelopment money have had an impact. Roads, homes, and infrastructure have been rebuilt and in most ...

... but poor Dan got the ****** fold down seat next to the driver. It was the worst journey yet and we were both ****** off and my leg is throbbing and swelling with what looks to be some sort of infection. Of course when we get off the bus at about 5am the first thing we notice is the bottle of sea horse in my bag waiting to be consumed has burst over everything i own (never fear we obviously brought a spare but still..). The flies adore the new smell of my bag so i look like ...

... way on the bus trip we realised that we didn't check anything about travel recommendations to Aceh. It was just when we were reading about the separatist activity here over the past few decades we thought we should have check up. In the end it didn't matter because there was no specific warning for the area and a peace deal that was brokered after the tsunami is still holding.

So we got the ferry across to Pulau Weh island and got a ...

... sister (who speaks english) on this cell and got me to talk to her and she was like "He just wants to be your friend until Banda Aceh, so don't be afraid of him"...lol...and then he got her (or someone) to text to him "if you need any help with anything just ask me". So I asked him, but how can I ask you? and he just answered "no English". LOL. But it was a nice thought. See, even if they can't speak to you, people always take such good care of tourists in ...