Having got the lucky draw today, Ian and get up at 6.00am to get to the military airport and try to blag our way onto a US Navy helicopter conducting an aid flight. And what do you know it works. A SeaHawk I think it was based on the USS Nimitz based just off shore.
Before the tsunami hit most of the coast would have looked like this – green, fertile and very pleasant.
Its very hard taking self portraits when you are holding a camera out of helicopter as you fly along – as you can tell. Ian and I.
We flew for about 20 mins south west and landed at a village slightly in land from the coast but cut off as the road had been washed away.
Here we distributed water, rice and noodles.
Zak (heli crew) talking with the locals
I also brought some toys from the kids to give out. I produced the bag here and it just disappeared…
Boy with his new truck.
We were called back to the chopper and took off only to land a few miles away at a refugee camp – mainly filled with kids. If I had known I wouldn’t have give all the toys away. They were very happy to see us and even gave us some coconuts and oranges in exchange for the noodles and water. Ians first attempt to drink coconut milk direct from the husk – in a helicopter too.
Once more as we flew back we could see destruction all along the coast.
All you can see are the concrete foundations where houses once stood.
