Nigel Sizer makes his way to the airport in Medan, capital of North Sumatra, but just barely….

Fransisca is all set, and sadly we have to leave beautiful Singkil and make our way up to Banda Aceh, capital of the province and epicenter of the Asian tsunami disaster two years ago.

There are signs of tsunami and earthquake damage in Singkil too, but they didn’t suffer loss of human life. A wave washed through the coastal villages causing extensive flooding and damage to homes and gardens. A large area of coastal forest was also damaged by the excess of saltwater. But this is nothing compared to what we’ll see in the days ahead.

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A landslide adds to the driving drama. 

The one drawback with Singkil is the drive back to the nearest airport, in Medan, bustling capital of North Sumatra. The trip features spectacular views of Lake Toba, as well as seven hours of switchbacks on mountain roads, with large, overloaded trucks coming fast, and sometimes in the wrong lane, around the corners in the opposite direction. 

Indonesian drivers generally don’t seem to be worried about whether they are crushed in a head-on collision many hours from the nearest hospital. This is a cultural gap that I have never been able to bridge, except by resorting to screaming something like, “I have told you ten times to slow down, but now I am serious. If you don’t drive more carefully, I will [insert appropriate threat].” This usually results in nervous giggles and clearly the guy thinking, “The white man has gone mad, better drive carefully….” 

We made it back alive, but only just. A landslide, thick fog, and heavy rain all added to the excitement.

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