Oh, Ray. That had to be a heartbreaking expedition. It takes a strong and caring person to do what you have done.

Heidi: You may be overestimating my role.
The expedition was a joint conception of a Padang friend and myself. My mate physically organised and led the actual expedition. In that he had to surmount all kinds of traumatic circumstances.
I helped finance the venture; provided the camera for the record; and sent continuous on-line advice from UK. I later prepared a written report from my friend's not-so-good-English notes and his significant photographs - seen here. Accordingly it is Julius, my Padang friend, who most deserves to be described as strong and caring, although it was also enervating for me, especially through possible consequences to the team from 'civil war' raging in Aceh at that time.
You now may better understand the origin of motivation for my original study into the 'Causes of the Great Sumatran Earthquake' carefully summarised elsewhere as an item in this gallery.

Very very hard to look at in photos Rayray. I can't imagine what it was like for Julius and other's like him to see this first hand.

They are tough-guys Suzy

My point is that you were not afraid to face the realities of the aftermath of the tsunami. Your friends are supermen, there is no doubt of that, but you helped them help others. And you DID help, more than anyone else I know. I cannot begin to imagine the horrors they witnessed, and had to deal with. These pictures are just the tip of the iceberg.

Heidi: I know you are right about the tip of the iceberg bit. There are some photos I censored as being just too upsetting to think about. There were dangers - from infections like malaria and dengue fever, and from the GAM separatists and the Indonesian military (who can make 'mistakes'), swindling crooks who try to con relief money from naive donors (Juliius is not naive), the tragedy of orphans who have lost all their families (the worst thing for Julius), the utter desolation of a land that was obviously once beautiful, the grotesque mangled bodies, the terrible depression within survivors.
But, on the credit side, the wonder of the American relief carrier full of mash-military-medics and equipment who did hundreds more work than we free-lancers could possibly achieve. The yanks at their very best. I wish governments were as humanitarian as they were.

I remember and will never forget

Yes Ray, You have to be a strong person to witness and document this part of life and still manage to bring joy and the sunnier side out for others to see. I raise my glass in gratitude for all that you continue to do, bringing smiles to the faces of those beautiful kids...Thank you!

Thanx for the compliment Mamacita 2. The sunshine is 2-way. I live relatively on my own here, although I do have a small circle (3) of extremely supportive close friends. The fact that in the village they do appreciate my assistance, and the overt happy responses of the people there brings sunshine into my life. The strength I need is to endure the living conditions - the climate - the poverty - the lack of hygeine etc. I have to fitten up before I visit, and right now I am not fit enough for that - so I am sad and nostalgic.

Rayray, thanks for sharing that with us. It is hard to look at, but needs to be seen. Disasters such as this fade too soon from the news, and from the minds of the general public.

Rayray, what a mind numbing tragedy. I am glad that American relief was able to make a difference, but I fear it was just a drop in a very big bucket. Thank you for sharing these pictures. It must have been very difficult for you.

MizTricia1:
Thanks for your response. While the tsunami disaster was almost 4 years ago, that region has still not recovered. Also Indonesia is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes as well as, more recently, others caused by over-eager developers and careless corprations from overseas. So people need to be aware that the tsunami event was not just a one-off.

Thanks Kathy:
I had almost completed this comment first time and it gotten lost, so I need to start again. The USA mash relief (carrier-based) was more than a drop in a bucket - more like a jugful. The use of their helicopters was politically restricted. There were also Oz-military who land-helped very much, using their ability to cope in the hot terrain and training to good effect. Foreign assistance was limited by international politics and the civil war then raging in that province. Along the parameter of material assistance, our expedition was more like a piddle in an ocean. However the most important thing about it, was the field presence of those lads; in encouraging depressed, bereaved survivors who had lost everything, and, importantly were without intelligible contact with the outside world. The leader's report tells me the group was impressed by how they helped in that respect. Their very presence there then, and their news of world concern and generosity - conveyed to the survivors in Behasa - and what was being done for them, was the expedition's greatest achievement; for that news quickly spread from the small proporion of surviviors they were able to speak with throughout the area.
I could go on, but I don't want this message to suddenly vanish like the last one did - although they say that practice makes perfect !!!

It is now October. By now, my 'superman' friends in Sumatra have seen this item, and they have asked me to pass on their thanks for all the nice things you have said about what they did in Sumatra. They are very excited indeed about their work being recognised on the Internet in this way.