Kutacane

Can't help paying attention! But I can't find the side emergency exit.

"Empat ratus! Juah!", the driver frowned. 

I hate being ripped off, so I was fuming when Halim took out another 100,000 rupiah to give to the Acehnese driver. He has asked for US$40 for a 20km ride to the river put-in. I had earlier given the driver US$30 and also paid for his lunch!

"You are too kind Halim!"

But because of that rip-off, we were down to US$80, about to enter a river that flows into a crocodile swamp, and with no idea of how to get back to Medan. We had earlier took a one-way ticket on a prop plane to Kutacane airport on Nusantara Buana (NBA) Airlines. The ticket on this Government-subsidised-Aceh-appeasement-policy airline was US$15 one way.

On the tarmac, the CASA 212-300 plane stalled because there was a lack of power. 

While waiting, I couldn't help recalling the slogans of another Government-run Merpati Airlines. Merpati's tagline used to be "Get the Falling (Feeling)" and their schedule was so unreliable they earned another "I'll fly if I want to". And on that day, I saw another slogan "Nice way to die (fly)". 

I wondered what was NBA's slogan.

 First look of Alas river bending on the Lawe Alas valleys.

Sincerely, NBA's service was excellent. We checked in 50kg of kayaking gear without problems and they have staff constantly providing timely information on the status of our flights. Delayed for an hour, delayed for 25 minutes, all with unreserved apologies. When the CASA finally took off for the short 35 minutes flight over the highlands of Sumatra, no one betrayed relief.

"The roads in Aceh are one the best in Sumatra!", Halim pronounced as we drove of out the airport.

They are certainly much better than the roads from Medan to Toba. The results of years of appeasement policies by Jakarta to the Acehnese to blunt their rebellion. 

"The NGOs pumped a lot of money into Aceh. So don't expect anything cheap here."

"How many days are we going for?", I asked?

"2,3,4 ?!" 

OK, so just stock up on water and lots of kretek; perhaps 4 packets of Indomie. Halim had baked a loaf of bread and I had some MREs. We hardly had any time to prepare for this trip after the Toba trip ended yesterday.

It was a hot afternoon. We stepped out of the car 20km later at "Pipit Beach" at Sigala-gala. It was at the end of a washed away road. Acehnese men were smoking under the limited shades around. The high banks had been washed away by a recent flood. The ALAS river was flowing furiously fast. 

Halim seemed unsure. Sealed entry in sit-on-top inflatables?

"OK, let's start now. Here!", as I began to unload our gear.

We want to go to that rock! Negotiating car rental prices outside the airport using rocks and lines.