Slowing it down in Pulau Weh

  Indonesia. Beautiful, wild, still welcoming. It has captivating natural scenery for every kind of pleasure and adventure seeker: beaches, jungles, volcanoes. Due to its location on a number of tectonic plates, it's also prone to natural disasters, particularly of the earthquake and volcanic variety. Maybe it's this capricious unpredictability of Mother Nature that prevents a gross influx of tourists. Or it may be the sheer vastness of the country that diffuses the waves that might otherwise be here. Fine and dandy with us. I'm excepting Bali, of course.

  We started in Sumatra. We flew into Banda Aceh, the most northwest city of Indonesia in the Islamic Sharia-ruled province of Aceh (you know conservative Sharia law, of the steal and lose a hand sort?). In December of 2004, it was devastated by the Boxing Day earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, which claimed and injured hundreds of thousands of people just in the city itself. International aid relief poured in, but some of the damage is noticeable till this day. From a conversation with a visiting medical student and a local diver master, we gleaned some insight into the ineffectiveness of the local emergency response. Add in corruption, and the lack of complete restructuring is not surprising.

  We didn't dabble in Banda Aceh, but instead took a slow ferry, packed in tight with people, supplies and vehicles, to neighboring Pulau (island) Weh, known mostly for its pristine underwater wonders. For a week, we rented a bungalow in Iboih that was perched right over rocks that crawled with crabs during the day, only to be pounded by the crashing waves of a high tide at night. Though there were no real beaches, the clear, azure waters of the Andaman Sea and the coral teeming with life beckoned, right from our front porch. Snorkeling was the name of the game. Fish were abundant, in an array of colors matching the rainbow, from cute clownfish (think Nemo) to meter-long groupers. There were plenty of moray eels, octopi, schools of ink-spurting squid, even the deadly lionfish. Pawel also went diving, though he intended to do a cave dive, which seemed a bit too claustrophobic for me. We signed up for dives the next day, only to wake up with stuffed noses and sore throats. No diving for us for now.

  Our main purpose on the island obliterated for the time being, we decided to move on to Bukit Lawang for some jungle trekking amid the rare wild orangutans.

Indonesian version of a tuk tuk

Singapore, the face of modern Asia

  Singapore turned out to be our respite from the chaos of the rest of SE Asia, despite fears of health consequences from the Sumatran haze. True, the country-state imposes strict regulations that at the beginning somewhat irritated my US-born sensitivity to, well, freedom protection, no matter how small the actual right. No alcohol or cigarette imports into the country. No chewing gum. Crossing of streets at designated areas only. And these are just the small rules, all scrupulously enforced.

Oh, durian is one smelly fruit

  I do have to admit, though, that the results are pretty spectacular. Months of travel instilled in us expectations of hustle, swarms of people and at times overbearing racket. We found little of that in Singapore, an oasis of safety and modernity. It's clean, green and efficient. We wandered the city, letting our legs and frequent AC-inspired stops lead the way.

Got AC?

  So: Orchard Road, renown for shopping desires of every kind. Check. 

 Little India. Check. Iconic Marina Bay Sands complex. Check. 

Grand old Raffles Hotel.  Check.

 Boat and Clark Quays, remnants of the old districts. Esplanade, witness to frequent concerts. Gardens by the Bay and its impressive, world-spanning collection of plants. Check, check and check. 

 But our favorite were the Botanic Gardens, simply stunning in their design. Since we quartered nearby, we'd take prolonged detours through the gardens every time we walked by.

  Marzena, family of family, and her husband and kids welcomed us into their home. It was gratifying to revel in homemade meals, late-night patio sit-ins as well as a night out and, gasp, fresh laundry. Comforts of home, a full month before home.

Nutritious dragonfruit

  Almost eight months have passed since the beginning of our travels. We eagerly move on to the more adventurous (and last!) of our destinations – Indonesia.  

A slice of colonial history: Georgetown and Melaka

  The three Straits Settlements: Georgetown (Penang), Melaka (Malacca), Singapore. Our last three big metropolises. Days of lounging in the sun invigorated us with some much-needed energy for further urban meandering.

  We started with north-most Penang, after sleeping through our bus stop, arriving close to the Thai border and backtracking for 90 km. Along with Melaka, it was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2008. Its colonial district stems from a mix of inhabiting influences and supposedly reminds of Singapore circa 1970s. It's vast, reaching into the narrow streets of sleepy Chinatown and lively Little India. Funny iron-wired plaques and wonderful street art line the streets. Catered to tourists on the one hand, dilapidated in other instances, Georgetown's architecture still evokes authenticity. We even stayed in a beautiful heritage hotel.

Street art

Most picked ribbons: wealth and success

  It's old school charming, but it was Penang's reputation for excellent cuisine that drew us to the city. Two words: hawker food. Prominent all around, from tiny to stadium-sized, food courts and their hawker stalls attract all who have good food, wide selection and cheap prices in mind. We happily participated, ordering small portions to get in as many as possible. We tried it all. Thick asam laksa, a spicy fish stew with a tamarind base. Oysters fried in egg, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Tender duck noodles. Roti canai, flaky unleavened bread with a curry. Nasi kandar, delicious curries served on steamed rice. Chee cheong fun, a thin rice roll, filled with shrimp and topped with a sweet sesame soy sauce. Satay, juicy skewered grilled meat. Refreshing cendol, a dessert of shaved ice, coconut milk, green noodles and palm sugar (possibly, unbelievably, with red beans, corn, etc.). And of course, let's not forget Indian tandoori chicken, with its mint yoghurt dip. Is your mouth watering yet?

Nasi kandar. Forget the presentation, it's all about the taste

Rambutan fruit

  From Penang, we headed to Melaka, a historical port city with a multicultural heritage. We stepped off the bus, only to be greeted by air saturated with smoke. Sumatra was burning its annual brush-clearing fires, we found out, and the resulting haze was stronger than it's been in years. Just one of the many side effects of the demand for palm oil. But we didn't let it stop us from venturing out into the city. Melaka's colonial core is more up-kept than Georgetown's. In addition to the quaint streets of Chinatown, the wine red buildings of Dutch architecture add to the charming atmosphere. Subtle lighting pulls it all together and accentuates the simple elegance. Cafes line the way, many of the artsy variety. We recommend Baboon Cafe, with its quiet courtyard and some outstanding artwork. 

  The town is calm, but that changes when neighboring Singaporeans visit on the weekends. Just ask the pimped out trishaw drivers and their booming sound systems.

  Our quota for heritage and history fulfilled, we headed to Singapore for the other face of Southeast Asia.