Close to a quarter of a million individuals were killed by the tsunami that hit Indonesia on December 26, 2004. On Monday, a museum that pays tribute to the victims of that natural disaster was opened in the province of Aceh. The museum details the horrors of the event itself along with the vast international effort to help the region. Read more in the Herald Sun.
Tsunami, Indonesia © Nederland Wereldomroep
The tsunami that hit Asia in 2004 led to a united effort among nations and individuals. The billions of dollars that were donated are still being funneled into the region in order to repair the damage of the tragic events. Despite a bit of controversy over the millions spent on the museum, it’s an important tribute to the victims of the tsunami and a celebration of human generosity. With many still waiting for help, years later, it will be an ongoing debate.
Do you agree or disagree with spending over $5 million dollars on the museum? Did the tsunami have a direct or indirect impact on your life?
Feeling generous? The Australian Red Cross is still collecting funds for the victims of the Victorian Bushfire.
Adventure tourism: Is it too early to visit Iraq?
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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Feel free to contact him with questions, comments, or inquiries with reference to contributing a travel article or photograph for publication.
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John H
I was traveling throught SE Asia months after and it was in pretty bad shape in certain areas. It’s a nice thing to have a museum though I’m sad to hear that many are still not in a position of recovery after 4 years. I guess with a the damage in was too overwhelming even with the billions raised.
Tim
I was glued to the television when it happened. Too crazy. Not surprised so many people reached out. The best of us comes out in those times.
Yen
That was a terrible event. It’s a worry in Japan regularly. Agree with museum
Lisa
Has it been that long already? Feels like yesterday. My brother was in Thailand and thankfully nothing happened to him. It was a big hit there too. Hope the aid is making a dent. I don’t have a problem with the museum. A few million of billions isn’t going to hurt anyone.
Gennaro
@John H
Overwhelming indeed. And a lot fo these communities were struck by poverty before the tsunami.
@Tim
The best in many people comes out in these situations. And sometimes the opposite.
@Yen
Japan is definitely in a tough location for that.
@Lisa
I know. Time just flies. There has been progress, but not completely done.
Nik
The tsunami was very very very saddening. I was very afraid when the news came out but fortunately nobody I knew was in Aceh at that time.
But in regards to the Museum, the thing about Indonesia is that it’s a very corrupt country, and a blatant one at that. How much of those $5 million actually went to the building n construction?
It would’ve been much better to just use the money to help the victims, or even help the millions of people living in poverty in the country.
But then again that’s just my two cents…
Taris Janitens
I would be interested to visit this museum one day to pay my respects!
Gennaro
@Nik
I’m concerned to that a lot of the money tends to go into the wrong pockets with these types of projects. It would be better of if it was from a different source of income. No clue about the amount of cash that actually went into the construction.
@Taris Janitens
I would like to visit too. I’m interested to see if they have a website coming out soon to get a peek.
Alik Levin | PracticeThis.com
It had not direct impact on me but to me it is still a huge tragedy.
I think you are doing a great job highlighting all the sides of sightseeing – happy and less.
Good job, i like your work.
jen
Wow, it seems like it was all over the news just yesterday! I definitely agree with a museum (and would be really interested to visit), but 5 million does seem a lot when people are still suffering the effects. I know in the bigger scheme of things that 5 million probably isn’t a lot amongst all the other millions raised in aid – but even so, how many hospitals or homes or businesses could that amount rebuild and there would still be enough left over for a really amazing tribute / memorial for the lives lost. It’s only my opinion but that 5 million museum wont bring anyone back and could it be spent improving the lives of those left to deal with the lasting effects of the disaster? x
Gennaro
@Alik
Thank you for the kind words.
@jen
It’s definitely a tough call. I’m always in favor of helping those directly in need before anything else. On the other hand it’s an important event to remember. Perhaps, it will be an inspiring enough place that it will draw tourists in meaning revenue for the area and its people.
Sire
Actually I am not all that sure about the museum, unless any money raised by it was put to good use. Perhaps a memorial would have been a better idea.
iWalk
I think this kind of museums are necessary.
