Remnants of the Tsunami

Coastal Sri Lanka was devastated by the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. From what we saw, buildings had been destroyed and many new buildings were being erected. The rebuilding has progressed to the point that a casual visitor might not notice (in the areas we visited) the destruction. One would have to remark, however, the newness of most of the standing structures. Fresh paint everywhere.

Everyone you meet has a story about that day. When we arrived in Unawatuna beach town, at dinner, the restaurant owner told us that he'd just finished rebuilding a copy of his old restaurant. This time around he put a guest house on top. The original was swept away, he said, along with his cook and his wife.

Instantly I felt horrible for asking. I resolved not to ask any other people about their experiences or their losses. I'll just look around, I thought.

In Unawatuna, the rebuilding has gone well enough that we were not constantly reminded of the losses. I felt lulled into forgetting the horror until, while snorkeling 30 yards offshore, I came across a vision I'll never forget: half of a cement house laying askew on the ocean floor. At first it struck me as funny, as though someone had gotten fed up with the work of their contractor and decided to begin their house again, tossing the half-finished one into the water for the fishes. And then it hit me in the stomach: this fragment of civilization was swept out to sea by the destructive force of the tsunami.

I usually like to include photographs with my posts. Here I could not bring myself to take photographs, for it seemed far too intrusive.