Banda Aceh - Sumatra - 2011
Banda Aceh, with a population of about 250,000, is the capital of Aceh Province.
Aceh Province was never fully colonised by the Dutch and remained self-governing under Dutch rule.
That is why it was able to apply Islamic Sharia Law.
The IntrepidTour notes and our tour-leader, Sally, emphasised the need for all women to cover up and that
long baggy pants and modest loose-fitting long sleeve tops were a must for both men and women.
However that did not turn out to be the case for men. Shorts and short sleeves were OK.
One of the landmarks is the 1875 Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.
There have been mosques on this site since the 12th century.
Banda Aceh was the closest city to the epicentre of the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake
and was very badly damaged by the following tsunami. The epicentre was about 250km off the coast.
Over 170,000 people died.
This impressive Tsunami Museum had only recently been opened.
Our local guide, Mus, pointing out the time that the tsunami struck.
A bride and groom were having wedding pictures taken at the museum.
The "Noah Boat" - "the boat on the roof".
It was washed 4km inland by the tsunami.
All 56 people who were on it, survived.
Scenes along the waterfront.
Next stop was at Museum Aceh which was housed in a former traditional Aceh dwelling of a prosperous merchant.
This "machine" was used to pound rice into flour.
A large container used to store rice.
This ship had been washed 10km from the sea by the tsunami.
A 2500 tonne power-generating ship, it demolished lots of houses and killed many people on its way inland.
No technology is available to move it to back to the sea.
The ship came from this direction.
The "miracle mosque"
Only 50 metres from the coast, it survived the tsunami relatively unscathed.
Thousands, who died in the tsunami, are buried here.
It is one of ten similar mass-burial sites.
Banda Aceh, with a population of about 250,000, is the capital of Aceh Province.
Aceh Province was never fully colonised by the Dutch and remained self-governing under Dutch rule.
That is why it was able to apply Islamic Sharia Law.
The IntrepidTour notes and our tour-leader, Sally, emphasised the need for all women to cover up and that
long baggy pants and modest loose-fitting long sleeve tops were a must for both men and women.
However that did not turn out to be the case for men. Shorts and short sleeves were OK.
One of the landmarks is the 1875 Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.
There have been mosques on this site since the 12th century.
Banda Aceh was the closest city to the epicentre of the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake
and was very badly damaged by the following tsunami. The epicentre was about 250km off the coast.
Over 170,000 people died.
This impressive Tsunami Museum had only recently been opened.
Our local guide, Mus, pointing out the time that the tsunami struck.
A bride and groom were having wedding pictures taken at the museum.
The "Noah Boat" - "the boat on the roof".
It was washed 4km inland by the tsunami.
All 56 people who were on it, survived.
Scenes along the waterfront.
Next stop was at Museum Aceh which was housed in a former traditional Aceh dwelling of a prosperous merchant.
This "machine" was used to pound rice into flour.
A large container used to store rice.
This ship had been washed 10km from the sea by the tsunami.
A 2500 tonne power-generating ship, it demolished lots of houses and killed many people on its way inland.
No technology is available to move it to back to the sea.
The ship came from this direction.
The "miracle mosque"
Only 50 metres from the coast, it survived the tsunami relatively unscathed.
Thousands, who died in the tsunami, are buried here.
It is one of ten similar mass-burial sites.
