The initial objective of this 2004 tsunami disaster site was to provide information on aid and relief efforts to which we experienced great success through the help of volunteers and the media. We have since shifted the site's focus to cover the post-tsunami aspect of the disaster as many of these tsunami affected countries are great holiday destinations where revenue from tourism and shopping are just as vital to their full recovery.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Pantai Kerachut : A hidden away beach sanctuary in Penang Island
Undisturbed, unspoilt & tranquility is what best to describe Pantai Kerachut. Located at the north-east of Penang Island along the Muka Head cape, it is one of six beaches in Penang National Park.
This relatively unknown place is normally frequent by locals who went there to explore the lush greenery of Penang National Park & to camp at the designated campsite near the beach. Lately, more & more foreign tourist starts to give this fantastic place, a stop over.
Perhaps, it is the charming & alluring beauty of Pantai Kerachut that makes' it, the best gateway to recuperate from the hectic city life. There are 2 way to get to the beach. First, is by walk/hike & the second is by boat. Taking a boat will be faster & will cost you approximately RM 15 per person (one way). There will be some fishermen boat along the stretch of Teluk Bahang that can bring you there. The price is not fixed, so try bargain for a good price.
Some hotels along Batu Ferringhi also provides' boat service to this beaches. For example, Golden Sands Resort and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa. Although, you can enjoy a more relaxing boat cruise to this place, walking has become more favored nowadays. It's because the trails to Pantai Kerachut are much simpler and so much shorter compared to 4 years back. Various signboard are put up, leading you to Pantai Kerachut, Monkey Beach, Muka Head Lighthouse and some others beaches. The walk/hike will take between 1 ~ 2 hour’s journey along the lush greenery and astounding beauty of Penang National Park.
You'll need to register before heading into the park to prepare for any eventualities in case some of you did not made it back. Registration is of course, FREE!
Some of the Flora in the forest includes Cashew nuts which are common here. Fully grown timber trees are found inside the forest beyond the coast. Fauna such as bats and birds are very common. Monkeys are a nuisance as they raided campsites for food.
The calls from a pair of resident stock billed kingfisher in the evening occasionally break the monotonous beating waves and chirping birds. Wild boars and mousedeers are quite common during low tourist seasons. Pantai Kerachut is one of the few beaches in Penang with a turtle hatchery site, and is the only beach where the Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas can be spotted. It is believed that the Green Turtle only migrate here for nesting as extensive algae are not known and found around Penang Island.
The turtle hatchery site is one of the projects taken up by the State Fisheries Department some 16 years back. Turtle eggs were obtained from elsewhere to initiate the hatchery project and 17,345 hatchlings have been released to the sea from 2001 to 2006.
Now, the beach has started to attracted adult egg laying turtles. There are about 35 green badge tourist guides who will draw up a timetable for visitors and the number of visitors will be limited, in line with the national park conversation policy. According to the Fisheries Department spokesman, the best season to watch the hatchlings would be in June and July. So, remember to jolt down this important period.
Others attractions include visiting the seasonal meromictic lake, visible for only six months of the year. The lake has two layers of water of different temperatures. The bottom layer of sea water is normally warmer than the surface fresh water. Warm saline water below and fresh water on top. The lake is just a short walking distance from the beach.
A thing to note is that, you can't find any food or drink sellers on this beach. Therefore, it is essential to bring our own. You wouldn't want to eat something from the wild, right? And when evening comes, it is where you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the beautiful sunset, amidst the beatings of endless ocean wave coming down the shores. Enjoy your visit to the beach & have fun!
Recently Thailand has become rather a popular name when tourism is chosen as the topic for discussion, and it's not that hard to imagine why! After all, one look at its rich culture and natural resources, and we can see why Thailand has a lot to brag about itself and its "appealingness" to tourists from all over the world.
Mentioned below are some of the popular tourist attractions in Thailand.
Located in southern Thailand, Phuket is a world famous holiday destination with pictorial beauty, breathtaking beaches, amazing Thai cuisine, thrilling water sports and rich resorts for that more than perfect holiday in Thailand. This tourist spot of Thailand is known for its nightlife, seafood, romantic retreat and gorgeous coral reefs. Phuket is a very popular place for holidaymakers to visit among tourists from all over the world.
Bangkok's Canals
The capital of Thailand is world famous for its water markets and houses. Tourists and visitors on holiday in Thailand must not miss this unusual open water area with floating shops and houses. Do shop at this extraordinary water market for a whole new experience.
Tarutao Marine National Park
While you are holidaying in Thailand make sure you visit Tarutao Marine National Park, as this tourist spot offers an amazing company of plants, animals and lets you experience the best of its wildlife resources.
Suan Pakkad Palace
This tourist spot is perfect for those in love with art, as the place offers remarkable art collections. The place also lets you cherish and experience the beauty of traditional houses when on holiday in Thailand.
Temple of Wat Arun
Bangkok is known to have more than 400 temples, but Wat Arun is one of the most prominent and worth visiting one. The temple acts as a major tourist spot because of its contemporary architectural layout and unique design. Many of those holidaying in Thailand often visit this temple to capture the images on Buddha's life displayed at the temple.
National Museum in Bangkok
Bangkok's national museum is a must-see tourist attraction for those on a holiday in Thailand. The museum offers collections of striking artifacts that add a touch of true Thailand to your vacation.
Statue of Buddha
The Island of Ko Samui is famous for the popular statue of Buddha. When holidaying in Thailand you must visit this island to experience the religious feel of Thailand. The place is known to draw tourist and visitors looking for the real Thailand.
Trekking at Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is a renowned trekking base that allures all the fun and adventure loving tourists and visitors holidaying in Thailand. There is nothing better than trekking through forests and mountains in the north for those looking for some great scenery, thrill and adventure like elephant rides and bamboo rafting.
Best time to holiday in Thailand
The ideal time for a vacation in Thailand would be the months from December to March.
Whenever I mention Malaysia to friends, they merely nod politely and change the subject. They talk instead about Bangkok's sizzling night-club scene, or the buzz of shopping in Hongkong! Well, true enough-Malaysia doesn't have that kind of razzmatazz. Nor does it need to.
It has other riches to offer.
Take, for example, Penang's Tropical Fruit Farm, and its unique Tropical Spice Gardens.
