I travelled to Banda Aceh to register for a temporary residents visa. Our base is 5 hours drive along the cost in Calang. The roads are quite rough and when they are near the ocean, it is clear that the old road was washed away in the tsunami. In some areas the coast line is now 100m or more further in land than before the tsunami. Evidence of its destructive power is everywhere to be seen.
This used to be a 2 story building, its made of reinforced concrete.
The twigs in the background are thousands of dead palm trees. My back was to the sea, these trees used to be on dry ground. The tsunami bent them over, stripped them of leaves. Now it looks like a convention for telegraph poles. The roots are in salt water so they are doubly dead
The stumps of palm trees where the sea has reclaimed the land
You can just about see dozens of new houses that have been built, just as vulnerable to a tsunami as before. They are almost all the same design, set out in neat rows like a cheap European suburb. I wonder what it will do to culture and community adhesion ?
It's an islamic country so of course there are mosques, I think this one is a gift from Saudi Arabia
The Medair compound in Calang is right on the coast, very attractive
The compound is large, there is a reasonably reliable electricty supply, running water (pumped up from a well), hot water in the shower (propane gas heater), internet access (satellite), satellite TV, plenty of living and office space. We took over the compound from another NGO that has left (there are other vacant compounds nearby).
On the right is a palm tree with nothing on top, stripped by the tsunami - one day it will simply topple over. They are about 20m high
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