After heading off from Thailand, we aimed for Sumatra, a large region of Indonesia. Our first stop was Sabang, a small town to check into Indonesia and take our temperature (we’re all fine!). After Sabang, we headed to the Mentawais, a large group of tropical islands bordering the Indian Ocean side of Sumatra.
First stop, Banda. The Banda Islands were one of the major regions that suffered severely from the earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004. When we visited Banda Aceh, we went to their earthquake museum. Also in Banda Aceh, we picked up 2 friends, my aunt, and a crew member.
Next, we stopped in the Telos islands. The Telos islands were nice, with sweet water, but it rained a lot while we were there, so we moved on quickly. Alright, I admit there might have been a bit of pleading from the kids to see their friends, because they haven’t seen them in so long, and you wouldn’t understand, Mom. Well, it worked, ok, so don’t roll your eyes at me.
After that, the next stop was Nias. Nias was beautiful, with amazing water, and we went on a fun trip while we were there. There is a small village at the top of a mountain on the island that we stopped at (I can’t remember the name, stop yelling at me!), and the houses there are designed in a very odd way. They are built to withstand earthquakes, and, since they are on top of a mountain, they can withstand tsunamis. We took a truck to the top of the mountain and walked around the little village, admiring the houses. It rained a lot, so we took the truck back down and visited the fresh market, getting lots of fresh fruit.
Now we are in the lower Mentawais islands, anchored around a group of islands that we should love to explore and move around. Sadly, the Indonesian government is banning all movement of boats, and, even worse, most of the countries that we were planning on visiting through the summer and all next year, are closed to boats. So, for now, our plans to cross the Indian are on hold. We’re swimming here and doing school and watching lots of movies. Our quarantine is not so different from our regular life. Well, I hope you’re all locked down and following healthcare rules. Peace out.