Sumatra

Question: 

Where is the only place on earth where elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans live together still? 

Answer: 

Sumatra.  

As advertised on my previous post, I went to Sumatra. I hoped to see one of the four above beasts before all the trees are cut down and the animals vanish--a feat that Indonesia (or foreign companies?!) are doing quite well these days.  

Seriously, I had had other motives for going. You'll find out..... 

First, a map for those directionally challenged.  The green marker is where I call "home" here in Indonesia, on the island of Java.  The red marker is where I went in Sumatra.  Between the two markers is 800 km of road and ferry crossing.  Which should mean about 8 hours of driving, right?  Wrong!  Try 28 hours of driving, including some of the better road of Indonesia--in a bus.   

Eventually, the bus ended up in a chocolate (cocoa) forest.  And in that chocolate forest was a church.  We, which is a group of 25 people from my church denomination, went to visit churches in Sumatra, encourage them and help with medical care.  

We visited 3 villages and their churches.   In Tto of the villages the way of life was chocolate farming.  Inside the fruit on the trees are dozens of pits that are then dried out in the front of homes.  Eventually, a powder/paste inside is fermented and, tada--cocoa powder.

Mayang and Gabe, two beautiful rambunctious girls.     

Yes, what you think is happening actually is.  I am giving instructions in Indonesian on how to use a syrup for the child.  Over 200 people came through our team and received medicine.  The teeth were wrecked in most people along with many children being itchy.  Those were symptoms of bad water in all three villages.        

These were women that we met and I took some time to sit down and chat.  The women to my right is pregnant and in predictable fashion she asked me to touch her pregnant stomach.  I declined.  But the reason she asked is because of a Javanese superstition that believes that doing that will influence the looks of the child.  And of all the possible physical attributes I could offer someone, what do Indonesians chose?  My nose.  My long pronounced nose. 

In the course of my wandering around the village.  I bumped into a great little shop that would be the dream location for anyone desiring this trifecta of things.  Playing some FIFA video games (back), buying some smokes (front counter) and swapping for a new motor bike (right).  

Morning fog among the palms and rice paddies.  I find the agriculture situation in Indonesia, probably like many places on earth, quite confusing and frustrating. Those whom farm, weather rice, chocolate or corn, seem stuck in material poverty.  When I say that I mean, for example, the it is rare that farming families have the ability to pay for schooling for their children through elementary to high-school.  And when children get a high school education they flee to the big cities.  It is very clear that I eat off the 'back's' of the poor. The political scientist in me, smells something unjust with political-economic policy.  Frustrating, uncomfortable and unjust.   

Despite asking a embarrassingly large amount of Indonesian's in Sumatra if they live close to elephants, I never saw one.  Instead, my only find was a a praying mantis--and it was not even bright green, but brown.  Lame.

I received news on the last day I have with my host family, community and church.  It is July 12th.  I leave for de-briefing in the USA on July 18th.  I am back home in Canada on July 24th.  

But reading news that July 12th is the day I leave for Indonesian de-briefing gave me a real gut wrenching feeling.  There is still much to do, enjoy and learn.  Still much time to be, reflect and change.  At the same time, it will go by incredibly fast.  For me, something I feel strongly mixed about.  

However, right now its like, "really, July 12th, does it have to be that soon?"      

Thank-you for continued encouragement, prayers and interest in my experience here.  Hopefully will see many of you in 2-3 months from now!