At the Tropical Fruit Farm, I join a group of visitors as they board a battered-looking truck. The vehicle pants its way up a narrow, curling road, and at the crest of a hill, overlooking the sweep of Penang Island and the Straits of Malacca, we dismount and gather around Ali, who is to be our guide throughout the tour. Although we are at a modest elevation of just 244 metres above sea level, the humidity is fierce; perspiration trickles down my neck, and my dark-glasses fog over.
However, this non-commercial orchard is well worth the sweat. Sprawling over twenty-five acres of undulating country, the Farm is also an experimental research centre. Ali is an accomplished raconteur, with a wry sense of humour, and although he doesn't go into horticultural technicalities, he introduces us to a range of curious-looking specimens: bright red dragon fruit-spiky grenades hanging off the parent cactus plant-and rambutans covered in punk-orange "hair". While it's impossible to cover 200 species of fruit in an hour, the group are nonetheless fascinated by rare varieties of betel nut palms, exotic strains of passion fruit, sugar apples-and cute miniature bananas the size of my small toe. Ali plucks pink water apples off a heavily laden tree and offers them to us; they taste slightly acrid and after my first bite, I throw what's left to a hopeful-looking crow hopping along behind us. The Miracle Fruit berry is unusual: the small crimson bead, when chewed, hoodwinks the palate, so that even the sourest lemon is tastes nectar-sweet. Naturally, everyone wants to give that a try.
There's no need to use Miracle Fruit's berries when we return to the reception area-our exertions are rewarded by drinks of sweet ice-cold mango juice and a lavish tropical fruit salad-pineapple slices, interspersed with papaya, bananas and passion fruit wedges. Durians, to my immense relief, are not in season.
On leaving the Fruit Farm, I head towards the Tropical Spice Gardens-a short drive downhill towards the trendy beach and shopping area of Bukit Feringgi. If the sun was direct and fierce at the top of the hill, I am now enveloped in green shade: a soothing world of flowering hibiscus shrubs, mauve jacarandas, lemon-fronded laburnums and scarlet flame-of-the-forest trees. Trails wind along gently sloped terraces, edged by meandering streams and waterfalls. Fan-leaved banana plants grow beside bamboo thickets and towering rubber trees, and a riot of deep blue morning glory and hot-pink bougainvillea creepers shawl the railings of miniature bridges. White and lemon orchids cling to the barks of hardwood trees.
Past the first terrace, with its profusion of crotons, cycads and ferns, (each meticulously tagged with their botanical identity), I walk up a small slope, and sit on a wooden bench. A bird whoops somewhere in the jungle foliage behind me, and I watch a ballet of royal blue-and-gold winged butterflies fluttering around a plant bearing droopy-fingered orange blooms. The afternoon air is drowsy with the hum of bees, and heavy with the scent of frangipani, mingled with the faint, but unmistakable fragrance of cinnamon. Apart from herb beds of mint, thyme, coriander and parsley, I am surrounded by a splendour of tropical spice plants-red ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, garlic, cassia (cinnamon) and areca nut.
Although Penang's Butterfly Farm isn't unique-both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore have similar attractions-it nonetheless grabs my attention for well over an hour, As I try to capture shots of butterflies flickering like brightly-coloured confetti around me, I notice a small boy beaming with delight as a gigantic Raja Brooke, black with dramatic emerald green markings, settles on his hand. His older sister, meanwhile, is transfixed in front of a glass-fronted display window as a cocoon starts to split open to reveal a soggy-winged brand new butterfly. Apart from about 120 species of winged performers, there are other resident virtuosos. Two small horned toads stare beady-eyed at me, and a spiny stick insect freezes into camouflage mode on a brown twig. Next door, a tarantula is wooing his mate, and family life also seems to be thriving in the scorpion household, with baby scorpions shimmying around their mum. In the world of beetles, a large stag beetle flexes his mandibles (equivalent, perhaps, to a macho guy showing off his biceps?), and a long armed Scarab brings to mind a stylized Egyptian emblem.
So is Malaysia boring? Is Penang 'ho-hum'? This is a country where Nature is prolific and flamboyant-see it, taste it, smell it and touch it. It beguiles. It intrigues. And it draws visitors like me back time and again!
BANDA ACEH (Indonesia) - INDONESIA opened a US$5.6 million (S$8.5 million) museum on Monday to commemorate the 230,000 people who died in the 2004 Asian tsunami.
The four-level building in hardest-hit Aceh province exhibits photographs of victims, stories of survivors and an electronic simulation of the massive undersea earthquake that triggered the 10-metre-high waves.
It also describes the tremendous outpouring of support from governments, companies and individuals in the aftermath of the Dec 26, 2004 disaster, which caused death and destruction in a dozen nations.
More than $13 billion was pledged to house and feed survivors and to rebuild devastated coasts.
The government says the museum, designed by local architect Ridwan Kamil, is an important part of the recovery process, paying tribute to those who died and explaining to future generations what happened and why.
The opening was not without controversy.
More than 700 families are still living in barracks in Aceh, which was home to two-thirds of the victims, and some were disappointed to see millions of dollars being spent on a monument.
'They should be taking care of us first,' said Anisah Tahir, 50, who has been living with her husband and two children in a tiny room in a squalid camp in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. 'We need a decent place to live and sleep,' she said.
Indonesia is located in the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions. -- AP
Georgetown offers some delightful shopping opportunities in the form of modern shopping complexes and streets with cultural souvenirs and goods.The malls offer a range of shopping for modern goods ranging from fashion to electronics and jewellery to gadgets while the cultural shopping areas enable you to see and admire cultural designs and lifestyles of the different races in Penang.
KOMTAR KOMTAR, which stands for Kompleks Tunku Abdul Razak, is a famous landmark in Penang and the tallest building on the island. Inside the tower is a small shopping mall that houses a limited range of goods and merchandise. What most people come here for is to take a ride up to the top for a panoramic view of the entire island, where you can see the Penang Bridge and Butterworth on the mainland.
PRANGIN MALL The Prangin Mall is a relatively new shopping complex located right next to the KOMTAR building. The mall houses over 600 outlets in 8 levels, ranging from fashion to electronics and groceries to household appliances. This is also a popular destination for bootleg goods, especially DVDs of movies and music.
CHINATOWN The area around Campbell road is Penang's very own Chinatown - this is the place where the first Chinese migrants to Malaysia settled. The old buildings, clan houses and shop lots are very well-preserved, offering visitors a glimpse into the history of Chinese settlers in the early 1800s'. For shopping, a lot of Chinese-centric commodities go on sale, such as jade jewellery, Rolex watches, traditional clothes, herbs, medicines to more modern products than include branded electrical products and luggage bags.
