Bit by tiny bit, we chip away at Sumatra. Kepulauan Riau. North Sumatra. West Sumatra. And now Aceh.

But just a smidgen of Aceh. Banda Aceh, in fact. The tip of the tip of Sumatra.

Highlights:

1. Having the chance to salute this brave, brave city, whose travails are movingly documented in various monuments, but whose ability to survive and bounce back shines through in every bustling street and in every friendly smile. What a tribute to human courage and resilience... At the "boat on the house" we met some of the survivors. They have sad and terrifying stories to tell. But they all stress recovery. Together, the community has pulled through.







2. Filling in the details of the tragedy in the Tsunami Museum, and feeling the warmth of gratitude -- both there and in the nearby park -- towards all the nations that helped in the aftermath.







3. Looking out over this attractive low-rise city from the top of the PLTD Apung (a floating electricity generator that was washed miles inland by the tsunami, and now functions as a museum and awareness-raising centre), and looking up at that spine of big, beautiful hills, and thinking: we must come back.







4. Visiting the reminders of Aceh's glory days.









5. Enjoying the fabulous calligraphy, past and present, in the Aceh Museum.





6. Strolling the poignant but very beautiful Kerkhof, where Dutch colonials were laid to rest. Even more atmospheric in the rain.





7. Doing the rounds of a few of Banda Aceh's many, many "warkop" (coffee shops). Comparing a number of versions of the famous kopi sanger: hot, sweet, robust, and delicious. And trying kopi kocok, which consists of coffee, milk, sugar, and beaten egg, and has a softer flavour and texture. Another feature of the warkop is the TV (sometimes more than one in action at any given time). On Friday the coverage was all about the "anti-Ahok" demonstrations under way in Jakarta. They later turned ugly, unfortunately. But no less coffee was being drunk in Banda Aceh, it seemed.







8. Trying out some Aceh specialities. Like sate matang (beef sate, a roughly chopped peanut sauce, and -- here's the difference -- a bowl of rice and a bowl of broth on the side). Or mie Aceh from Mie Razali. We were too early for prawns or squid, but the sauce-enveloped beef noodles were spicy and robust.



9. Being beguiled by the little cakes proffered whenever we ordered teh tawar (tea without sugar) -- as though the idea of a sugarless occupation of their warung was too much for the owners to contemplate. Onde-onde and sticky-rice-packed banana leaves were familiar to us, but new were roti jala srikaya durian (holey pancake-like casings rolled around smooth durian paste) and kue timpan (banana paste wrapped round a coconut filling and steamed in banana leaves).

10. Walking. Banda Aceh -- unlike so many cities in the region -- is great for pedestrians. OK, you have to watch out for holes in the pavement and other obstructions. But at least there ARE pavements. The traffic is reasonably well behaved. And many a photo op is offered by the tree-lined, colourful streets of the centre; the delightful kampong roads of the "burbs", full of pretty houses and shiny mosques; and, of course, the river, which is a hive of always watchable activity.













Here's to exploring more of Aceh -- and Sumatra.