Sumatra

( solitude)

Observing peoples relaxed attitudes and actions around these parts - I've come to the conclusion that South Sumatrans live fairly happy, stress free lives. The community operates so differently to our own - it's almost not comparable. It's like every character - the kids at school to the ojek drivers - play an important part in the societies of little villages that line the streets. Everyone seems to interact, work , talk to, bump into or trade with each other at some point during the day - keeping everyone as one big family.

As I cruise north to surf every morning - there's always a new marque set up somewhere for some kind of party and all the locals descend in their best batik threads - looking a million bux (not rupiah)!
As there are no footpaths - the sides of the street are constantly occupied by children coming to and from school - most of them see you coming and wave energetically screaming "HELLO MISTERRRRR!!!"
Yesterday I surfed a reef while Iu stayed on the beach talking to some kids - when I got back from the surf he had this huge gang of kids as an audience as he performed various basic magic tricks. When I came up the beach they ran over screaming "Camilon, Amilon, Amiton" - "Hamilton" I said. Then then proceeded to ask the routine questions like where I was from, if I was married, how I speak Bahassa, do I have a family and so on and so on... I told them about Catalina from Argentina and they all started giggling saying that I was going to kiss Catalina in Argentina - then made a little song about it! These kids were pretty cool and they all ran after us when we left.

( kids in Liwa )

( desert at base camp )