"Who on earth would want to burn down an airport? What good will it do??"
Pak Herman shrugged. I decided that further questions will only result in answers which I did not want to know.
We took off for Gunungstoli in a rickety old 19-seater CASA CN-235 propeller plane. It must have been at least 20 years old. As it took off, storm clouds gathered and rain started to fall. The entire aircraft shook, vibrated, creaked and gyrated. I recalled that all Indonesian airlines are classified as Category II (in breach of international aviation safety rules) by the International Air Transport Authority.
I silently prayed to myself: please don't let the engines fall off.
The engines didn't fall off. We landed at Gunungstoli airstrip, which looked liked an airstrip constructed in the middle of the jungle purposely for an episode of "Survivor".
This airstrip was also the main centre of operations during the tsunami relief effort. Transport aircraft landed here delivering food supplies and equipment. Pak Herman recounted how he organised a Hercules transport aircraft to land here a few days after the tsunami: "It was not allowed to unload. The local government officers said it did not have "approval". The cargo was only unloaded a couple of days later after I personally called the provincial governor." Here officers from the local government greeted us and put us on a van, for the two-hour journey to Teluk Dalam, the provincial capital of Nias Selatan.
We arrived in Teluk Dalam at 1700 hours... and into the warzone.
Pulau Tello
Distance from epicentre of tsunami: 72 miles
The boat reached the Pulau Tello jetty at about 0900 hours. We staggered off the boat somewhat dazed after a night trying to sleep as the boat rocked through the waves. Here, evidence of the tsunami was not as apparent - the community is too small and hence there were simply nothing for the tsunami to destroy. The island is also protected by bigger, uninhabited islands further east, which is the reason for the calm blue waters which surrounds the island.
The residents of Pulau Tello and the surrounding islands are a mainly Christian community (amazingly, none in our Malaysian party are Christians - we were truly in a non-political, non-religious international effort). We were told that there is no electricity supply during the day. Our accomodation was pretty basic - what seems to be a hostel a short distance away from the jetty, where the drinking water is suspect (we had to stock up on mineral water instead) and toilet facilities usually consist of an outhouse with a hole in the floor. We had breakfast with the local district officer (who owned the only speedboat in town) and rested for a couple of hours.
January 18
Pulau Sifika
Distance from epicentre of tsunami: 96 miles
In the afternoon we were roused up for a boat trip to Pulau Sifika, about two hours south from Pulau Tello. This is where the proposed tourism centre will be located. Walking along the main street of Pulau Tello, I remarked that, except for the dark weather-beaten skin, the population looked very chinese. Philip took me up on this: "Well, you know the travels of Cheng Ho the last time? He went to Sumatera didn't he? He actually went to Acheh. Before leaving for India, I think he stopped at the west coast of Sumatera, where we are right now, and some of his people might have stayed behind."
As we took a faster boat for this journey, the ride was relatively smooth. Pulau Sifika was what I can just describe as a 'Blue Lagoon' paradise fantasy island. Crystal clear, blue-green waters greeted us. We anchored the boat off the beach where some of the guys decided to dip into the waters for a swim. Others like me stayed on the boat for an afternoon nap. Life as a beach bum was complete when the local villagers offered us smoked fish wrapped in banana leaves and fresh coconut.
I should just retire there and then.
I woke up early in the morning with a stomach filled to the brim from yesterday's dinner - another round of lobsters. This time, even bigger than the ones I tasted in Teluk Dalam. These lobsters cost as much as RM250/kg in the seafood restaurants in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Yet the local villagers in Pulau Tello catch and eat them nearly every day!
Pak Herman came to us with today's event: to take the boat for a four-hour boat ride past Pulau Tanahmasa and Pulau Hibala (to photograph the proposed sites of our palm oil plantation) and to land at Pulau Hibala for a meeting and signing ceremony with the local district officer and local village heads (this is done to ensure that the local villagers do not object and protest -ala the Penan community in Sarawak- when lands are opened up for palm oil plantations).
