Things run pretty smoothly with these guys and this was due to how well we worked with them yesterday. It was a large cargo for MSF, in the most remote place we have been yet, so it is essential we build up a good rapport with these guys in case we need to get back here.

Lamno sub district is a good place to be working, it has suffered heavily, and it appears there is little other aid getting through. Because of other difficulties, there is speculation that aid may not get through to these parts.

The unloading is finished by 1230, and we are on the way North again by 1300. I've talked to Pete in Banda Aceh and there is little progress with deciding where we will be headed next. We have to go back to load though, so we head North once more.

Some on board have heard of another town over the last few weeks that apparently saw the biggest and most powerful waves reported in the Tsunami as it hit the Northern tip of Sumatra, some mention waves that peaked at 30metres. We are not that hopeful, considering everything we have seen in terms of destruction in the last two weeks, that we will find a usable port.

Pete also wants us to check out the river that runs past the town and into the bay to assess whether there is any possibility of getting a barge or a landing craft up there for supplies from Banda Aceh, that MSF are wanting to use in future weeks.

We arrive at about 1700 and launch the Avon with Phil L, Moritz and Christian on board to find the river, document it and do the soundings. An 80 metre cargo vessel that was tied to the dock there when the Tsunami hit is completely overturned and upside down. There is no chance for the RW to use this facility. Nothing or no one would have survived here four or five stories up, trucks are scattered, and flags litter beach where once there was a thriving community. The flags mark the spots where dead bodies have been identified for burial.

We cannot find the river mouth either. The place where it lies on the chart is nothing but a sand bank and there is no chance to get the Avon in let alone a landing craft. This is also confirmed on the radar. We also cannot find Pete who was supposed to meet us here, mobile coverage is not good and he does not have a VHF. Not surprising really.

So we decide to leave and keep heading north.

In other news, we passed a couple of vessels today involved with other NGO relief work, a yacht called the Sean Paquitto, working with Waves of Mercy and coordinated by our Greenpeace colleague Madeleine in Malaysia, we tried radio contact on our way past but not joy. We did hear them on the radio a couple of hours later talking to the US Navy in an effort to get over some Malarial medicine, they had taken on board a sick local and were treating him.

And also what we suspected was the Sumber Rejeki working with IDEP coordination assisted by another Greenpeace colleague Alex, and out of Padang. they had been loading up in Krueng Raya. We tried phone, HF and VHF but again could make no contact to 100% ascertain. They are on their way back to Calang where there is a big need for aid. They have delivered something like 80 tons there already of food, clothing and water bore drilling equipment for fresh water.

It would have been good to talk to them both, but I believe we will come in contact over the next weeks anyway, everyone is busy and focussed in their efforts.

So I have just got off the phone to Pete and although the meeting has yet to happen tonight, it could well be that we will be asked to go back down that way with another load. I would like that, they need it badly.

That's it from me then. I asked Christian to write up something for tonight's report as well, he spent a lot of time ashore today at the unloading point on the river to Lamno and had some interesting conversations.

Cheers,
Rob

14 Jan 2005

I went in with the first cargo vessel to the drop of point where the MSF personnel were waiting. The place is called Pulau Limpan and it's literary nothing there, except two concrete houses that are half standing.

Pierre, MSF´s logistician, walks down from the rented trucks to meet us: "Bonjour, ca va? " and he continues in French for a while before I have to stop him. Unfortunately, I choose German as my third language in school and I don't understand any French. I reply with one of the two sentences I know, the other one is not appropriate in this kind of situation: "Bonjour Monsiur, pardon no parle vo Francais." He looks at me and smiles. Then he kicks away in English, a bit limited but fully understandable.

It turns out that Pierre is a really nice guy, and between the shipments we receive on the keyside -we talk about MSF as an organization and he also tells me about his 14 years in the field. He told me that his assignments are normally between 1-3 years; Honduras, Mozambique, Congo etc.

I can't really understand how he could cope with that for 14 years but I'm impressed by his engagement. After talking about Greenpeace and MSF for a while he asks me if know the history of the village we are in. I look around, seeing the two concrete buildings again. Further away on the brown, muddy field is a small ship and some buffalo cows.

Then I realize that I'm standing in the middle of what used to be the village. It's nothing left. Pierre continues telling the story about when the earthquake happened. The river Krueng Lambeusoe withdrew from the riverbed leaving the curious villages, who walked down to the river. The earthquake itself didn't do much damage to the people or building here.

According to locals who survived it took 50 minutes after the earthquake when the Tsunami hit the village, which is located around 1 km from the river mouth and ocean. The horizon was suddenly full of water, everywhere. 6000 people used to live in Pulau Limpan. Today, 90 percent of them are reported missing or dead. The rest are now relocated in Lamno in an IDP camp. IDP stands for Internally Displaced People and the name is used instead of refugee when it's within a country.

Sometimes I forget to reflect over the situation here. You can't walk around the whole day long just thinking about what happened; the people's loss and pain. But it's good to be reminded now and then why we do this. Pierre tells me that MSF intends to stay for as long as they can and he is honestly really thankful for our help.

--Christian