Page 7 - Fifty-fifty Aug 2021 (1)

Then we went to the mud flow at Porong which is an environmental disaster of the first order with 1500 hectares
of mud covering 15 villages. The mud is so thick that we could just see the top of a warehouse sticking out above
it. Although I did not buy one of the CD’s from the villagers, I managed to borrow one from a friend who did buy
one, and the environmental disaster is a disgrace. If you really want to get worked up about it, you should see the
description and subsequent foot-dragging in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidoarjo_mud_flow To me, it reads like
the disaster was quite foreseeable, and could have been prevented by proper drilling procedures. It was very
wise of Untung to advise us not to go for a motorbike ride with the villagers to see the full impact of the disaster:
it would have been a long trip.

The following day, many of us went over
a very bumpy road to Malang where we
enjoyed just a small snack at the famous
Toko Oen, since we were warned that it
was overpriced food, and the Dutch
snacks had certainly lost some of their
authenticity.

Then we had a becak ride which was
about the most nerve-wracking thing my
wife Ros has been subjected to. But we
got safely to the Tugu Hotel, had a
splendid lunch there, and then saw the
quarters of Megawati Sukarnoputri when
she graces the city with her presence.
The opulence of the quarters was quite
mind-blowing in a country where there is
so much poverty. We were assured that
we could stay in these quarters at
US$1100 per night. After that, I managed
to get Untung to stop the bus at Museum
Tempo Doeloe which had been
described to me in glowing terms, but I
was rather disappointed. Some people
enjoyed the little shop at the museum. Becak ride at Malang; no worries!
The visit to the Kembang Kuning War Cemetery at Surabaya was a most impressive and humbling experience
with some 3000 graves of Dutch soldiers and marines, and their many Indonesian supporters. There were many
mass graves, and also very many “unknowns”. It was very appropriate that the tour organiser had arranged with
Robbert van der Rijdt, director of the Netherlands War Graves Foundation in Indonesia, that a wreath be laid for
the many planters who are also interred here. It was impressive to see the special monument for those who died
in the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942. War cemeteries always have a special impact on me, since I
escaped through the eye of a needle on several occasions during WW2 in Nijmegen where there are also many
war cemeteries.

The final farewell dinner on 21 June at Restaurant Harry Harry will not be forgotten for a long time. To hear old
Dutch songs that had disappeared from one’s memory, and to see so many people dancing in the tropical heat,
left a lasting impression on me. It was also the time to farewell Untung and his magnificent team who were ever
obliging and nothing was too much trouble. He had even arranged our departure cards, although we had not
given him our passports. What a wonderful person and what a wonderful trip.
For many of us, this trip fulfilled our hopes and dreams of getting back to the “Gordel van Smaragd” [or “The
Emerald of the Equator”] that we remember fondly. Having said ‘goodbye’ to the tour participants, we then
travelled to Bali where we saw friends, and from there to Timor Leste where I have sponsored girls via ChildFund
from the time when it was still part of Indonesia. But that is another story. (/NL)

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