Indonesia | Jan 18-19 2023 |
Last leg of the Sumatra trip north, another long day of riding. Nice views of Takengon riding up into the mountains. The view from there was dominated by Bur ni Gereundong, a 2885m (9445ft) stratovolcano. After a long descent, it was back to sea level and the first major palm oil plantations I had seen in Sumatra. From there the road followed the Malacca Straight, then went inland, a fast drive to Banda Aceh. Made it to Banda Aceh in about 7 hours. The plan was to stay one night before heading to Pulau Weh.
Most of what you hear about Banda Aceh relates to 2 things: the 2004 tsunami; and it being the most Islamic place in Indonesia. This was ground zero of the tsunami, and that tragedy looms large. Somewhere in the range of 100,000 people died here. There are still many remnants of that day, including the "boat on a house" monument. I also visited the Museum Tsunami, a very well-designed modernistic building with a rattan motif, that is unfortunately not looking as well inside these days (blanks screens, storyboards in Indonesian only).
Fundamentalist Islam doesn't seem to be that pervasive. Honestly, I didn't see anything much different in Banda Aceh than in most other cities in Sumatra, or Indo. The mosques are louder. You can't get a beer.
The main thing I find intriguing about Banda Aceh gets far less attention, and that's it's major role in history. It has been the first point of entry to Asia for many of the world's great cultures and religions. Marco Polo and other great travelers mention Banda Aceh in their records. One fine artifact is the Cakra Donya Bell, located at the Aceh museum; as the story goes, it was a gift from the Chinese emperor, presented by Admiral Cheng Ho to the Sultan to Aceh, in 1419.
Ride: 322 km | 7 hrs
Stay: Amel Hotel | $22 | 3/5
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