Padang, Indonesia. August 2005

 
       
                     
 

Padang, in south western Sumatra. Padang is unique because it has a very large population (~900,000) that are concentrated between the steep volcanic mountains and the ocean, which give is the non-prestigious title of highest tsunami hazard of any city in the world.

      The majority of the residents are very poor, and live in extremely dense networks of shanty-town nestled along the coast. Unfortunately, this high population density (~100,000 per km^2) makes them at particular risk. When another tsunami hits this area, which is will most likely in the lifetimes of these children, the death rate in these areas will be upwards of 90%.      
They will be alerted to the presence of the tsunami danger by the 1-5 min. of ground shaking, but this 30 min of warning will not be enough for them to run to the distant hills. One of the most distinctive features of Sumatra is the ornate architecture of the buildings. Mimicking the shape of bull horns, the roof of many buildings have beautiful flanged spires.
It makes the cityscape extremely beautiful. However, this beauty is often overshadowed by the chaos that engulfs the city. Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world. Although there are people everywhere, there is also trash everywhere. Environmental protection is not the first concern for the people in this country, and the streets, rivers, beaches, and jungle are often strewn with trash.
     
 
       
 

Environmental protection is not the first concern for the people in this country, and the streets, rivers, beaches, and jungle are often strewn with trash. Also in these lush jungles are tigers (now very rare), pythons, monkeys and huge jumping spiders, to name a few. However, once outside the cities, the region becomes very rural, with only sporadic fishing villages. The water also fades from a pale green-brown to the picturesque deep turquoise. And with a water temperature near 80 F, getting out of the city and relaxing on a beach somewhere is one of the most appealing draws.

  
Although the large cities of Indonesia are chaotic, but not without their subtle beauty and excitement, only a few kilometers out of town, the atmosphere dramatically transforms into rural mountainous coastlines. And directly offshore are picturesque barrier islands. Some are small atolls that barely hold a handful of palms, and others are small, long extinct volcanic islands. Their beauty and quiet remoteness is what makes Indonesia the tourist destination is once was. The atolls also serve another purpose, by allowing a quantifiable marker of uplift from the Dec. 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005 earthquake. The reefs that surround these small atolls have been uplifted by more then 2 meters in some places, showing the incredible power of these events.
 

However, the motivation for traveling to this island was to investigate seismic and GPS installations that have been established on this island. But with a price tag of $35 USD per night for a bungalow (transportation to/from the island and breakfast included), this beach get-away couldn't be better. The water is ~75 degrees and there are beautiful reefs, fish, and sea shells to be discovered. Just don’t venture out of a late-night swim. There are very large nocturnal sea snakes that come out to hunt along the reefs at night.

The last day of my trip to Indonesia was an exciting adventure of both stomach sickness from an evening snack I was served in a roadside stand (not the best idea, I know), and a day trip to a small mountain town; Bukittingi. We rented a taxi for the afternoon (12-7pm for ~$35 USD) and drove southeast through beautiful rice paddies and into the mountainous jungle of Sumatra (pictured). The town of Bukittingi is located at about 3000 feet between two towering volcanoes. It was not only an extremely beautiful town, but the climate was much more mild, making it a very popular destination for Indonesian vacationers (only 80 degrees F and 50% humidity). The town's main draw was a beautiful canyon (pictured), where a small river cuts through the soft tuffaceous deposits of the mountains. The other was a wonderful marketplace, where one could find anything they needed in the hundreds of small shops. Everything from Mangos, Nikes, farming equipment, buttons, dried eels, etc. etc. etc. It was an exciting experience and definately a must see, but never once did I see another Caucasian. One of the highlights of this region are the beautiful woven cloths and dresses. The fabrics use vivid colors, with intricate gold woven threads. The pictures don't do justice to the amazing sights and experiences, but it is absolutely someplace I would want to return to. Hopefully preventative action will be take, so that when the next tsunami hits the region, these beautiful people and their wonderful culture will be preserved.