Driving Safely on Rainy Sumatra Days

Rainy weather road trip

This article has been updated on October 6th, 2018

     If you’re planning to drive in Bengkulu province or other areas of Sumatra this rainy season there may be more needed than a full tank of fuel. Roads in much of Sumatra are not great and can be more difficult in the rainy season. Potholes, slippery and poorly visible roads are often the causes of many road accidents during the rainy season. We list some important tips to minimize accident risks for your rainy weather road trip.

Safety starts before you drive. Here's what you can do before you hit the road:

• Give yourself extra time to check traffic, road and weather conditions before you go. It's also recommended to regularly check them for long distance driving. 
• Check brakes, steering, and fluid levels. 
• Make sure that headlights, turn signal lights, brake lights and windshield wipers are clean and functioning properly.
• Check tread depth. Worn tires especially bald ones can be deadly on wet roads. It is widely accepted that tires should be replaced if the remaining tread depth is down to approx 1.6 mm (2/32 inch tread depth). This minimum tread depth standard is adopted by many of the world’s national transportation authorities. 

  

  Tire pressure label 

• Check tire pressure, and also make sure that your spare tire is properly inflated. Many times people ignore their spare tire until they have a flat, and then find the spare tire is flat too. Keep in mind that many vehicles have different tire pressures on the front and rear axle. Recommended tire pressure is usually shown on a label attached to inside of the driver side door, doorpost, or glove box door. 
• Prepare an emergency kit and keep it in the car, you never know when something's going to happen to you or your car. The basic emergency kit should include the following items:

1.  First aid kit
2.  Car tool kit
3.  Food and drinking water.
4.  Flashlight. Waterproof flashlight is recommended. 
5.  Jumper cables. 
6.  Multipurpose utility tool like a Swiss army knife.
7.  Two reflective warning triangles

Safe Driving in the Rain

The Sumatra rainy season often brings heavy rain and often means flooded roads, a few rain drops can quickly develop into a heavy downpour. Here's what you can do to have a safe drive during the rains & thunderstorms:

• Maintain safe following distance.  The 3-second rule needs to be increased to at least 5 seconds as wet roads can double stopping distances. 
• Turn on your windshield wipers to keep your windshield clear. 
• Rain can cause windshield and windows to fog up quickly. If your windshield and windows fog up, turn on the air conditioning and open the windows a little bit if necessary to increase the airflow. In a car without AC, a rag or piece of clothing will work as well, you'll just need to clear the windshield and the window more often. 
• Turn on your headlights even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy conditions. They not only help you see the road but also help other drivers see you. 
• Avoid excessive or sudden braking. It’s best to apply the brakes smoothly and gradually before coming to a complete stop. If you push the brake pedal to the limit, the car will probably skid. 
• Don't follow large trucks or buses too closely, they tend to kick-up a lot of spray which can reduce your vision. Take care when passing them as well, if you must pass, do it quickly and safely.
• Go slow when driving through a puddle of uncertain depth. If it is deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car's electrical system. 
• When stuck in the mud, shift into 1st or 2nd gear and accelerate slowly. Don’t spin the wheels, or you could sink deeper.
• When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible and wait until the storm passes.

Bengkulu - Kepahiang road condition

Flood Hazards

Many areas within Bengkulu province are considered to be at low to moderate risk of flooding. Floods can occur in Bengkulu province and the neighboring provinces as a result of heavy rainfall for a prolonged length of time. Take extra care when driving through these following areas which are prone to flooding:

• Bengkulu city: Bentiring, Rawa Makmur, Semarang, Surabaya Permai, Tanjung Agung, and Tanjung Jaya.
• Seluma district: Jenggalu, Cahaya Negeri, Air Periukan, Sukaraja, Seluma, Talo, and Semidang Alas Maras.
• South Bengkulu district: Pasar Manna, Manna, and Ulu Manna.
• Kaur district; Kaur Selatan (South Kaur), Nasal, Simidang Gumay, Tanjung Iman, Tetap, Luas and Maje.
• Rejang Lebong district: Sindang Kelingi, Air Dingin, Bermani Ulu, Curup, Selupu Rejang, and Padang Ulak Tanding.
• Kepahiang district: Bermani Ilir, Merigi, Ujan Mas, and Kepahiang.
• Lebong district: Lebong Utara (North Lebong), Uram Jaya, and Pelabai.
• Central Bengkulu district: Karang Tinggi, Taba Penanjung and Pondok Kelapa.
• North Bengkulu district: Lais, Batik Nau, Ketahun, Air Besi, Putri Hijau and Marga Sakti.
• Mukomuko district: Pulau Makmur, Ipuh, Arah Tiga, Lubuk Pinang.

Hope it helps and stay safe!!!

Photos by Adriansyah Putera

Scorpion Sting

Avoid walking barefoot in places like this

In Bengkulu province and also in most parts of Sumatra, scorpions usually like natural attraction to cool moist areas. They frequently live in lumber or brick piles, and they may be found hiding in dark areas and near mountains.

Scorpions use its venomous sting primarily to subdue insect prey. They also use the sting defensively, readily stinging a predator or the mistakenly placed bare foot. Some scorpions are far more poisonous than others. Scorpion sting symptoms: local pain, burning, small red dot, numbness, tingling, slight swelling.


How to treat a scorpion sting 
To adults, scorpion stings are rarely dangerous. Clean with soap and water, then take aspirin or acetaminophen and if possible put ice on the sting to help calm the pain. For the numbness and pain that sometimes last days or weeks, hot compresses may be helpful. To children under 5 years old and those who are allergic to the venom scorpion stings can be dangerous, especially if the sting is on the head or body. If the child who was stung is very young or has been stung on the main part of the body, or if you know the scorpion was of a deadly type, seek medical help fast.

