| 30 January 2005: Eric After a long week of travel and some fun in Singapore we are now in Jakarta. In Singapore we stayed two nights in the tallest five-star hotel in the world and saw much of what I’d consider the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited. We roamed the streets, ate some great food and were shown the entire city by one of Aaron’s business compadres. I found interesting Singapore’s socialistic base and how successful they are with it. The city is clean and progressive. Everywhere you look there is spectacular architecture and people from all over the world. The official language is English and that is what they all speak but the accent is so strong that you could swear they’re speaking it as a second or third language. The island of Singapore is its own country at the tip of Malaysia. It is young, having gained it’s independence from Malaysia in 1965 and ever since has thrived as a major world port. Everything is automated, including toll road payments and speeding tickets. Across the sea from the shore and our hotel balcony we could see the mountains of Indonesia beckoning. We arrived two days ago in Jakarta to meet with Aaron’s contacts here. They were oh so very happy to see him and we were well received. After some orientation with some of the people who led some of the emergency relief we checked into a nearby hotel. During the few minutes before bed Aaron described a pain in his abdomen and suspected a foul appendix or urinary infection. We were immediately faced with the decision of going on to Banda Aceh the next morning as planned or dealing with it completely before heading into an area besieged with medical emergency. Aaron saw a doctor who poked and prodded but couldn’t determine the problem. He returned to the hotel and we continued to analyze him and clearly determined that he had a hernia. Not bad for three dudes with no medical training. We sent Eddie on to Aceh and I stayed with Aaron. He checked into the hospital and told them he had a hernia, would they please fix it. He underwent the operation and is doing fine but will have to stay in Jakarta for a week or so until he heals and feels strong enough to travel. The doctor’s fee was five-hundred dollars and it was a very modern facility which had concerned us since the initial doctor couldn’t see the obvious bulge in the groin. Ironically, the last time Aaron spent a night in a hospital was twenty five years ago in Jakarta when he was treated for typhoid. This has slowed us from getting to Aceh but also allowed to make preparations that would have been impossible to do there. I’ve been taking care of business rounding up phones for the three of us, arranging motorcycles for us to use when we arrive in Aceh, etc. Today, I’ll kill little time by taking a long ride around to see the sites. The taxis are unbelievably cheap, the food is so good and the coffee here in Java is, well it is hhhkkhhhuuuhmmm. I was hiking down the street and contracted with some dude to cart me around while heavily laden with two backpacks. Talk about a rush. I am leaving Aaron here and moving on to Aceh to hook up with Eddie in the morning. Chomping at the bit. Once there, I’ll have internet connect through a wireless system which IBM has set up for the relief workers for a 30 kilometer radius. I’ve heard there are glitches. Please feel free to write, (ernestweatherspoon@yahoo.com), but keep in mind that I may be slow in responding until I get into the swing of things so. Please keep attachments to minimum. The people here are so sweet and appreciate that we are here to help. In Aceh, we’ll be finding our niche but it looks like we’ll be organizing to rebuild fishing villages and ship yards, boat building and bridges. Eddie contacted a man willing to donate a large volume of building materials to begin a boat manufacturing facility as most, if not all, of the fishing boats were destroyed. I have been referred to several people involved with the bridge rebuilding and I can’t wait to pull a Volkswagen out of the mud with my rope. Our contacts are as good as those of the U.N. itself including the Police Liaison for International Relief Effort, the coordinators of Islamic Volunteer Relief and the local Office of Humanitarian Aid. We’ll choose projects coordinated and prioritized by the local agencies which best match our abilities. Everywhere we turn the doors are being opened and we walk with confidence in our hearts knowing that our efforts will benefit those who truly need it. Aaron is good, in hotel recovering. See you as I am heading into the jungle to check on remote fishing villages. Have everything. If you want to contact any of us directly, our email addresses are as follows: Eric Lyman: ernestweatherspoon@yahoo.com Aaron Lyman: alyman@austin.rr.com Ed Bloom: ebloomtx@swbell.net In the mad rush to get out of town I neglected to say goodbye to most of you. But I appreciate the shower of good wishes and support. Thanks so much. Love, Eric |
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