Thanks Marie,
I look forward to hearing your report in late May. Of course, by then, I'll most likely have made my plans to go there. I guess what I was really looking for was some reassurance that it would be OK. You did.
Truth is I'm so old that no matter what happens, it's too late for someone to cut my life short. And I can't wait until the world is "safe" for me to travel.
So....North Sulawesi, muck diving and a new D70 camera...here I come.
Thanks again,
Dave
I'll be heading to Indonesia in a few weeks (through Bali to Southeast Sulawesi). Our trip was booked over a year ago, and though I didn't know it at the time, the Travel Warning suggesting that Americans defer all "non-essential" travel to Indonesia was in effect at that time. It's my understanding that it goes back to a 2002 terrorist incident in Bali in which seven Americans were killed. There have been two subsequent bombings in Jakarta (one outside the Australian embassy). All are credited to Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qaeda.
During the year plus that I've monitored the Travel Warning (through subsequent attacks, elections, etc.), little has changed. Australia's warning to it's citizens is equally severe. That said, during the same period, I've also read several travel reports from divers who headed to Indonesia with great apprehension, only to find that their trips went off without a hitch. You might also check travel reports from surfers who were similarly undeterred.
When I mentioned the travel warning to other members of our group, the reaction of most was indifference, and that the risk was no greater than driving a car, flying in a plane, etc. They felt that, while a reminder to observe "vigilant personal precaution" was never a bad thing, the potential for an incident to occur here (in the US) was as likely, if not more so, than our travel destination, and the odds of being in the location of the incident a matter of fate in either case. One pointed out that if other countries issued comparable broad warnings against travel to the US after September 11th, there would be few international travelers coming into the country, and if we applied the same criteria to ourselves, there would be a warning in effect to defer non-essential travel to New York.
I would rather that the warning not be in effect, as "fear" or "potential threat" are not thoughts one typically associates with the anticipated idyllic nature of an exotic vacation destination. It has raised my awareness, and like most, my comfort level is greater with the known than the unknown. However, I've never checked travel warnings before this trip, and may have blissfully traveled under similar circumstances unknowingly.
There are some areas of Indonesia where the warning seems more applicable, but it has been applied to the country at large. The impact on the economy, particularly in areas like Bali that rely on tourism, has been severe. The government and tourism boards have been trying to get the message out that travel, in general, is safe, and that the majority of the population welcomes us with open arms. They were suffering before, and recent events have obviously made the situation worse. They are relying on those willing to travel despite warnings to get their message out, or they will be struggling indefinitely (tsunami and related recovery aside).
The tsunami, which hit over 1000 miles from the areas that we're travelling to, has also heightened our awareness of the incidence of earthquakes (at least seven in the last three months). Earthquakes have always been prevalent in this area, but until now, few would have known. FYI, recent quakes affecting Bali and Sulawesi have caused damage to buildings, not people. Again, something to be aware of, but had a catastrophic event not occured, news of these relatively common events would likely have gone unreported or unnoticed here.
When it comes down to it, it's up to the individual to determine their own comfort level in whatever activity they engage in, wherever it may be. I'm not suggesting that one throw caution to the wind, but to evaluate the specific information at hand and put it into perspective. In our case, the area that we area travelling to in Southeast Sulawesi seems too remote to be a target for anything but diving. The travel warning has been in effect for several years, the vacation opportunity is here now, and there's no guarantee that circumstances will ever be "better". With that in mind, and the anticipation that the diving will meet or surpass anything we have experienced to date, we have collectively deemed this "essential travel".
I hope to report back at the end of May
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