LITTLE INDIA Situated around Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Chulia, Little India is just right next door to its neighbour Chinatown. For an Indian cultural shopping experience, Little India will amaze you with its 'Indian' sights, sounds and smells. The shops and stalls that line the streets stock everything Indian - from silk garments (sarees) to stainless steel Tiffin carriers and Indian sweets to flower necklaces. The atmosphere is permeated with the din of Bollywood music emanating from record shops and people talking and walking. Just down the street is the Mahamariamman Temple, a historic place of worship for the Indians of Penang.
JALAN PINTAI TALI (ROPE WALK STREET) Antique lovers should take note - Jalan Pintai Ali or Rope Street stocks a large variety of antiques such as porcelain, chains, coins, glass, ceiling lamps and antique clocks. Prices are negotiable, so don't give up till you've got the price you wanted. On a side note, no one can bring out of the country any antiques under the law without permission from the export Director General of Museums, Malaysia. However, antiques brought in and declared at customs are allowed.
Thanks to Penang’s sizable Chinese population, the Lunar New Year celebrations in the area are especially boisterous. On the eve of the New Year, Malaysian Chinese turn up in their ancestral homes to eat, gamble, shop and celebrate with their families. Throughout the Chinese New Year season, Penang comes alive with innumerable parties and parades, but several events are particularly worth seeing if you’re visiting the area.
Chinese New Year Street Market On January 18, the Little Penang Street Market condenses the entire Penang cultural and shopping experience into a single venue on a single day - with stalls and stores selling traditional Chinese New Year foods and trinkets, cultural performances going on in the streets, and the strains of Chinese traditional music filling the air.
The Street Market takes place on Upper Penang Ring Road, just across from the E&O Hotel.
Chinese New Year Open House 2009 Penang's government will hold a Chinese New Year Open House at Campbell Street on the 29th of January, from 6:30 to 10:30 in the evening.
If you want to see traditional Chinese performing arts, this is the place to go. Lion dances and Chingay performances will compete for your attention, just as you're sampling the delicious food that comes with any Chinese New Year celebration! Chinese New Year Cultural & Heritage Celebration 2009
Chinese New Year celebrations in Penang are most boisterous in Penang's historical district, where the locals are proud of their city's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On February 1, a Chinese New Year Cultural and Heritage Celebration will be staged along Armenian Street, Cannon Street, Ah Quay Street, Soo Hong Lane, Acheen Street, and Chulia Street.
The celebration will feature some interesting activities such as a treasure hunt and a Chinese New Year cooking demonstration.
The Celebration will organize "Seven Towns" featuring the different cultures that have made Penang what it is today: Hokkien, Canton, Hainan, Teochew, Hakka, Wushu, and Malay. Visitors can wander through each "town" to explore the different cultural traditions of the city.
Different civic organizations also play a part in the day's cultural events: clan groups such as Khoo Khongsi, Lim Khongsi, Cheah Khongsi, and Yap Khongsi will present an opera show and a series of cultural dances.
When I was interviewed by a local press on whether the tsunami justifies a second link for Penang - presumably to allow Penangites to flee - my first reaction was that even the media had been hit by the tsunami of paranoia!
It seems to me that there are some interested parties who are cracking their brains to push their pet projects, by hook or by crook. I told the serious sounding journalist that there are at least two ways to answer the question: first, there are many ways to address the danger from tsunami - eg, warning from bay watchers were enough to get hotel guests off the beach. What we need is to extend this life-saving service to all beaches.
Second, the second link need to be compared to the efficiencies of other transport investments such as public transport before we can jump into it. This is not a joke because a day before - and a day after the tsunami - another group of journalists from Kuala Lumpur dropped in and asked in all seriousness, “How long will Penang Island stay up in the sea?” I replied that Penang’s hills go up to 3,000 feet above sea level and if they are flooded, surely much more would be flooded in the mainland!
These are two real-life stories from my tsunami experience. However, there is a palpable sea-phobia in George Town. People are officially warned to stay away from the sea. From now on, the sea which inspired so many poets in history, has become a menace.
Such thinking may be short-lived but it has certainly been exploited by some interested parties to get rid of anything they don’t want by the seaside. For example, the seaside heritage, Koay Jetty, is given more doubts after the tsunami, even by some of my better friends. But such doubts somehow is not extended to the new flats which will be located exactly where the jetties now stand!
Now let’s get the fact right - the heritage area is not facing the open sea which is vulnerable to another tidal wave attack. But what if it was? Does this justify the heritage’s removal - after all, the jetties (there are seven in all) have been sitting there for over 100 years without any hassles? I think a pro-heritage position would be more likely to justify some shelter for it than to demolish it!
If anything, the tsunami danger should warrant the chief minister to rethink his town planning to line the seashore with high-rises which inevitably will mass people and property onto the potentially dangerous shore line. One factor offered by some observers about the high death toll in Thailand is that some of the hotels there are located too close to the sea.
It can be said that heritage buildings had been there for historical reasons outside the control of its original builders - but the builders of these modern flats are not similarly constrained, and thus there should be more accountability for their choice of location.
If the sea-front heritage were to be demolished because of the tsunami, it would be a shame - the jetties were there precisely because the earlier labour force of Weld Quay were not given any land to build their homes. They - and their offsprings - had gone through the thick and thin of living on the sea. It seems odd that the current ‘compassion’ to these dwellers must come with a condition that these heritage buildings be demolished.
It seems that there is an unspoken wish, over and above the flat builders’ obvious vested interests, to erase this sad part of George Town’s working class history as if they are not happy to let more generations to be reminded of how the `founding fathers’ had not been able to provide their labourers some decent land to build a secure home.
If this official thinking is allowed to prevail then truly our history is on for a clean-up, not by the tsunami from the sea but from the modern version of the same wickedness and exploitativeness of the `founding fathers’.
It has been 4 years now but memories of that fateful day still lingers on for many.
A lot has changed for the citizens living in Penang Island as since then the Malaysian government has built a concerted Tsunami Early Warning System in places like Penang Island, Langkawi Island and Kedah.
