The Tsunami of 26 December 2004
This morning I took the ferry from Pulau Weh to the mainland and checked into a hotel for the night. I chose to take in some of the reminders of the tsunami which killed 170000 people in Aceh but, not the mass graves which are available for visits.
The tsunami did kill some people back on Pulau Weh as well. The waves reached 3/4 height of the ground floor of the dive reception area but fortunately in Weh, there are hills for people to run to.
Some travellers have been told that divers were safe during the tsunami. They felt strong currents and when they surfaced and returned to land, found that their friends had been swept away and the dive resort in ruins.
It is quite unreal that the city which looks perfectly normal had thousands lying dead only several years ago. Thanks to international efforts, Banda Aceh has bounced back and the ever-friendly Acehnese are grateful for this. In the central padang (field) there is a plaque for each country (and in that country’s language) that helped in the post-tsunami efforts.
Other Sights
Together with Sabine (my German dive buddy), we also visited Kherkhof, a cemetery for 2500 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Acehnese. Opposite that was Gunongan, a playground and bathing place for a Malay princess who married the local Sultan.
Acehnese Sweetness
Today is my last day in Aceh … it has been a short and sweet visit. It was either going to be short or not at all and I am pleased that I made the brief stopover.
The Acehnese are wonderful people … they are kind, happy, chatty and helpful people … perhaps a little more so than the Indonesians I’ve met in the other areas I have visited. Perhaps this has been facilitated by the closeness of their language and accent to what I am familiar with.
I hope to come back but there is so much more of the country and the world to see.
But unfortunately in the evening, my tummy played up. It was bad enough for me to worry about the long journey back to New Zealand via Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. Fortunately I was well enough.
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- The huge power-generation vessel swept to an inland site by the tsunami.
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- View from the power-generation vessel; its the tallest “building” in town.
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- Boat on top of a house at Lampulo.
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- Fishing boats near Lampulo.
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- Street scene in Banda Aceh; pretty tame traffic compared to other cities.
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- Baiturrahman Mosque in Banda Aceh survived the tsunami miraculously (of course).
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- Kerkhof, the cemetery for Dutch and Indonesian soldiers fighting the Acehnese.
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- The new Tsunami Museum.
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- Garuda’s first aircraft “Seulawah” in the central padang. It was paid for by businesses and the people of Aceh.
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- Aceh thanks the world … a plaque for each country who helped out.
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- Tamansari Gunongan, a pleasure and bathing built for a Pahang princess by her Acehnese Sultan and husband.
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- This is supposed to remind the princess of the mountains of Pahang.
