Aceh is located on the west of Indonesia and surroundings by Sea. It wouldn’t be perfect if we go there without visiting the beaches. Beaches in Lhokseumawe are not as good as the ones in Sabang and Banda Aceh, but still it’s fun to go. Along the beach side, there are stalls provide foods specialty in Rujak: fruits mix peanuts sauce.
Yesterday I promised my little cousin (9 years old) that we’d go swimming today. But I was taking nap, forgotten already, and woke up almost 6 pm, about 40 minutes before sunset. I found my brother and sister also too lazy, no one wanted to go. Then my little cousin frown. She sat down in the corner, covered her face down (so cute :P). So I gave up, my Dad took me and my little cousin with motorcycle to the beach spot named Soraya, where she and her family likes to go. Some beach spots in Lhokseumawe are already covered with high stones, one of ways to block high waves like Tsunami.
We said to her, if no people swim then we don’t swim and will come back again tomorrow morning. Me and my Dad believed that no people left swimming on that hour, 15 minutes to sunset. But apparently there are still a lot of people, so yeah I must jump to the water, accompanying her. But not too long, because suddenly everyone went out and the beach started quiet. in Aceh, activities in the beach have to stop after sunset (or we call it Maghrib). After that 10 minutes swimming, I was ordering Rujak for taking home, and the seller pushed me to order hurry because it would be Maghrib in a minute.
P.S
Apparently not only activity on the beach stop when sunset, but also in the city center. All shops are closed on Maghrib, only food stalls are opened again after it. Like my sister said, life here begins at 4pm until Maghrib, then starts again on 8pm. Don’t try to go outside without car on the day, it’s so f*ckin hot!! Morning is also a good time for sea bathing and food hunting but it’s so hard to wake up early on holiday 😛
Also there are too many rules in this land. Girls should not be a pilgrimage to the grave, should not wear pants, especially tight pants or leggings, should not hang out in coffee stall (I break all the rules, of course)… Booo how can people live here??!
Well the foods are awesome! I know, people will always love their origin foods and each person has their own favorite taste, but for you who wanna try Acehnese foods in Lhokseumawe that worth it: bakso rahayu, pangsit bejo, mie goreng aceh (fried noodle) in everywhere, rujak ujongblang, nasi gurih (crispy rice) in everywhere, mie caluek, roti bakar bandung (I know it’s from Bandung, but it is really good and mushrooming now in Lhok), martabak telor (like omelet), sate matang (beef satay, Matang is a name of area in Aceh), kerang rebus (boiled cockles), kupi aceh (coffee). People here are freak of coffee. While I am here, I drink 2 cups of coffee everyday (even 3-4 cups when visiting many houses families on Hari Raya): Kopi Gayo, Kopi Samalanga, Kopi Ulee Kareng… each coffee name is based on the place where it comes from.
The best my version Acehnese foods in Banda Aceh are listed here.