Sights, Sounds and Smells

Kathy Mueller
Information & Community Outreach Delegate
Banda Aceh, Indonesia

It was a welcome I was unprepared for. Spectacular mountain ranges, stretching as far as the eye can see, on one side. Look the opposite way, and it’s a calm, vast expanse of water that greets you. It was that same expanse of water that became deadly almost four years ago, when a massive tsunami devastated shoreline communities. Reminders remain. One of my drivers lost his sister in the watery rage. Trees throughout the city are painted, much higher than my 5’9” stature, with a mark indicating how high the water got. I have been told about a freighter that still remains beached, several kilometers inland, picked up and carried by the monstrous wave. It will definitely be on my things-to-see list.

I am now into my second full day here in Banda Aceh. Still getting acclimatized, but meeting tons of wonderful people, both locals and ex-pats. And my Indonesian is already progressing. Though full of mistakes, it’s a great way to break the ice, and often results in lots of laughter.

I look forward to this being my home for the next nine months. There will be many things to get used to. Having roommates for the first time since my college days, a new culture, the tropical climate so unlike what we experience in Canada. But if the welcome I have received so far is an indication of what I can expect over the next few months, this posting will not only be memorable, but pleasurable.

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