The victims in Tg Bungah Penang where their houses were totally destroyed by the tsunami 4 years ago have since moved into a new apartment block that was constructed by the government, ironically still located in the same site where the tsunami had actually struck. However, safety considerations have been incorporated into the design of the building where the entire apartment block is raised 25 feet from the groundlevel. Not sure how high were the killer waves back then but the authorities here feel that this height is sufficiently safe. The money used to build the apartments for the tsunami victims came from public donations and a total of 100 units were built.
This is not a tsunami related post but I believe strongly that each and every citizen of the world has a right to democracy, regardless of nationality, religion or social standing. Hence I'm putting up this post to let the world know of the atrocities that has befallen the people of Myanmar(formerly known as Burma) which was brought about by the nation's Junta(Myanmar's military ruling party).
In the past week there has been a peaceful uprising in which pro-democratic demonstrators onsisting of Myanmarian citizens and Buddhist monks took to the roads of the capitol city Yangon in thousands protesting for democracy in the poverty stricken nation of Myanmar. The military run Junta instead of finding a peaceful solution to the protests shocked the world by firing on them with automatic rifles! Killing their citizens and even monks! Buddhist monks are the epitome of peace and morality in this country and even such peaceful folks have been driven to protest against Myanmar's 45 years of military rule and hardship, and this rare and peaceful protest is reciprocated by the government with bullets and batons instead.
I urge the people of the world to open their eyes to these cruel atrocities brought upon the nation and people of Myanmar by it's own government, in hope that the world leaders of all countries in the world will unite and quickly work together to put an immediate stop to this sickening and blasphemous atrocity!
The Junta government has locked down all modes of telecommunication in the country but a few bloggers have managed to retrieve information and images of the true situation over there. Please read more about it at the following blogs :
NEWS CONFIRMED : Tsunami warning issued after 7.9 magnitude quake off Sumatra
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a tsunami alert after a powerful earthquake struck off Sumatra, Indonesia at 7.10pm.
The department has advised people in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang to move away from beaches as a safety precaution.
Tremors were felt in parts of the west coast of peninsular Malaysia when the quake struck.
It was centered at 105 km southwest of Bengkulu, Sumatra and 718km southwest of Johor Bahru, at a depth of 15.6km.
Malaysian is adequately equipped to detect a tsunami and issue a warning within an hour before it reaches the shore.
The system is based on two buoys - one in the Andaman Sea near Rondo Island in Indonesia and the other in the South China Sea near Pulau Layang-layang in Sabah.
Malaysians will receive notice of evacuation via television, radio, satellite broadcast and SMS within 15 minutes of data transmission from the buoys.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had earlier issued a tsunami alert for the entire Indian Ocean region after the quake.
Price of new low-cost homes too steep for tsunami victims
PENANG, MALAYSIA : The tsunami victims in Penang are unable to move into their new homes because the price is not right, said MP Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye. The state government had set a ceiling price of RM42,000 per unit of low-cost home but the company engaged by the Federal Government to build the houses for tsunami victims was quoting RM52,000 per unit.
Chia said the state government was not agreeable to the price quoted by the company. “The state has appealed to the Federal Government to look into the matter urgently as the tsunami victims need to move into permanent homes,” Chia said.
The tsunami victims who lost their homes in Dec 2004 have been living in transit longhouses since more than two years ago. The victims have been complaining that the transit homes have started falling apart with cracks and leakages. Chia said the housing problems must be settled soon as the new homes would also fall apart if left unattended for a long time.
Tsunami 26th December 2006 - recalling the days that followed that bewildering and chaotic day
Date: Dec. 26, 2004
* Tzu Chi volunteers were unable to enter the disaster areas due to a temporary closure ordered by the local police squad for safety concerns. * Later that evening, Tzu Chi volunteers went to the morgue to help the families of the victims. They served hot meals and provided care and emergency cash to them. * Number of households helped: 14. * Amount of hot meal served: 320 bags. * Number of volunteers participated: 60.
Date: Dec. 27, 2004
* Some volunteers started entering the disaster areas in the morning, while others were preparing hot meals, emergency cash and relief goods. * Volunteers reported that some of the victims needed help to clean up their houses. Ten volunteers participated in the cleaning effort and cleaned two households. * At noon, volunteers spread out into different disaster area and started the relief efforts by disbributing relief goods at a designated shelter amd making door-to-door distribution. * Number of households helped: Tanjung Tokong (57), Permatang Damar Laut (35), Bagan Teluk Kumbar (30), Pulau Betong (40), Kuala Muda (273). * Medical staff affiliated with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association offered free clinic services to the victims at the relief shelters in Tanjung Tokong and Kuala Muda. * Number of victims received medical attention: 28 people. * Households received relief goods: 435. * Hot meal served: 1,260 bags. * Number of volunteers participated: 300
Date: Dec. 28, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.
* Number of households helped: Kuala Jalan Baru (36), Permatang Damar Laut (16), Sungai Pinang (50), Bagan Jermal(83), Tanjung Tokong (20), Tanjung Bungah (88), Kuala Muda (295). * Another group of volunteers headed to the disaster areas to clean up the trash and debris. Later, they were joined by the relief team and transported a total of seven truckloads of trash. * Medical staff went to the relief shelter in Kuala Muda to provide free medical care. * Number of victims received medical care: 100 people. * Households received relief goods: 588. * Hot meal served: 690 bags. * Number of volunteers participated: 200.
Date: Dec. 29, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.
* Number of households helped: relief goods delivered in Tanjong Bungah of Penang (66) and Bagan Jelma (5). Relief goods were distributed in Kuala Teriang of Langkawi (210). * Volunteers continued the cleaning effort after the relief was finished. They provided cleaning effort in the same disaster area as yesterday. Another eight truckloads of trash were transported today. * Forty-five Tzu Chi volunteers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi came to the Langkawi relief shelter to provide relief goods to the victims. * Tzu Chi volunteers were able to identify residents who needed special care and help in the Tanjung Bungah disaster area with the help of the village's top official. The volunteers collected the case data in preparation for subsequent post-disaster care. * Hot meals were served to the victims without hot food in Bagan Jelma of Penang. * Households received relief goods: 281. * Hot meal served: 24 bags. * Number of volunteers participated: 77.
Date: Dec. 30, 2004 Methods of relief efforts: distributing relief materials at a designated shelter.