The town which I was born was totall destroied by 512 WenChuan earthquake last year. Thousands of my neighbors died. It’s said it will be a earthquake museum in the future.
Jen
Don’t get me wrong, I totally agree with a memorial, or even a museum, I just think 5 million (?$/£) is one hell of a lot of money to spend on it! I think whatever they did to offer respect to those hurt / lost would draw a massive amount of interest from the rest of the world and they’d get an equally massive amount of tourists visiting the memorial / museum to pay their respects but I think they would get that with whatever the tribute was and that maybe they could’ve spent a little less. x
Gennaro
@Sire
DIdn’t think of going with a memorial instead. I guess they’d argue that it’s a “living” memorial of sorts, but that might have been a better avenue.
@iWalk
Sorry to hear that about your town. Hope the recovery has gone well.
@Jen
That is a lot of cash. I’m hoping it went into the right pockets as Nik brought up a interesting point about corruption. I agree that it would have received a lot of attention regardless. Even as a smaller memorial.
Sire
The memorial could well have been a miniature museum of sorts, especially with technology being the way it is. We have one that the migrants built that serves a dual purpose and was a lot cheaper.
Gennaro
@Sire
That’s definitely an interesting approach. That would have created the tribute and saved cash, for sure. I’m hoping a website will be up and running for the museum so we could take a look at what they came up with.
RennyBA
I agree with the museum too.
Even as a Norwegian, the tragedy had impact as there was a lot of Norwegians there. A good friend of mine even lost his wife.
ocean
Hi Friend. Interesting post. Keep up the good work. Take care mate. Cheers!
Gennaro
@RennyBA
Sorry to hear about your friends wife. It was, indeed, felt worldwide.
@ocean
Thanks.
Lifecruiser Travel Blog
I’m all for a museum, but it seems like not all have recovered from the Tsunami yet and the money could be used better? so I got very split feelings about it.
We had booked a trip to South East Asia, including Malaysia when the Tsunami did hit nearby where we should stay there – plus that we both (what’s the odds of that happening?!) got pneumonia at the same time, so we had to cancel our tickets. I’m just glad we weren’t there when it happened…. or got pneumonia there. Phew.
(It took us half a year to recover and then we went to South America in the fall instead. One day we’ll take our South East Asia as we planned…. I hope)
Gennaro
@Lifecruiser
Talk about too close for comfort. SE Asia is great. Then again, so is South America 🙂
Dede
I believe it is a good thing, as it was a devastating event that should never be forgotten. The human toll was horrifying in both the number of dead but also on those who lived through it. I was in the Banda Aceh and Meulaboh region 10 weeks after the tsunami on a humanitarian trip. I will never forget the range of emotions I went through, one soulful divine exchange I had with a girl who had watched her mother die, and what I learned about human endurance and dignity. I have a very moving picture that hangs in my office of a coal barge and its still-attached tugboat that had been dumped inland, on dry ground, by the tsunami. In the background the ocean is visible. In the foreground is a motorbike with a sidecar and 5 young men crammed on it smiling at me and giving me the thumbs up sign. The juxtaposition of the ocean and the location of the boats is mind blowing, and then the surviving human spirit evidenced by the boys adds hope. I am still affected by what I saw, and it comes as no surprise that it will take generations for that part of Sumatra to completely move past it. May those that died, and those that didn’t, never be forgotten. May they always know that the world cried with them at that time, and that their fellow man showed up to help in thousands of large and small ways.
Gennaro
@Dede
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Nik
A post on World Hum related to this.. disaster tourism
Of the tsunami museum, the BBC reports, “Inside, visitors enter through a dark, narrow corridor between two high walls of water—meant to recreate the noise and panic of the tsunami itself.”
Somehow, I find that extremely… disrespectful…
Gennaro
@Nik
It’s definitely an unusual approach. I can’t disagree with you about it being disrespectful. It’s not a theme park. It’s a memorial museum.