Tanwir’s uncle used to work at the cement factory, once one of the largest employers in this area. It should be open for business again by next summer, everyone is hoping. I think a French company is repairing it as a tsunami contribution.
Across the street is a beautiful beach,,, and Marty’s eyes about lit up when he saw surf boards. (= Stopping for a “1/2 hour” break wasn’t really an option with enthusiasm like that. Ha ha.
The story gets funnier as we discover surf boards for rent! ($2.50 an hour) Ironically, I’m the only one who brought shorts to swim in… Not to worry though. This is Indonesia- the only place in the world I know of where the lifeguards will give you the swim trunks right off their backs so that you can go surfing for a few hours! I think that’s unparalleled.
Between gulping mouthfuls of seawater, and getting tossed off my board like a rag-doll (the waves were pretty big, and this is my 3rd time ever on a surfboard… ) I did get a few rides in. Never quite all the way on my feet,, but pushed along on a foot & a knee scores a “success” mark in my book today! After getting rolled up a few more times,, and pushed down current towards a shipwrecked barge, I hung up my surfing shoes & rode a series of foam baths to the shore & walked back. It was fun. We all got a little zapped by the sun too… but Dan & Marty were still going at it for another hour or so.
I met a bunch of interesting & nice guys by the beach cabin. Peter Elefson, whose current affiliation is with the Aceh Water Sports Foundation, is part of a small NGO group doing post disaster trauma relief work,,, mostly through counseling & organizing water sports events for local people to get their minds off of the burden of their loss, develop a new skill set, and get refocused on something positive, fun, and within their reach. He was also one of the lifeguards, and brought the 4 surfboards here. Today was the first day they were available for rent… creating a small flow of tourist income.
Erik Klaassen is a Dutchman working with Sea Defense Consultants (another NGO) as a flood protection/urban drainage expert. And Alastair Morrison, a Brit from the UNDP Multi Donor Fund, is an infrastructure and spatial planning advisor.
All 3 of these guys made a point of mentioning the tedious nature of working within Indonesia’s bureaucracy (BRR). It hits rather close to home, as contractors are generally given 6 month visas to be here,,, and come extension time, the BRR has the track record of a slow DMV. The result is that most have to fly home, re-apply for a visa to come back for another 6 months, and repeat the process over & over. As Alastair put it,, “that’s no way to treat volunteers who come over here to do good work”.
After Marty & Dan got back, we took a triumphant “we surfed Aceh” beach pic and got back on the road.
Across the street is a beautiful beach,,, and Marty’s eyes about lit up when he saw surf boards. (= Stopping for a “1/2 hour” break wasn’t really an option with enthusiasm like that. Ha ha.
The story gets funnier as we discover surf boards for rent! ($2.50 an hour) Ironically, I’m the only one who brought shorts to swim in… Not to worry though. This is Indonesia- the only place in the world I know of where the lifeguards will give you the swim trunks right off their backs so that you can go surfing for a few hours! I think that’s unparalleled.
Between gulping mouthfuls of seawater, and getting tossed off my board like a rag-doll (the waves were pretty big, and this is my 3rd time ever on a surfboard… ) I did get a few rides in. Never quite all the way on my feet,, but pushed along on a foot & a knee scores a “success” mark in my book today! After getting rolled up a few more times,, and pushed down current towards a shipwrecked barge, I hung up my surfing shoes & rode a series of foam baths to the shore & walked back. It was fun. We all got a little zapped by the sun too… but Dan & Marty were still going at it for another hour or so.
I met a bunch of interesting & nice guys by the beach cabin. Peter Elefson, whose current affiliation is with the Aceh Water Sports Foundation, is part of a small NGO group doing post disaster trauma relief work,,, mostly through counseling & organizing water sports events for local people to get their minds off of the burden of their loss, develop a new skill set, and get refocused on something positive, fun, and within their reach. He was also one of the lifeguards, and brought the 4 surfboards here. Today was the first day they were available for rent… creating a small flow of tourist income.
Erik Klaassen is a Dutchman working with Sea Defense Consultants (another NGO) as a flood protection/urban drainage expert. And Alastair Morrison, a Brit from the UNDP Multi Donor Fund, is an infrastructure and spatial planning advisor.
All 3 of these guys made a point of mentioning the tedious nature of working within Indonesia’s bureaucracy (BRR). It hits rather close to home, as contractors are generally given 6 month visas to be here,,, and come extension time, the BRR has the track record of a slow DMV. The result is that most have to fly home, re-apply for a visa to come back for another 6 months, and repeat the process over & over. As Alastair put it,, “that’s no way to treat volunteers who come over here to do good work”.
After Marty & Dan got back, we took a triumphant “we surfed Aceh” beach pic and got back on the road.
posted by jonathan adventures at 9:02 PM
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