Boat the only way to reach Lamno

With many roads along the west coast of Aceh still impassable, some fishermen (photo above) have turned their boats into passenger vessels to ferry people to Lamno from Banda Aceh.

Traveling by sea to Lamno, on the west coast of the province, from Banda Aceh takes about four hours, compared to the two hours it used to take by automobile before the tsunami.

It also costs more to travel by sea. Boat passengers traveling without luggage pay Rp 35,000, compared to the Rp 20,000 it used to cost to make the trip by road prior to the tsunami.

"If you want to take a motorcycle, for example, you have to pay Rp 50,000 per trip," Azhari, 33, a boat owner, told The Jakarta Post.

Azhari, who has been ferrying passengers between Lamno and Banda Aceh for about two weeks, normally transports about 40 passengers a day.

Diumran, 50, a passenger, said he had never before traveled by boat to Lamno, but after the tsunami he had no other choice.

"I feel that going by sea has a lot of risks but what can I do?"

Sanusi, 45, a Lamno resident, said he was willing to take the risk and pay extra to see his younger brother, who is his only surviving family member.

"I lost my entire family. The only one left is my younger brother. So I will use this boat service no matter what to go to Banda and see my brother," he said. (JP/Ruslan Sangadji)