Ant's Sumatran Adventure

ant

AngryAnt
Day 1 - from Medan to Lhokseumware

Left Medan about 7:30am, mercifully no traffic jams on a Sunday. Filled her up for about $7.50 and got the hell out. Took about an hour before the countryside started to show itself.

Me trying to look incognito. This $15 helmet was a total POS by the way - I ended up upgrading it later in the trip. It really was about as a good as an icecream container.

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The bike - OK ... shitty brakes, little suspension but cruised along pretty happily at 80 or 90. Nice to ride a small bore bike again!


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TAC - Indonesian branch.

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I crossed the border from North Sumatra into Aceh - famous for being the most Islamic part of Indonesia (Sharia law). There was an insurgency here against Jakarta for many years but it's all sorted now. This part of Indo also bore the brunt of the 2004 Tsunami - 150000 dead on the West coast where I plan to head later, apparently extremely beautiful.

Stopped here for a coffee.

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ant

AngryAnt
Typical flat rice paddys you'll see all over SEAsia. Bike looking magnificent.

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After lunch, I noticed a petrol leak from under the fuel tap. I also had no headlight so time to drop by a roadside mechanic. The reservoir under the tap was actually cracked to he bodged it closed with resin, changed the headlight globe and adjusted the mirror. We both agreed I could live with the leaky fork seal I had just noticed (although I did get new fork seals later).

Sparepark?

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For about half an hour's work, including the globe, he wanted to charge me $2 but I insisted on $3 and still felt cheap. Onwards!



Some friendly locals at lunch

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Finally got into Lhokseumware at about five, but then couldn't find a hotel. Google Maps crapped up so I had to resort to asking a local. "There's one right there , you just rode past it".


That was day 1.

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John_Johnny

Long Timer
Great reading.
How did the prawns go? Still with us mate?
Wish my petrol leak got fixed for 3 bucks. So far the bill is over a grand and still counting!
Sharia law?!. Stuff that, get outta there. Stay safe.
Love the TAC advertising. Similar to roadside 'cross and flowers' in Oz. Always reminds me to take care. I think Vic Roads was looking at banning them? Wonder what the outcome of that was. Willo might know.
That hotel room looks perfectly acceptable. Always look out for fire escapes in those places though.
Eagerly awaiting your next post. Thumbs up Ant!
 

John_Johnny

Long Timer
No ban on roadside memorials but you now need to gain VicRoads approvals....

Well I hope they generally approve....without a fee.
I'm all in favour of them. They're better that floodlit billboards with photos of 15 foot policemen pointing radar guns at you.
 

ant

AngryAnt
Great reading.
How did the prawns go? Still with us mate?
Wish my petrol leak got fixed for 3 bucks. So far the bill is over a grand and still counting!
Sharia law?!. Stuff that, get outta there. Stay safe.
Love the TAC advertising. Similar to roadside 'cross and flowers' in Oz. Always reminds me to take care. I think Vic Roads was looking at banning them? Wonder what the outcome of that was. Willo might know.
That hotel room looks perfectly acceptable. Always look out for fire escapes in those places though.
Eagerly awaiting your next post. Thumbs up Ant!



The prawns literally were fresh from under the restaurant which sat on poles above the estuary so no problems there . I'm an old Asia hand so rarely get Bali Belly these days.

Outside my luxury hotel in the morning before setting out.

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Local fish market in Lokhsumawe.

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Regarding Sharia, as long as I don't drink, steal, commit adultery or insult The Prophet (may peace be upon him) then all is good. The only difference so far from elsewhere is no short skirts on the girls (boo) and all women wear headscarves. Elsewhere in Indo it's a mix with the majority going uncovered. Lots of fuck-off big mosques going up though.

This one you can attend prayer and then go rock climbing afterwards.

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Yes, that's a really big mosque.
 
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ant

AngryAnt
Yesterday my fuel gauge worked. Today it doesn't work. Old motorbikes are like that.
 

John_Johnny

Long Timer
Yesterday my fuel gauge worked. Today it doesn't work. Old motorbikes are like that.

Use the trip meter Ant. My fuel gauge stopped working after Blacklocks replaced the fuel pump. Been relying on the trip meter ever since.
 
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