Two weeks ago there was an earthquake at sea and a tsunami hit the Mantawi islands near Padang. I don't know how these things work, but there is apparently still a tsunami warning in effect for Bengkulu. I'm not dumb. I did search for news on the area before I went to Bengkulu, but I didn't see anything in English. While chatting with some drivers, one mentioned something about a tsunami to me. "
Siap mati?" (Ready to die?), he asked.
Siap, I replied. "And you?", I asked.
Siap. We gave each other a high-five and laughed. Since my Indonesian comprehension is still a little lacking, I figured he was joking. Later that night when talking to a Chinese/Indonesian family, the mother mentioned the tsunami warning and asked if I was afriad. I told her that she didn't seem afraid, so why should I be? She answered "We're not afraid because we have God." Perhaps I should be afraid, I thought. You'll be glad to know that I am now far away from Bengkulu and out of harms way.
I chatted with the Chinese/Indonesian family for over an hour, and the mother was surprised that I hadn't seen anything in Bengkulu and was leaving the next day, so she ordered her 14 year old son to take me on a motorcycle tour of the city. We saw an old British fort, the beach, night market, Chinese neighborhood, and mall. I'm impressed by how clean the city is.
Last night I arrived in Krui. Today I walked around town and then headed to the beach. Near the beach was a family cutting up three goats. They called me over. I ended up chatting with them for a couple of hours while they cut up the goats into tiny pieces to make
satay (grilled meat on a stick). I ate grilled goat testicle. I was a little hesitant, but I would come across as arrogant if I declined the offer. It wasn't too bad. It was salty, fatty, and had slight bitter taste. When they asked if I liked it, I responded "It's my first time having it." Since that answer was too vague, they asked again. I responded "Mmmmmmmm," still being completely vague. I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't say that I liked it. Later I came back and played a big 10 vs 10 soccer match with all of the boys.
I'm off to Bandar Lampung in the morning, the last stop in Sumatra before Jakarta. I checked the guide book earlier today and it seems that the town is lacking in budget accommodation, so early this evening I decided to see if there were any CouchSurfing hosts there. There were three. I messaged them all, applogizing for the short notice (since I'm arriving tomorrow), and giving them my cell phone number. One responded! So I will go stay with Silvi of Bandar Lampung tomorrow.
