Photo Highlight: Slow, steady progress after Samoan tsunami
At the begining of February, I planned out my weekly photo highlights, uploading the photos and scheduling them for publishing. At that stage I had no idea that Japan would be affected by an earthquake and tsunami. The destruction of the towns villages and coasts have been more than my mind can comprehend. The photos and videos do nothing to depict the real terror, fear and hurt that those in the affected area of Japan are experiencing. Healing and rebuilding takes a long time.
When we were in Samoa, we had the opportunity to stay in newly built falas in the tsunami affected area of Upolu. A year after the tsunami and it still felt like it happened just the other day. Ghostly empty houses sitting two or three metres from their original foundation, car wrecks and debris littered the landscape. Every few yards were lavish gravestones – sometimes one, sometimes six stones together all showing where loved ones died.
The survivors of that area left a mark on me. We were invited to see what they had done – the rebuilding of lives, farms and business. They shared personal stories of how they had to deal with loss and despair and somehow rebuild their lives. Miko, a local invited us into his life for a day and spoke candidly of arriving just in time to see the tsunami wave reach the shore, his search for his son and relocating his family to higher grounds. As he shared a traditional meal with us we watched the family sing as they worked full of courage.
The owner of the falas we were staying at said he had come to terms of what had happened by inspiring the locals to take part in community rebuilding projects. Initially he said this gave them focus, something to do without having to think to much. Slowly over time as they saw what they had built, enthusiasm and pride set in and the community is gaining confidence. By this stage he was almost shouting because of his excitment at being the best travel location in the world – where people would be greeted as family and spent many happy hours enjoying coconuts, sun, sea and spectacular fish life.
Kerry-ann, your story is so inspiring. How people come together to rebuild after devastating events is so remarkable. Your photos are well done, too.
Thanks Cathy. I love hearing, seeing or being part of building and restoring. There are so many valuable lessons to learn especially when we are surrounded by comfort, ease and luxury.
Sad, the devastation. Great to see people pull together and focus afterwards.
Sometimes, I think we got the wrong gender, Mother Nature and Mother Earth can’t possibly be women. They can be unbelieveably brutal ! Great post.
Cheers,
Mike
Yes the devastation is sad, it has changed families, it has changed the enviroment. It has left a mark that cannot just simply be erased overnight. When I saw huge sheets of corrugated iron twisted as if it was just paper or grass I was shocked. The power and force is huge.
Great post Kerry-Ann. Our own travels were altered after the tsunami and we spent 2 weeks there in Easter last year on the south east coast, mainly at Virgin Cove. The devastation all along there was heartbreaking.
Thanks Jim, we were there a couple of months after you. We stayed in one of the first falas to open. The reason the owner could get the falas open (though some of them only had tarpaulin as sides) was because his new car destroyed in tsunami had been insured. He used the insurance money to start injecting life back into the area and his business.
Great article. The damaged car made me shiver…
Your pictures really do show more than words can describe about the destructive damages of tsunamis. I agree that the damaged car photo is especially telling.
@Muza-chan: One thing that surprised me in the footage of the Japanese tsunami is how the cars were shunted around like toys. 2 ton cars, trucks and boats were lifted and moved as if they were plastic.
@ Sensibletraveler: It is very different learning about a tsunami out of a geography school text book and seeing the effects up close. I was so shocked at how high the water had reach.
glad that our country has never experienced tsunami, we’re just a tiny country and the effect could be brutal like that of Japan’s. I feel sad for Japan and I hope they recover soon. Your Samoa story is indeed inspiring, I’m sure Japan will shine again soon!
So glad that your country hasn’t experienced a tsunami. It will take time for Japan to rebuild itself, but I think with the help from within itself and from international people it will rise. I think the think that struck me the most when talking to Miko is the feeling that during it all they weren’t alone. They weren’t facing it alone, the world knew and cared. Japan needs to know the same thing.
What a lovely story and great sensitivity on your part. Seeing the results of the devastation first hand and talking to people who lived through it always changes your perspective.
Thanks Leigh. I really struggled about leaving this post up. It was already published when I went to get the url and add it to Mr Linky on budgettravelerssandbox.com
In the end I left it because though the devastation is bad, there is hope, growth and a new start. And yes it has changed my perspective!
[...] wide eyed wonder I listened to Miko’s story. He is Samoan, a tsunami survivor and tour guide. He invited us to join him for a day and learn about plants, herbs, natural [...]