* Number of households helped: Tanjung Bungah of Penang (13), Bukit Malut of Langkawi (330), and Sungain Bakau (51). * Twenty-eight Tzu Chi volunteers continued the house cleaning and gave personal care in Kampung Nelayan of Tanjung Bungah. Tzu Chi volunteers also teamed up with a local Christian group to clean up the disaster areas. In the afternoon, 18 volunteers took over and continued the cleaning effort. * More than 60 volunteers from Alor Setar, Jitra, Butterworth and Penang joined to help cleaning the victims’ houses in Kuala Muda. A total of five houses belonged to 10 elderly people and a kindergarten were cleaned by the volunteers. Volunteers were ordered to leave the area later by the police due to another possible tsunami attack. * A Tzu Chi social worker and 10 volunteers provided care and relief goods to the families of the killed victims. Seven households were visited and four households received relief goods. * Two rounds of relief goods distribution and free medical clinic were provided in Langkawi today -- in Bukit Malut in the morning and in Sungai Bakau in the afternoon. * A total of 45 Tzu Chi volunteers and social workers from Penang, Kuala Lumpar, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi participated in today’s relief effort. * About 200 people came to the free clinic for medical treatments. Two doctors, two nurses, one pharmacist and four volunteers helped in the free clinic. * Number of Households received relief goods: 39 * Number of volunteers participated: 151.
Date: Dec. 31, 2004
* A total of 22 volunteers participated in today’s cleaning up effort in Tanjong Bunga (including the beach area). Tzu Chi volunteers also provided hot meals (170 boxes) to these victims in two relief shelters, delivered relief goods to one household and reported five cases needing for further help. * Tzu Chi social workers and volunteers continued to provide in-home care to the families of the deceased victims and delivered relief goods to them based on the information from two hospitals. Among the six families they visited, one lost five children when the tsunami hit. Both parents of that family were too devastated to take care of their own injuries. Tzu Chi volunteers provided loving care and would continue to offer their care and support. * Households received relief goods: 7. * Hot meal served: 170 boxes (Tajung Tokong: 150 boxes, Bagan Jelma: 20 boxes). * Number of volunteers participated: 27.
Date: Jan.1, 2005
* A total of 218 Tzu Chi volunteers headed to the disaster areas in Pulau Betong in the morning to help community cleaning up. They also cleaned seven houses damaged by the tsunami. The cleaning work continued until 4:30 p.m. * Besides Tzu Chi volunteers, there were many other people from local businesses and organizations joining the cleaning up effort during the New Year’s break. The day's volunteers included 218 from Tzu Chi, 150 from Intel, 80 from PPH, 30 from BLIA, 15 from Four-Wheel Drive Team, 3 from Inventec, and 50 others. * Together with everyone’s cleaning effort, a total of 32 truckloads of trash were transported out from the tsunami-affected area.
Well it seems that Blogger/Google finally manage to restore this blog to the original, with all the original tsunami articles and all.
It is really amazing what the people in Google can do. Well, now all we have to do is to add new content to this already magnificent blog.
I for one would like to feature the tourist destinations of both Penang and Thailand. This is to bring more awareness towards these beautifully restored tourist destinations that is already known the world over.
Here are some pictures of famous places in both Penang and Thailand.
The chilling fact is another earthquake measuring 7.2 struck off southern Taiwan. Is this just a coincidence? The perfect timing? Or is it something more? A sign perhaps?
Magnitude 7.2 quake off southern Taiwan - USGS
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A magnitude 7.2 quake struck off southern Taiwan on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
Britain's Sky News, quoting Japan's Meteorological Agency, said the quake had triggered a tsunami heading for the Philippines.
Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said the quake measured 6.7 and was located at a depth of 22 km. Its epicentre was west-southwest of the Hengchun Peninsula on the island's southern tip.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no Pacific-wide tsunami was expected, although a local tsunami was possible.
By Richard Balmforth BANG MARUAN, Thailand (Reuters) - Thailand began burying the last 110 of its unidentified victims of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in an inter-religious ceremony on Wednesday not far from the beaches on which they were killed.
Muslim and Roman Catholic priests joined Buddhist monks in presiding over the burials in big concrete chambers from which well protected bodies could be retrieved easily if DNA samples and other evidence kept by researchers produced an identity.
Eleven aluminium coffins were interred in each concrete chamber cut into the sandy soil of a cemetery 3 km (2 miles) from the Khao Lak beaches swept clean of tourists, workers and fishermen at the height of the tourist season two years ago.
Thais bury an unclaimed body, one of the unidentified victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at Bang Muang Cemetery in Phang Nga, 788 km (490 miles) south of Bangkok, December 6, 2006. (REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang) Most of the unidentified victims were believed to be Thai or migrant workers from Myanmar who were among the 5,395 people, half of them foreign holidaymakers, killed by the tsumani in Thailand, where it left almost 3,000 people missing.
DNA samples and other evidence from each body would allow investigators to continue searching for identities, officials of the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) said.
The aluminium coffins and concrete chambers capped by 500 kg (1,100 lb) lids would preserve the bodies from the hot, humid climate, they said.
"If relatives wanted to pick up the bodies in the future, then we could dig them out easily," TTVI official Police Lieutenant Wiwat Sidhisorudej said.
The burial of all 110 bodies was expected to be finished early next week in the cemetery where 300 unidentified bodies were buried over the past two months, officials said.
Still in cold storage at the nearby TTVI centre, which took over in January after most international experts ended their role in what has been called the world's biggest forensics investigation, are more than 100 bodies.
They have been identified but not yet claimed by relatives -- among them one Turk, one Nepali, 73 from Myanmar and 27 Thais killed by a tsunami in which more than 230,000 people died or disappeared in a dozen countries.
About 30 identified bodies of migrant workers from military-ruled Myanmar would be collected next week by one of their representative, said Colonel Khemmarin Hassiri, the TTVI chief.
During the burial ceremony, Sangkeep Kulmee came to pick up the body of her aunt, killed by the giant waves while working at a Khao Lak resort and identified nearly two years later.
"The feeling of happiness or sadness now is equal as I have been waiting for my aunt's body for almost two years," she said.
NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA, Dec 1st, Magnitude of 6.3 earthquake
I personally experienced the tremors right here in Penang. The readings of the quake is said to be :
An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia’s North Sumatra province Friday, but there is no immediate report of injuries or damage so far.
The tremor hit at 10:58 local time (0358 GMT) and was centered in the town of Tebing Tinggi, some 70 km east of the provincial capital of Medan, said Hardiyatno, a national earthquake analysis staff with the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.
More info, photo of the readings and latest news can be found in my personal blog.
