Aceh is a completely different kettle of fish from Central Java; during our holiday there we were struck by some of the differences. Culturally, Aceh shares many similarities with mainland Malaysia. These could be overplayed, but nevertheless food, speech, clothing, and music (they love Siti over there) all have clear cross-fertilizations. This is not surprising given the proximity of Northern Sumatera and the Malay Peninsula; but neither of us had fully expected it. The migration to and from Malaysia and Aceh is very high; with a fair portion of this being legal. The presence of Islam in Aceh is of course very strong and this plays itself out quite tangibly in the visual landscape. This photo is of the Grand Mosque (Mesjid Raya) in Banda Aceh. It was built by the Dutch only after they brutally colonised the province at enormous colonial expense. It is a remarkably beautiful structure, as were many of the mosques in Aceh that we saw.