After a day of hard work

As there was always a constant cool breeze blowing in from the sea, we didn't sweat as much as we thought we would, given our physical exertions. In fact, with the Sumatran mountains as a grand backdrop to Tibang village and with clear blue skies, it felt really comfortable and pleasant to work there. Understandably, a couple of us therefore underestimated the power of the sun, and paid a dear price: being badly sun-burnt by the end of the working day. At around 5 pm, we packed up our items, loaded up the Habitat van, and headed back to Hotel Cakradonya for a much needed shower and rest. Those who were sun-burnt needed to apply soothing healing balms, such as aloe vera gel, to patches of painful, red skin on their faces, necks, ears and arms.

For dinner, we trooped down a few streets to the Banda Aceh Seafood Restaurant, and had a sumptous dinner. It was a good time of laughs and encouragement, and we wondered how much we can accomplish over the next few days in Banda Aceh. After our meal, we took a brisk walk in the neighbourhood. The Peunayong district where we stayed seemed to be a rather safe area. Most of the fighting between the rebels and government forces seemed to be concentrated in a much further region of Aceh. We returned to the hotel by 9:30 pm and turned in for the night.

Dinner at the Banda Aceh Seafood Restaurant was very good