Merry Christmas! It’s Christmas Day here and I’m in the one internet place in all Bukit Lawang. Last night, I came to do some work and the power went out. This morning, I’m sitting here in this cool little spot with flat white river rocks for the floor waiting for the humongous tower above to connect to the web. I’m writing this in case I might actually be able to get a signal and call mom and dad. I’ve got time, doing mental calculations, as it’s 8:50 am here, 6:40 am in Colorado and 7:50 in Kansas. I can see the computer screen the man here is working on trying to get a connection. Such is life in the jungle.
I’ve had that strange hiccup sort of condition return. I have experienced this only once in my life and that was the last time I was in Indonesia. Everyone is quite helpful with remedies but this isn’t that type of hiccup. Two side effects: it happens occasionally in the middle of the night and wakes me so I can’t sleep for several hours and I really have to watch what I eat. This is sort of a muscle spasm coming from the abdomen. If I eat too much or something that doesn’t agree with me, several hours later it wants back out.
I walked into the village yesterday with Jose from San Sebastian, Spain for internet access. When the power went our, we strolled the few streets of the village looking for some sort of stomach antacid. They have rubs and potions but nothing like I wanted. Everything I brought is in my extra pack stored in Penang.
Once again, our presence elicited enthusiastic response from children and parent alike. One small boy peeked around the corner of the cooking area of one home and so enthusiastically waved and smiled, I reached over and shook his tiny 4year-old-hand. that connection led to meeting his father who offered advice on massage, travel, food etc. When Jose asked him about really good coffee, he stood up and motioned us to follow him through the narrow space between his house and the next.
Out back, a parking log, fringed with a couple small food stalls and he took us to one with the best Sumatra Coffee around. It was a Muslin stall apparently as there were men wearing the flowing robe dress men wear and one woman with her face covered.
As I explained I didn’t want any because of my stomach challenge, one man came over and asked me a couple questions. Then he asked to see my hand and pressed a point on the palm near the base of the thumb. It was extremely painful! He said I got “cold” sometime and I had wind in my body. The hiccup action abruptly stopped!
After I get some work done here, I’m going to find Adi who offered to take me to the local market to buy some tumeric root and some beedle nuts to make a remedy. After three or four doses, it will be gone. I’ll keep you posted on that one.
On the way back we saw a couple that had been trekking with us. Looking up to their second floor room, we noticed patches on her knees. She had some healing patches (like the ones Virginia told me about used in acupuncture) because she was really sore after the trek. I mentioned something about my stomach when they talked about dinner. She came down and gave me two antacid tablets of some form. Just like that, once again, whatever I need continues to materialize without any effort on my part.
Back at Bukit Lawang Inda, I ordered fried banana pancake with chocolate sauce which was amazing and I had a guacamole taco for dinner. Finishing my cup of ginger tea, I was motioned to the desk and informed that I was invited to join the family for Christmas dinner. I wish I had know before I had dinner!
Reorganizing the tables into one long one, the tourist were invited first to go through the line and fill their plates. What a spread! What an honor to be invited to join with them and the food, the small bits I sampled, was amazing! HUGE fish out of the river grilled right out front and seasoned to perfection. If I hadn’t overeaten earlier, I would have with dinner!
Out came the guitars and drums and Christmas carols commenced before the music rolled along to more popular tunes and a variety of customized “Bukit Luwang” songs. Lots of singing and laughter, the Spirit of Christmas.
Now, for that healing concoction!