The Indian Ocean tsunami generated record promises of help by scores of governments around the world.
Reuters Tsunami Aidwatch was set up to measure how much of the money pledged after the Dec. 26 disaster is converted into actual funding for relief and reconstruction in the region.
In previous emergencies donors have often failed to honour their pledges – for example the United Nations says donors paid less than half what they promised after Hurricane Mitch which killed 10,000 people in Central America in 1998.
Private aid
The tsunami response has been unusual in that members of the public have in many cases given almost as much as their governments, and in some instances - eg United States, Britain, Switzerland and Mexico - they have even given more.
The total aid figure also includes an estimate for these private donations. This figure can only be approximate as it is impossible to account for every dollar dropped into every collection box for every one of the multitude of agencies helping in the region.
Some governments have kept tabs on private donations but the majority have not so we have also used information from the larger aid agencies. The figure $0 next to private donations on the bar chart means no information was available.
In some cultures people may be loath to say how much they have given to charity as it could be seen as boasting. In other places, big private donors may not want to disclose how much they have donated for tax reasons.
Official aid
Government aid comes in many forms – outright grants, military logistical help, debt relief, in-kind donations and concessional loans.
Aidwatch pledge figures may differ from those given by donors where they include concessional loans. The reason is that donors tend to express loan pledges in terms of the sum lent whereas we have estimated the actual cost to the donor of lending that sum.
For example, Australia says it has offered a A$1bln aid package. But as half this is in the form of loans we have estimated how much it will cost Australia to lend A$500m. This works out at A$451.3. See below for more details.
Pledges and allocations are based on announcements and information from the donors along with official statistics. Totals may not always match totals stated by donors because of the inclusion of different categories of aid allocations. Explanatory notes for individual countries can be found by clicking on the tab marked "What's your country doing?" and then clicking on a country in the list.
Allocations include not only money that has been disbursed but also funds that have been formally approved for a specific purpose even if they have not been physically handed over.
Aidwatch data excludes routine contributions by governments to multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department. But it does include supplementary tsunami-related contributions where known.
Data includes debt relief or loans that borrowers are no longer required to pay back but not debt moratoria or changes in debt-repayment schedules.
Where possible, currencies were converted at mid-May rates.
How we worked out the grant element of loans
To create a consistent measure of tsunami aid, we have put concessional loans on the same footing as outright grants by establishing the "grant element" of the loans. This is done by calculating the "cost" faced by the donor - in other words, what the donor loses as a result of the transaction. For interest-free loans, the cost to the donor is that of the interest payments it would otherwise have got if it had lent the money at market rates. For a low-interest loan, it is the difference between interest payments received and market rates.
To calculate the grant elements both of Australia's zero-interest loans to Indonesia and the Asian Development Bank's loans we have used a discount factor of 10 per cent. This discount factor is used by the ADB in its internal calculations. In our estimates it is used both to calculate the value today of a repayment made in the future, and as the assumed interest rate the borrower would have to pay on the open market.
To calculate the grant elements of the floating rate ADB loans to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India we have assumed they are equivalent to a fixed rate loan and made the conversion at the 30-year 'swap rate' at which floating rate dollar-denominated loans can be traded for a fixed interest rate (approximately 5.00 per cent as of mid-May, 2005).
Tsunami loans - Summary
* Converted at US$/A$ rate of 1.287 prevailing in mid-May ** ADB's standard discount factor and the rate used for calculations of interest foregone by lender *** Involves assumptions about nature of loan yet to be clarified by ADB
Around $13.6 billion has been pledged by donors around the world to rebuild Indian Ocean countries after the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami, which killed around 230,000 people, the U.N. Envoy for Tsunami Recovery says.
It is more than enough to meet the estimated needs.
Here are some key facts about the tsunami relief and rebuilding effort, which the United Nations says was the most generous and most immediately funded international emergency relief effort ever.
* Total damages: $10.73 billion; rebuilding costs: $10.375 billion.
* Number of countries affected: 13 (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Madagascar, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh)
* Number of people displaced: 2,089,883
* Number of people who lost their livelihoods: 1.5 million
* Number of houses reduced to rubble: 392,544; number needed: 308,000; number built or under construction: 46,000
* Number of boats destroyed: 103,829
* Ratio of women and children killed to men: 3:1
* Total time of earthquake that triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami: eight minutes (Sources: U.N. office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Oxfam International, Reuters Alertnet)
Today is exactly one year from the day the deadly tsunami waves struck. More than 200,000 people lost their lives in one of the worst natural disaster in the history of mankind.
A year has passed now and the worst is over but the reconstruction will continue for years to come. Hundreds of thousands of people today are still living in temporary homes and are still trying to come to terms with the magnitude of this tragedy.
Sitting here in the comfort of my home and writing this post, an array of emotions tingle through me when I think of that fateful day exactly one year ago. Sadness,for the many people directly affected by the tsunami. They have lost so much. And all so suddenly. Humility,for having realised that live can be so fragile and that our world and all things we hold dear could come crashing down on us any moment without warning. We should all live life each day as if it were our last. Anger,for feeling so helpless and weak when the tsunami struck. Relief,for knowing that there is still good in the hearts of humans. What amazes me most from this tragic event was the solidarity shown by people from all over the world regardless of nationality, colour or religion. For once we forgot our differences and the world came together and stood as one.
I wish to pay tribute to all those people who had so selflessly and kind heartedly helped the victims directly or indirectly. You may have donated some money,you may have shared some words of sympathy,you may have helped out in a collection centre. Whatever it was, however small you thought it was, all of it was worthwhile. Every little bit had helped the victims in some ways or another, I'm very sure of that.
To those who died, I pray that you find peace. To their families and loved ones, I pray that you will find the strength to move on in life. What has happened,has happened. We must move on but we don't have to forget. The memories of those who died in the tsunami will forever remain in our hearts.
I am hoping to hear some news of Dr, Arifin Sutan Sjahrir, or any member of his family in Malaysia who can enlighten me on their situation. I have heard nothing from him since the Tsunami. We corresponded as friends prior to the disaster.
Many thanks
D.R.Holmes England
NOTE:If you know anything of Dr Arifin,please email the admin of this blog. Thanks.
The Deadly Dec 26 Tsunami That Changed Our Lives Forever
It has already been eight months since the deadly Dec 26 tsunami hit Asia. This terrible tragedy which struck us so suddenly will forever remain in our memories for generations to come.
