We are in Indo again at last:) Now to find the SURF!

We are just arriving at the island of Sabang after having spent two long days and nights of non-stop sailing and motoring across the Straitts of Malacca. We are now in Indonesian waters:) The Indonesian islands are full of trees and the villages are never pretty in a structured way but rather fascinating and arty in a ramshackly higgledie piggeldie messy way.The shores are always lined with houses made from anything and everything. Indonesians love to litter:( They are very poor and there are always plenty of curious noisy children who seem to play a lot:) They are forever greeting Cally and I with an american accent and a "hello Mister?"

Jack and Jacky arrived on Barbara Ann a while before us and they had already anchored in the little port and gone to see what the town was all about.I really wanted to buy some fruit but going ashore meant dressing up in the heat in scarves and long dresses as this area is Muslim.

Last night , we arrived in the dark at our anchorage off the coast of Sumatra. It was choppy as there was no bay for protection from the open sea and cooking down in the Galley made me feel seasick. I plonked dinner on the table and rushed off to bed:)

Sabang is quite pretty. Barbara Ann stayed anchored in the port but we snuck off to a more remote spot around the corner...but the officials still found us:( They insisted that Brent go and collect them and a whole boat of them arrived to ask questions and poke their noses into everything. I get so annoyed with the invasion of our privacy. They want to inspect the food in the fridges, the bathrooms, the alcohol, the cupboards etc and what they really want is a bribe and good clothes and alcohol. Brent is so good to them and so patient but I play the bad cop and remain hostile as the next thing I will be cooking for them too:)

By the time the afternoon was over, both Jack and Brent were so frustrated with the corruption and the waste of time as after all of that, we still have to go to another large town called Sibolga on the otherside of Sumatra and check in and pay more money again...