Once more, we boarded the boat. The weather was cool and cloudy, making for a somewhat pleasant trip. After picture taking around the islands, we landed at the jetty at Pulau Hibala.
The community in Pulau Hibala was even smaller than in Pulau Tello, and even more impoverished and destitute. There is NO electricity at all, though some houses do have individual solar panels (supplied under a joint government-private sector programme) for which small amounts of electricty are generated. There were no roads and no vehicles except for motorcycles. Wild boars were seen running around. Most villagers live in small wooden huts with tatched roofs, though bigger stone houses are now being built as part of the post-tsunami redevelopment programme.
We met the local district officer and proceeded to the community hall, where the local village heads had gathered. In a somewhat political sermon, Pak Herman proceeded to explain the benefits of our local government-private investor partnership programme. Through my limited understanding of Bahasa Indonesia, I noted the villagers' ill-feeling towards the late Indonesian President, Pak Soeharto. Their concerns mainly revolve as to whether federal police and military personnel will be stationed on the island once the development projects commence. The meeting ended when we signed a Letter of Agreement, and we then adjourned for a meal of -guess what- lobsters.
January 20, 2008
Pulau Tello/middle of ocean
Distance from epicentre of tsunami: ~72 miles
Philip and Pak Abie decided to take the speedboat and scout around the islands. I stayed behind and amused myself by trying the local coffee - which was as black as engine oil. In the afternoon, we boarded the boat for the ride back to Teluk Dalam.
We were two hours out when the engines stopped.
"What happened?" I asked. "The engines are gone. Rosak," said Philip. I looked around me. There was nothing but open blue sea. Commotion ensued in the boat as everyone scrambled trying to make calls from their handphones, but there was no signal. The boat's captain was knocking on the engines with a wrench. "Aiyo, die lah like this, said Philip. "We have no radio you know! With the current, we'll probably drift to Africa before someone finds us." "Maybe another boat will us" "Do you see another boat? There are no other boats, just us!" Philip was now beside himself. "And look, there are storm clouds over there, soon it will rain!"
I looked at the horizon anxiously. The headline: 'International lawyer lost at sea' in tomorrow's papers didn't appeal to me. But miraculously, the boat's captain managed to start the engine again after about an hour. He was ordered to turn around, and we were back in Pulau Tello two hours later.
January 21, 2008
Pulau Tello/Teluk Dalam
Distance from epicentre of tsunami: 47 miles
The local district officer was furious. "The captain should have ensured his boat is in proper condition, " he stormed. "What more when his passengers are government officers and official guests!" He then turned to us. "Its dangerous to use that boat now. You can take another boat, which will leave later in the morning to Teluk Dalam. It is however a local passenger cum cargo boat, so there might be other passengers with you."
About another 30 passengers, actually.
"You mean these people are all going to Teluk Dalam?" I whispered to Philip as we boarded the boat. "Yeah what. This is passenger boat what." I looked as the other passengers streamed into the boat. There were mothers carrying babies in their arms. One passenger carried a chicken. Another carried a pig. And another carried four dogs, each in a plastic bag, which yelped at each other and at the chicken and the pig.
But all passengers (40 humans, 1 chicken, 1 pig and 4 dogs) reached Teluk Dalam safely.
Upon arrival at Teluk Dalam we had a quick look-around at the harbour and the town. New schools were being constructed by UN relief workers, and there is actually a new rural hospital built by German engineers. "Not many UN personnel are left now, " explained the local district officer. "Now the ones here are mainly from Spain and Australia. They will have to leave by 2009 when the UN mandate expire." We were then bundled into the van for the two-hour journey to Gunungstoli where we spent the night at a lodge. We took the same CASA CN-235 propeller plane the next morning back to Medan.
I was too tired to think about the plane's vibrations.
January 22, 2008
Medan, Sumatera Utara
Distance from epicentre of tsunami: 290 miles
We landed at Polonia Airport at 1015 hours where our group separated (some will continue to Jakarta, Batam, etc) Since our flight back to KL will depart only at 1525, Philip suggested we meet up with his friend in Medan to have lunch. Lunch was at a kopitiam-style shop in the middle of town.
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