MY 2018: A TOUR AROUND MY TOWN; Wonderful Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Hi Steemians!

According to the interesting post of Mr. @anomadsoul as it appears on this link:

https://steemit.com/my2018/@anomadsoul/contest-my-2018-a-tour-around-my-town-100-sbd-in-prizes <

I am very interested to join the contest MY 2018: A TOUR AROUND MY TOWN.

Here I will share to you all about my hometown of Banda Aceh which is located in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

Small Town Full of Stories. Perhaps this is the most appropriate opening sentence to explain the city of Banda Aceh, where I have lived since 15 years. This is a small town located at the meeting of the Malacca Strait and Indian Ocean.

The city, which is only 61.36 km2, has run into so many great events throughout its 812 years. The events are quite diverse, ranging from decades of civil war from 1976 to 2005, to the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis that killed 170,000 people in December 2004. The tsunami tragedy was even recognized as a humanitarian
disaster with the greatest casualties in modern history. It is the 20-meter-high waves that swept through the city that sunday morning devastated the city in total.

‎Then the problem of civil war between the Indonesian government and the Rebels in Aceh province has left so many heartbreaking stories that continue to be eternal in the minds of every citizen of the city.

Today, however, the two great events have changed the people to be more mature. They made the old sad story a starting point to the resurrection.

Well, behind these great events, there are also other interesting things that make a small town on the tip of Sumatra island as the destination for foreign tourists.

One of the example is the typical culinary. Banda Aceh has a number of special menus which is the heritage of the ancestors that continue to be preserved until now such as Kuah Beulangoeng; a menu of meat sauce curry that has a distinctive taste because it uses a variety of natural herbs spices.
But, do not be surprised, one of the plants used as a spice that is marijuana. Cannabis is believed to make the meat soft. In addition, at a certain dosage of cannabis seasoning, of course, can also make you fly.

In addition, Banda Aceh is also a heaven for coffee lovers. The world's best quality arabica coffee is supplied from the Gayo highlands to the center of Kota Banda Aceh and then become a mandatory menu at every cafe in the city.

Moreover, Banda Aceh also have a typical menu that must be tried when people visit the city which is Mie Aceh. A dish using various spices to produce an evocative taste.

Ok. Now let's move slightly to another corner of Banda Aceh. We will be treated to a number of historical monuments and buildings. Such as Baiturahman Great Mosque built in the era of Sultan Iskandar Muda in the Year 1612.

The mosque is also a witness to the history of fierce warfare in the era of the second world war when the Dutch and Japanese alternately trying to fight over this city. Because of this, there were a number of great battles that people fought in what they called honor.

After all, the natives who rely solely on the spirit and courage are able to defend this region until it can never be conquered up to the end of second world war.

There are also modern buildings that reserved interesting story behind it. Like the existence of the Tsunami Museum that holds various heartbreaking memories related to that great event. About one kilometer from Meseum there is also a large ship dragged by the waves of the tsunami and stranded in the middle of the city.

Well, lastly, as a tsunami-ravaged area, Banda Aceh certainly has sea. And the sea here, wow, has an unexpected beauty. A number of beaches with white sand that is tempting will be easy to find around this area. You will find new experiences of surfing, diving and snorkling here. Underwater world also provide an unforgettable natural charm.

That's a glimpse of my city. You can visit anytime and the people here will welcome you very well. There are also many exciting art and cultural shows that you will see here. Such as dance ranup lampuan, rapai, ratoeh jaroe, saman, and some other ethnic dances.

For the end, especial Thanks to @blocktrades for your kindness and delegation on this contest.