If you are stung by a scorpion and then you experience trouble focusing eyes, random eye movements, trouble swallowing, drooling, tongue feels swollen, slurred speech, dizziness, blurry vision or muscle twitching go to the nearest emergency room immediately. These symptoms should only occur if you are stung by a very dangerous scorpion or are allergic to the venom of the scorpion.

New born scorpions have venom so do not underestimate their size!!!

Say No To Palm Oil

Poor orangutan - badly burned and  in a vulnerable state

   Say no to palm oil! Did you know that each and everyone of us is fueling one of the world’s biggest ecological disasters and acts of primate genocide in history? Please share the important info and take action!

Borneo and Sumatra are two of the most bio-diverse regions of the world, yet they have the longest list of endangered species. This list includes the magnificent orangutan. These two South-East Asian islands are extremely rich in life, containing around 20,000 flowering plant species, 3,000 tree species, 300,000 animal species and thousands more being discovered each year. Despite this amazing biodiversity and delicate web of species, an area the size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour in Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for the production of one vegetable oil. That’s 6 football fields destroyed each minute. This vegetable oil is called palm oil, and is found in hundreds of the everyday products, from baked goods and confectionery, to cosmetics and cleaning agents… many of which you buy in your weekly shopping.

Due to the massive international demand for palm oil, palm oil plantations are rapidly replacing the rainforest habitat of the critically endangered orangutan; with over 90% of their habitat already destroyed in the last 20 years.

Orangutans are some of our closest relatives, sharing approximately 97% of their DNA with humans. Orangutan means ‘Person of the jungle’ in the Indonesian language. It is estimated that 6 to 12 of these ‘jungle people’ are killed each day for palm oil. These gentle creatures are either killed in the deforestation process, when they wonder into a palm oil plantation looking for food, or in the illegal pet trade after they’ve been captured and kept as pets in extremely poor conditions and provided with extremely poor nutrition.

Orangutans are considered as pests by the palm oil industry. In the deforestation process, workers are told that if wildlife gets in the way, they are to do whatever is necessary in order to dispose them, no matter how inhumane. Often orangutans are run over by logging machinery, beat to death, buried alive or set on fire… all in the name of palm oil.

Government data has shown that over 50,000 orangutans have already died as a result of deforestation due to palm oil in the last two decades. Experts say that if this pattern of destruction and exploitation continues, these intelligent acrobats of the jungle will be extinct in the wild within 3 to 12 years (as early as 2015). It is also thought that their jungle habitat will be completely gone within 20 years (approximately 2033).

Around 50 million tons of palm oil is produced annually; with almost all of that being non-sustainable palm oil, that replaces 12 million hectares of dense, bio-diverse rainforest. That’s the equivalent landmass of North Korea deforested each year for palm oil alone!

Palm oil is also having a shocking impact on our planet. The production of this one vegetable oil is not only responsible for polluting rivers and causing land erosion, but when the plantation workers set fire to the remaining trees, shrubs and debris to make way for the oil palms, it produces immense amount of smoke pollution that is toxic to planet earth. This has been found to be the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas in the world.

By purchasing products that contain crude palm oil, you are helping destroy ancient, pristine rainforest, wipe out species like the orangutan, and create a large-scale ecological disaster. Think of the consequences next time you do your weekly shopping; the consequences not only for orangutans and other animals, but for us as the human race; for we cannot survive without the rainforests either. We have a choice, orangutans do not.

Source: http://touchthenature.com/say-no-to-palm-oil/

Panjang Beach Bengkulu

Panjang beach at sunset

     Bengkulu’s main beach, Pantai Panjang, stretches for approximately 7 km (4.4 miles). It is located on the Indian Ocean, western coast of Bengkulu city, about 2 km from Suprapto shopping center. The beach has white sand and pretty good surf. Early morning on a mid to high tide will be the best time for a surf. It is the most popular beach for the local beach goers.

Delman (horse drawn vehicle)

You can find seaside cottages, nice hotels, shopping centers, warung-warung (street stalls) and night clubs along the beach. Other recreational facilities are also available such as: swimming pools, fishing ponds, etc. At the beach (right in front of Pasir Putih cottage) you can try a delman (horse drawn vehicle). The delmans are only available on every Sunday, and every national public holiday. Also, don’t miss another pleasure, kelapa muda (young coconut), the fresh juice drunk straight from a young coconut, bought at roadside around the beach. Drink the milk and then scoop out the flesh. If you enjoy the taste of young coconut water and can tolerate large amounts, it could help keep you hydrated. Unfortunately this beautiful beach still needs more and better supporting facilities, and also litter is a major environmental problem on the beach, litter is often left by the beach goers.

How to get there?
You can take a yellow angkot (city transport) from Jl. Suprapto or along its route to the beach center gate for Rp. 4,000 per one person. There is no entrance fee, except during Eid al Fitr public holiday also known as Lebaran, and Eid al Adha public holiday or Lebaran Haji, the visitors are charged for Rp. 1,000 per one person. If you are visiting by car, a parking fee of Rp. 3000 will be required.  

Warning: The beach has big waves which are kind of good for surfing, but be careful, it’s rarely suitable for swimming; it’s unsafe for swimming too far out because there are strong currents in some spots.

More photos of Panjang beach

Enjoying the sunset at Panjang beach Bengkulu

A nice late afternoon at Panjang beach

The most popular beach in town 

Panjang beach at sunset

Coconut water could help keep you hydrated.

Photos by Adriansyah Putera