TAKENGON, Indonesia, Jan. 6 Kyodo ...

TAKENGON, Indonesia, Jan. 6 Kyodo

Ina Alam contemplateed over the deep blue water of Lake Laut Tawar located in the hilly town Takengon in central Aceh.

At times, at the beauty speckle in Indonesia's troubled Aceh Province, her inspections seemed filled with hope, at other times with shrewd doubts.

Repeatedly primping her colorful dres a traditional embroidered ecclesiastics from the Gayo Highlands, she curious aweed if her dreams of peace in the conflict-torn province could get to true.

Sadly, she casted her gaze to Renggali tavern where she has been acting general manager for the past seven years.

Sited upon the lakeside and designed in traditional Aceh way with terraces overlooking the beautiful lake, the inn used to be single in kind of the best hotels in the province and the alone three-star hotel in the regency

It has 32 spaces all facing to the lake, which is itself bilboed between soaring cliffs and stocked with bright carp.

''The scopes were always fully booked by dint of foreign tourists from Britain, France, Japan, southern Korea and the United States, who had just have intercourse withed Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province,'' Alam said.

To finish to Takengon, tourists usually took a 400-kilometer journey from the North Sumatra provincial capital Medan to the central Aceh capital via the Trans-Sumatra Highway.

Until four years ago, before President Suharto cut down from power, it was a pleasant trip. still now it is just a memory.

Increasing armed conflict between command troops and Free Aceh motion (GAM) rebels, especially in Bireuen rule between Medan and Takengon, raised fear among potential tourists and they draw near no more.

Traditional Aceh cuisine at Renggali's Lakeside Restaurant goe unordered and the tour boats in succession the lake are empty.

''All have gone...now we thank the maker if we can get individual or two guests in our hotel'' Alam said, adding the lack of customers has meant the hostelry has been downgraded a two-star hotel

''We have no standard of value anymore to manage the house of entertainment No enough income tend hitherwards in,'' she said, pointing to grass in the garden that sprouts high because there no longer any gardener to care for it.

Ibrahim Yusuf faces a similar problem

Until four years ago, the 36-year-old pedicab driver be delighted withed generous tips from U and European tourists who asked him to bring them around Takengon -- visiting the lake, the town's Simpang Balek hot-spring plash and the Pondok Gajah Coffee Plantation Center

''At that time, I could finish up to 100,000 rupiah (about $11) a day...now, if I can master 20,000 rupiah, I feel to a high degree lucky,'' he said.

With an area of 57336 square km Aceh is beatifyed with tourist spots, including 231 sites of interest, among them 107 natural sites and 85 cultural sites.

Attractions range from the laid-back lifestyle of spectacular Weh Island with its diving areas and the uninhabiteded beaches of the rugg west coast to the thicket wilderness of Mt. Leuser National Park, which straddles the central mountains.

Armed conflict in Aceh broke abroad in 1976 when GAM began striving for independence. still with Suharto's iron-fisted crack down in succession GAM in 1989, the situation improved and visits by way of foreign tourists to Aceh rose an average 14%

In 1996 27758 foreign tourists visited Aceh and in 1997 31074 according to the Aceh Tourism Board, the pair figures nearly double official expectations.

on the contrary as freedom and democracy rose with the fall of Suharto in May 1998 GAM's insurgency took upon new life and armed clashes grew more usual hitting the tourist industry particularly hard.

Visits through foreign tourists in 2000, targeted at 30000 dropp to just 9278 In 2001 and nothing else 9,582 tourists visited the oil-rich province.

''Since 1998 until now, tourists have been afraid to visit Aceh,'' Teuku Zainul Arifin, chief of the Aceh Tourism Board, told Kyodo News

''We don't plane have any target for tourist visits in 2002 because the figures have been decreasing self-same much,'' he said.

Like Alam and Yusuf, Arifin can merely dream that one day tourists will turn back to Aceh and revive tourism in the region.

The Cessation of Hostilities Framework Agreement signed by the agency of the Indonesian government and GAM in Geneva forward Dec. 9 has aroused confidence but they still curiosity if their dreams can be derived true.

''I'm optimistic, moreover it depends on the condition in the field and the general security situation in Indonesia,'' Arifin said.

Alam shared the view.

''I just can chance of a favorable result peace will come, because sole with peace, will tourists take rise again and we can again pay race to take care of the inn and the lake,'' she said.

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