Sumatra

January, 2014

I arrive in Sumatra by air at the provincial capital in Padang (pronounced Padong) and grab a taksi to take me straight to Bukittinggi, a town 100 kilometers north, and one of only two towns of any size – aside from Padang – in this region of Western Sumatra. I’ve chosen Bukittinggi hoping that instead of hopping from town to town on a Sumatra survey tour I can focus on one area and branch out into the surrounding countryside and villages without having to pack, unpack, schlepp, check-in, arrange transportation, etc. It’s always a bit of a gamble to focus on only one venue, but I seek depth more than breadth, and, remembering my extended stay in Pyin-Oo-Lwin, Myanmar as being very successful and comfortable, I sought to repeat that in Bukittinggi in Sumatra.