I live in Penang Island. A quiet, peaceful and beautiful tropical island located in Peninsular Malaysia. An island that is reknowned for it's pristine white sandy beaches and is a very well known and popular tourist destination. On December 26 2004 - pandemonium struck. Giant waves swept into the coastal beaches of Penang and our lives changed forever. We now realise how fragile life really is and how easily it can be taken away from us.
When the tsunami first hit Penang, there was a news blackout for a few hours and many did not know what had really happened. You would be surprised that in some places no one even knew the magnitude of the disaster only until a few days later.
I started this blog six days after the Tsunami hit. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Blogs are powerful tools for disseminating information. I only realised this after having started this blog. There were several satisfying and notable accomplishments that this blog achieved. I received many emails and most of them were from people all over the world that were concerned about their loved ones and friends. There were even a few cases where this blog had successfully reunited long lost friends! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the contributors of tsunamipenang.blogspot.com who had helped me so much in running and maintaining this blog. Especially Cynical-Idealist, DannyFoo and Eric Ho.
A friend of mine who works in a popular hotel in Batu Ferringhi which is the most popular beach destination in Penang for tourists, told me that their room occupancy rate had dropped tremendously after the tsunami tragedy. As we all know,the tourism and hotel industry are always sensitive to such things. However, tourists are slowly returning now which is a good thing.
Yes. The Asian Tsunami was a terrible tragedy but the fact remains that life goes on and that we should never live life in fear. Staying away doesn't help. I truly hope that more tourists would return to Penang, Phuket, Bali and also to the other countries that were hit by the tsunami.
322 officially confirmed dead in Indonesia,based on latest official reports from Indonesia. The Indonesian authorities estimate that the death toll may amount to 1000 or 2000. Nias, a small island off the western coast of Sumatera was directly and most badly affected. The quake has been re-rated to 8.7 on the Richter Scale.
Quake puzzles tsunami experts. Many expected this quake to trigger a tsunami devastation similar to that of December 26,however,strangely it did not. Only a small wave was detected by a tide gauge on Cocos Island near Australia, about 2400 kilometres south of the epicentre. Some scientists believe the depth of the quake was the reason no tsunami was generated. The US Geological Survey said Monday's quake struck about 30 kilometres under the seabed. The December 26 quake was closer to the surface. This example goes to show the difficulties in predicting tsunamis.
Situation in Penang Island. At 2.30am today. About 2.5 hours after the quake, the roar and humming of motorboat engines could be heard along the beach areas. Possibly, patrol boats scampering along the coastal seas of Penang trying to warn the fishermen who were out at sea of a possible tsunami attack. The local authorities have reacted to this new tsunami threat remarkably quick and it shows that they are now prepared. We have learned from the past.
7.00am. The worst to fear was over. The tsunami that everyone feared would strike again never did happen. It was already past 5 hours from the time the quake occurred.
4.00pm. The loud buzz of helicopter rotor blades can be heard throughout the day since dawn. Helicopters can be seen patrolling the skies of Penang Island. The noise that these helicopters produce are a little unnerving, but it's assuring to know that the local authorities are taking all precautions necessary to help prevent another disaster.
Aceh, Acehkita Earthquake of an 8.2 Magnitude scale returns to shake Aceh and the North Sumatera. The Aceh people are reported to be in a state of panic and nervous that there will be a repeat of the December 26 tsunami incident.
Until this news comes down, communication to Aceh remains confidential. Acehkita tried contacting the Meteorological and Geophysical Body of Banda Aceh but couldn’t be connected as all communication has been cut. In conjunction, the US Geological Survey Group reports the quake happened at 23:10PM. According to the readings, the quake happened at a distance of 205KM off the Sibolga shores, Northern Sumatera at a depth of 30KM below sea level.
Our contributor in Aceh at Banda Aceh reports, during the earthquake for 5 minutes, it caused an outstanding panic situation. Electric power was out. People were running aimlessly in the darkness of night. Some people were running out of their homes with valuables. “I’m really afraid of another tsunami like the past December,” said one person.
Because of that, some people are busy seeking higher territorial ground like Blang Bintang, in Aceh besar, roughly 35KM from the center of Banda Aceh.
At Peuniti, Banda Aceh, some people are loading valuables from their house onto vehicles to move then to higher territories. At Beurawe, people are running in the direction of the mosque. Prayers chants can be heard from mosques. The panic situation has caused a massive traffic jam on the bridge of Simpang Surabaya.
Bireuen is also in a state of panic. The Polsek and Koramil members are working to calming the public that have brought out valuables from their homes. After hearing the orders, people have shifted their valuables back into their homes. But the public still prefers to anxiously stay outside their houses.
Minutes after the earthquake, our Acehkita contributor at Bireuen just arrived at the Kuta Blang beach to observe the ocean calming.
In the meantime, at Lhokseumawe, people living in the villages (Pusong Baro, Pusong Lama and Ujong Blang) near the beach are running towards Kandang and Panggoi. Our Acehkita contributor at Lhokseumawe reports, TNI are in time to prevent people from fleeing to outside the city. An earthquake also happened at Pidie.
Mukhtar, a Lhokseumawe citizen said that he managed to flee with his family just in time without reason. “What’s important is to be far away from the ocean in anticipating if another tsunami occurs,” he said.
Indonesians living in coastal areas are evacuating
NTV7,a Malaysian TV news channel reports that the Indonesian authorities have ordered an evacuation of residents living in the coastal areas off Aceh and it's vicinity. Military lorries and soldiers were shown assisting in the mass evacuations.
In Malaysia, the TV news channel also reported that Malaysian government officials and emergency units are on the alert. People living in coastal zones of Penang Island, Kedah and Langkawi are urged to temporarily move to higher grounds in fear of another tsunami attack.
The latest earthquake recorded on a seismograph. Taken from ChannelNewsAsia
As I am sitting here at 2am in the morning, many things run through my mind.
I felt the tremors at around 12.10 midnight worse than the one that cause the tsunami. My neighbours who evacuated to the open ground also agreed with this. We are staying at Medan Lumba Kuda, a low rise, 5-storey apartment.
I can't help but wonder if our little island in Penang will be spared this time, should there be another tsunami? Are we prepared this time? What are we supposed to do? There are so many questions running through my mind.
