Manado

Met a guy called Bersi at the airport, and was told that there were no cars going to gorontalo after midday, so a wonderful night in Manado was mine. Was not that enthused. Manado I know being a dirty smelly city. Spent the day getting used to everyone saying hello, being called mrs and mr. With white skin you are an instant movie star around here. It is sweet, but sometimes a little tiring.

Meet a chinese indonesian family who adopted me for the day and night, and i am sure are now searching for a Manado husband for me for when I return. Sat with them, a brother and two sisters from 30 - 50 years and meet kids and cousins. The youngest sisters son had been killed by a bombing - there is new on it www.mozila.com and detik.com i will look it up. He was only 19.

The family was Christian, eg no mass and ramadan, so they got their cousin and her boyfriend Jackson to come and take us to dinner in a car. Jackson was a classic, about my age, and totally different opinion of tourists to the older generation. The grandma and others were so Pround of Manado and wanted to show me all the very best of it - all - in one night! jackson was distainful that I did not speak bahasa, and generally of the experience of showing me round. He was a great view into the side you dont see, as people who are not into the tourist are not usually going to spend 6 hours with you.

Jackson drove us to a great ikan warung (fish) about 30mins from manado near the beach. Amazing fresh tuna, sambal and garlic greens! All eatten with the hands. Then we went on a 4 hour plus tour of Manado, a couple of time as we speed up mountian sides with no one around, and went for a walk in the industrial beach area i thought "is this a good idea" but it was all fine. Jackson said as we disappered into the country side to view the christ statue, "are you scared yet andy", arrr quiet sadonic! After the city, beach, christ statue in the mountain, a full tour I was dropped at the hotel at 11pm, amazed and exhausted. My view of manado very changed through their enthusiasum.

Great random travel moment. Thanks to Luan the grandma!

Indonesian life is like stkilda in the summer all year around.