Lampuuk

Lampuuk is located on the western coast of Aceh, only a few miles outside of Banda Aceh. Before the tsunami, this community of about 1,000 was known for it's beautiful beaches, waterfront bungalows and the numerous restaurants on the beach. After the tsunami, there were only about 300 survivors and the only building that was left standing was the Grand Mosque. It's pretty interesting as you travel up and down the coast, you see a lot of mosques that are still in place. My only guess is that the construction workers didn't want to go to hell.

This village is pretty famous around Aceh because Bush and Clinton visited here on their recent visit. The main drag here is named Jalan George Bush dan Bill Clinton.

The project has helped with clearing of land and fencing of a community garden. After the rain season, they will be replanting watermelons and chili peppers. The guy in charge of the community garden had studied agriculture in Japan in the early 80s.

The Dutch government is helping to build a community housing with a communal kitchen outside. This house will be a place where the 35 orphans can live and the communal kitchen will serve meals to those who do not have a family to eat with.

The village geucik (leader) who took us around proudly announced that he had re-married this past weekend. He had lost his entire family except his 8 year old daughter. Remarriage is becoming pretty common in the villages. It's a good sign because it signifies that people are ready to move on with their lives.