Meeting Java tsunami survivors in Seminyak Bali

The Asian tsunami 2004 is world famous and Aceh will be forever on the world map because of it. Indonesia has had other tsunamis since then including the one on the south coast of Java last year. Yesterday I got to meet 2 survivors of that tsunami and hear their story.

Sitting in a Seminyak warung with my Australian friend Richard, the musician with the fabulous place in the mountains, we got talking to a couple of Indonesian ladies having a drink. The told us they were from Pangandaran, on the south coast of Java and were taking a break in Bali. Their village was virtually wiped out, with many people being killed. One lady told me her pembantu (helper) called her saying locals were running from a wave. Stepping out into her garden she saw the wave was higher than the palm trees. Attempting to run for her life, she awoke in hospital 5 days later with broken legs and pelvis. She reckons her relatives told her her arms became entangled in some cables preventing her from being swept out into the ocean. She still has mental trauma about water and won’t even get into a swimming pool. The other lady said she could not find her 2 kids for 3 days and eventually discovered relatives had them.

After digesting all the horror stories it suddenly dawned on me that I have stayed in Pangandaran in 1993, while backpacking across Indonesia. “Do you know Delta Gecko losman (guest house)?” I said. “I was married to Agus the owner.” said one lady. We swapped confirming details and it was like stepping back in time. Delta Gecko was located 300 meters inland, surrounded by lovely tall trees. The dozen or so 2 story A-frame bungalows were simple, but had modern garden-style bathrooms. The owners, Agus from Java and Christina from Australia had a hotel shop with the policy that you help yourself and write what you took in the log book. A very cool place indeed, which eventually made it into Lonely Planet. Delta Gecko and all the trees do not exist anymore, but at least the former owners are still alive.

The closest I’ve ever come to being in a tsunami was in the Philippines back in 1994. Staying in a single storey bungalow 20 meters from the shore, I was awakened around 4am by a 7.2 earthquake. All the locals rushed down the step hillside behind the beach fearing a landslide. We all gathered outside the bungalows listening to the radio from Manila. The tide had gone out a long way and the thought crossed my mind that a tsunami would give us no chance, considering our location. Interesting to be in a situation where no one is in control. We live most of lives believing the government / local authorities have it all under control, then something major happens and you realize its all an illusion.

Here in Bali we have tsunami warning speakers on Kuta beach and its quite safe.