Aceh is a beautiful place to explore and a trip to the mountains of Aceh Gayo Central delights with pine-studded mountains, the life of the remote village and a beautiful little town called Takengon nestled at the edge of a lake.
Lake Tawar | Photo by David Metcalf
I made my way to the Tawar lake just outside of Takengon and met a charming man, Pak Syamsudin, who told me about his ancestral home. "I'm the fifth generation descendant of Raja Beluntara, the original king of the district. This old house is more than 150 years, "he said mused." The government has made an agreement with me a few years ago. They wanted my historic home and offered to move me to a beautiful, new modern house on the road for free if I would give them this original house, so I said why not? "
as I sat with him, I looked up the wooden beams large size, which occurred simultaneously with five poles and five positions. "The Dutch were there a long time," he said. "They have built schools and provided education. Take a look at this painting by Raja Beluntara. The painting was actually made from a photo found in a museum in Amsterdam." Pak Syamsudin proudly standing next paint with his son and three grandchildren to join him for a photo opportunity.
Syamsudin Pak is the guardian of the old house. It receives funds from the government every three months for maintenance. He said: "No government ever comes to visit. The house is empty, but I'm fine with that, "His look was one of reflection as he looked on vertical panels. a design feature of the house of a king. "But I do miss living here," he added.
He told me about the good relationship of his village had with the Dutch. He then explained that in the early 19 years e century the Dutch made an agreement to honor the kingdom. part of the agreement was to provide education for the local population, which, to date, they maintained . Many Gayo people are poets and enjoy participating in verbal challenges, which are held regularly in the form of competition in the villages and the cities.
I was fortunate to attend a these competition-word poetry slinging a late night. It was a poetry recital and part of the celebration of the ceremony of circumcision of a local boy. I was told that the boy's family were wealthy, then in As part of the ceremony, he had to be a Didong a poetry contest
a word-game challenge that continues through the night, a Didong. involves two rival villages and ends when the sun rises. They tell jokes and mentally challenging, and this is reinforced by applause when questions are answered correctly, and even more loud applause when the answer involves an intelligent answer.
I arrived at 22:00 and left at midnight. I was told that would Didong without interruption until 2am. From 2:00 to 6:00, verbal challenge would go to a new level and involve dancing combined with teasing and ridicule. Now and again, a village elder would have to come to the rescue with a response if the candidate was uncertain. With this rescue technique, both public and participants engage in a deeper understanding of their history and culture. The elders, who the judges declare a winner based on two factors :. Knowledge and wisdom
The dance of a thousand hands
I was lucky enough to be invited to a rehearsal Saman overnight in a small alley in Blangkejren Village. I met Ali Muddin, a dance teacher whose Saman dance troupe had toured the world and has participated in festivals in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Berlin, Sydney and Thailand.
I went to sit on a beautiful green hand-woven and matt white Gayo, as a line of thirteen lively adolescent boys mixed in the small two-room house. Saman dancers sitting in a long row, excited to practice their age-old dance before a foreign guest. It was a normal practice Monday night, but the room was packed family members. The boys practiced three times a week and must synchronize their moves at a very fast pace, not missing a beat.
The dancing was absolutely fascinating from beginning to end. It involves slapping the body and dragging the head left to right, as the dance was growing. Matching the beat of the music, the dancers moved their bodies in quick succession, hand coordination, arms, neck and upper body in time to music while singing. The dance has reached a dramatic conclusion where everyone burst into applause.
The origins of this dance comes from the ethnic group Gayo. It is performed only in this part of the province of Aceh. Ali told me that once a father taught his son dance, he plays more. "They all want to learn to dance," Ali said, "because the Saman dance is one of the most popular dances in Indonesia. Many boys are attracted by the opportunity to travel to Jakarta and other places, and perhaps like me, go abroad. "Ali continued," Every year, a large dance competition held in Jakarta. We continue to win the competition, and now they have forbidden us to compete. can -you believe "
traditional dance performance? | Photo by David Metcalf
Many major festival events take place in the Gayo region. You can check with the tourism department and time your visit to coincide with one of them. At times, up to 5,000 dancers can perform the Saman dance.
I went to Aceh with a desire to travel to Banda Aceh in the north of Gunung Leuser National Park in the South. I spent a week through the countryside, largely wrapped in coffee plantations, the large river systems, stunning scenery and moving encounters with the local culture.
From sitting in the house of an old king to discover the tradition of the Saman dance in the small village of Blangkejren, Aceh was a journey of discovery, every day revealing a new wonder. Traveling to places less known in Indonesia with just a rough plan and an open mind will always bring surprises and fun track
In summary :. Aceh Gayo
province Aceh
Region: 58.376 km²
population 4,732,000 (2014)
Directions: Banda Aceh Takengon, the central area of the high Aceh Highlands is 314 km. It is a slow and bumpy ride
. The roads are in wretched condition and takes 6.5 hours
Tour guide and driver :. Miss Ferzya www.getaceh.com
Accommodation: Family Linda - lindahomestay@yahoo.com
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