*Flashback* 17 September - 13 Memories Of Palembang

I have so many memories of the place and thankfully hundreds of photos so I won't forget. Here's a Thursday Thirteen dedicated to some of my memories of Palembang. Its not in any particular order, I just 'flipped' through some photos.

1. My favourite Indinesian food : Perkedels! Click here for the recipe I use.


2. The famous pempek. I always said I didn't like them but in the end, I was addicted to the curly keriting. Not in this photo though because I always bought it on its own and those photos are a bit boring.


3. Our driver. He supposedly eats pempek every day and doesn't like other kinds of foods.


4. Aaron's first ride on the crowded angkots. Look at his chubby hands and feet!


5. You can get almost anything fixed in Palembang. I took a pair of Richard's shoes to be re-soled at this place. Unfortunately, the just slap on whatever fits and this guy somehow managed to fit a sole onto the shoe that looked about two sizes too big!


6. One of the vegetable sellers that roams our neighborhood each morning. This lady is supposedly 43 and already has several grandchildren!


7. My neighbors and their laundry. There were frequently bras on those round plants too (which would have made a much funnier photo) but I never felt confident enough to take the photos then. These were a drive by point and shoot anyway.


8. My stone age tools. Its a variation of the now commonly seen mortar and pestle. I have no idea why the indonesians use the flat surface instead of the bowl shaped one which is so much easier to handle.


9. The lilies that surrounded our garden. I didn't plant these, they came with the house and multiplied.


10. The sad fact that formula companies have an extremely strong hold in places like Indonesia. I expected to see a country of breastfeeders but sadly, many believe that the formula milk is better.


11. Bikin Gigi translates to Making Teeth. So, its basically a denture shop. Lots of people, young and old, have missing teeth. And, with the poor dental care (and oral hygiene) many suffer from constant toothaches and prefer to have their teeth extracted. Many will tell you that their teeth are the way they are because they love their pempek so much and pempek has to be dipped in spicy vinegar mixture to be fully appreciated. So, its the vinegar's fault.


12. The famous Ampera Bridge. I don't think I'll ever fully appreciate its supposed 'beauty' but all Indonesians mention this bridge when I mention 'Palembang'.


13. The view of all the houses by the Ampera bridge. This eventually led me to visit the houses there. Go here and here for a close up of life by the river.