Twisted Tourism: LUSI
LUMPUR SIDOARJO – The Sidoarjo Hot Mud Flow
Twisted Tourism at East Java’s Lapindo Mud Spill
“…holiday in different people’s misery…”
John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), Sex Pistols
“as well as you have to go see the Lumpur Lapindo!” can be what my colleague told me when I asked him what I should do on my visit to East Java.
“definitely? Can you go see in which? Like a tourist?” I asked.
“Yes, you have to go see in which.” in which was a must.
Amongst the many disasters in which surround us every day there can be the added disaster as well as insult of the rubber-necking, the tendency of humans to flock to a tragedy simply to let their jaws hang open as well as stare. Very often, the gorier the better. In some cases, the tragedy isn’t such in which can be cleaned up overnight. in which might be such in which in which remains for a month, a year, or say seven years, in in which case. as well as when such a long-term tragedy lingers ever longer, the human desire to gawk spawns in which thing which can accurately be described as twisted tourism.
In May of 2006, Lapindo Brantas company, when drilling a natural gas well, was met with quite a surprise; a mud volcano, a geyser of steam as well as hot mud shooting 200 metres into the air. As I’ve heard by reliable sources, the company’s immediate reaction was of course to attempt to hide in which. They built some temporary walls as well as little levies as fast as they could, yet the mud kept flowing, as well as flowing, as well as flowing, as well as flowing. When you go there someday in which’ll still be flowing. Experts predict in which’ll be flowing for 30 years. So far in which has consumed 16 desa (villages) as well as three kecamatan (districts), displacing thousands of families as well as businesses.
Knowing all in which information didn’t prepare me for what I encountered when I finally got there. The main road in which runs directly south out of Surabaya, RT. 1, or RT. 23, or Jl. Gempol Malang, passes right along the western edge of the massive Lapindo mud plain. When you arrive there you’re first struck with the sight of in which colossal gabion wall 10 metres high, towering over you, built to hold back the mud. in which stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction.
At the top of the wall, I was immediately greeted by ojek, one after another, who offered to take me out, around as well as right up close to where the steam geyser can be still spewing into the air. Some were selling DVDs of the mud volcano. I was tempted by the DVD, yet not the ojek. I never feel comfortable on a motorbike taxi as well as I certainly didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of riding on the back of a beat-up, old bebek across an active hot bubbling mud flow.
Along the top of the gabion were the common Indonesian refreshments for tourists: Aqua of all sizes, teh botol, peanuts, nasi bungkus, etc. as well as there were different foreign tourists there, too. I’m sure they had Great reason to be there, (geology PhD students or something) unlike me.
Also at the top of the giant gabion there can be a “monument”, a tombstone actually, as a reminder as well as promise never to forget the false promises made to pay restitution to the thousands of families displaced. A stone’s throw away by the monument there can be an effigy of Aburizal Bakrie appropriately dressed in his bright yellow Golkar jacket, glowing with presidential aspirations. in which was obvious in which he had been mercilessly dilempar lumpur; spotted with mud balls as well as his glasses had been knocked awry. Maybe in which happens on a regular basis, when the moon can be full as well as mud can be just right. I’m glad I got to see him there, standing in his mud. Made the trip all the more worthwhile.
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Twisted Tourism: LUSI
Twisted Tourism: LUSI