Being a mother to school going children, in St. Xavier Institution and St. Xavier Primary School, I am definitely not going to allow them to go to school tomorrow morning. I cannot bear the thoughts of not having them near me. The last time when the tsunami happened, it was during the school holidays. They are home. What if something like this happened when our children and spouses were away. I cannot imagine the agony I will feel.
It is sad that even in our little peaceful island, we have to worry about these things now. I pray that we will all be safe and there will be no more tsunami.
It was reported in CNN that Thailand has issued a warning that the quake could bring a tsunami to its southern provinces. The warning, which was carried on national television, cautioned people in the six provinces to be careful and vigilant, but did not order evacuations.
Malaysians should be vigilant too. The epicentre of this latest Indonesian quake is very close to the location of the recent boxing day quake that triggered the deadly December 26 tsunami. Preliminary reports of this latest quake measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale, but based on witness accounts throughout Malaysia, the tremors that were felt were must worse.
Mount Erskine,Penang: An eyewitness reported that his apartment block located in Mount Erskine,Penang shook so violently that many residents scrambled down to the ground level for safety,himself included.
Georgetown,Penang: An eyewitness living in a double storey grounded house reported that the whole building shook and even photoframes on the walls were displaced.
Butterworth,Penang Mainland: An eyewitness in Butterworth reported that his computer monitor shooked violently for a few minutes. He also claims he saw street lamps on the street outside his house swaying!
Earthquake confirmed in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia
The earthquake has been reported by US Geological Survey that it measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale. Much stronger than the previous one on December 26th.
The epicentre of the quake was reported to have been at sea off the coast of Medan Indonesia at Indonesian local time 11:09:37 PM on Monday, March 28, 2005.
Note: Malaysian local time is an hour ahead of Indonesia's.
A huge tremor was felt in Penang, Butterworth and as far as Teluk Intan Perak just minutes back. It lasted for a few minutes and witness accounts say that it felt stonger than the recent earthquake on December 26th.
News - Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys Head To Malaysia For Tsunami Relief
What unites poeple, regardless of their age, race, religion or creed, is a tragedy that claims an insurmountable loss of life and, in its wake, leaves the living forever scarred. And what happened on that fateful day - Dev 26 last year - would be echoed through time, for such a tragedy will not be easily forgotten. Even now, months since the Tsunami tragedy, the outpouring of help and support continues.
Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean are teaming up to raise money for tsunami victims by throwing a concert in a nation within the devastated region: Malaysia on March 18 in Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil,Kuala Lumpur. Under the banner Force of Nature for Tsunami Aid, the concert will also present Hong Kong stars such as rocker Nicholas Tse, singer/actress Yumiko Cheng, and international celebrity Jackie Chan. The slate of Malaysian acts set to appear includes veteran singer Sheila Majid, Dayang Nurfaizah, Anuar Zain and vocal group Innuendo.
Organizers hope that the Force of Nature concert reminds people not only that the relief effort is far from over, but also that a bigger power than the tsunami could be the human spirit.
The Force of Nature concert tickets are priced at RM82, RM182, RM242, RM352 and RM552 and can be booked through www.axcess.com.my or you can call 03-77115000. For more information on Force of Nature, you can visit the website at www.forceofnature.org.
Locating friends - Kenneth Rodriguez and Rizal Razman
I am writing to you because I have not heard from two of my friends in Malaysia since the tsunami occurred. I only have their e-mail addresses to contact them and I have had no response. Their names are Kenneth Rodriguez and Rizal Razman. Kenneth works for Motorola and Rizal works for the University as a professor. Is there any way I can find out if they’re okay? Please let me know. Thank you for your help! From Trisha Voeltz.
Don't know what to do for the approaching summer or spring break?
Why not travel to an exotic holiday destination to have a taste of tropical paradise and at the same time lend a hand to help the tsunami victims in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak,Thailand.
Alternatively, you could also head to Sri Lanka to help rebuild homes for families of poor fishermen.
Generosity, compassion, and kindness are all food for the soul. Be a part of the global humanitarian effort. As one volunteer in Thailand expressed, “I came to realize that the victims, both the ones who died and the ones who survived the tsunami, are the same as those who have come to help them. For they would do the same for us had things turned out just a little bit differently.”
News - Former US Presidents Visit Indonesia's Tsunami-Devastated Aceh Province
20 Feb,Aceh,INDONESIA, Former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton toured Indonesia's Aceh region Sunday to see firsthand the destruction caused by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami that struck a dozen Indian Ocean countries. The aim of their visit is to keep donor interest alive during the rebuilding phase. Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Sunday before flying to Aceh Province. They discussed accountability and transparency in the distribution of aid. Indonesia is ranked as one of the world's most corrupt countries but Mr. Yudhoyono reassured the former presidents aid money would be spent wisely. Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton then flew over Aceh, much of which was destroyed by the tsunami. Roads and bridges are gone, and whole communities have been wiped out. Mr. Clinton said he had never seen anything like the Aceh destruction. He estimated it would take three to five years for the region to recover. More than 290,000 people were killed by the December 26 tsunami, most of them in Aceh. More than a million were displaced. Mr. Bush says he hopes their visit will help aid efforts. "What we want to do is just to be sure that we keep the interest of the American people up, the private sector so they will continue to generously support whatever efforts are determined best on the ground," said George H.W. Bush.
MAHABALIPURAM,India. Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town.
Three rocky structures with elaborate carvings of animals have emerged near the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, which was battered by the Dec. 26 tsunami. As the waves receded, the force of the water removed sand deposits that had covered the structures, which appear to belong to a port city built in the seventh century.
The government-run archaeological society and navy divers began underwater excavations of the area on Thursday.
This tsunami disaster is the worst and most devastating human catastrophe in living memory. Write to us if you wish to share a personal experience, locate a missing friend, or simply want to convey a message to the victims.
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Quotes
"Without my wife I don't want to live. But because of my child, I will." - Sri Lankan Pala Withanage.
"I have been just married for a week and been spending our honeymoon in Bentota, Sri Lanka. Sharon (my wife) went down to the beach this morning to sunbathe and I have not seen her since. All I saw was a big wall of water coming down on the place where her sun bed was. She was probably fast asleep. I'm absolutely devastated." - British resident Ben Chod
"If the body is in a condition to be moved, we put it into the mass burial pit and if it's too decomposed, we pour diesel over it and burn it with debris from thatched huts. Usually the pyres have 20 to 30 bodies at one go." - South Indian resident Subash
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