The poor little island of Nias can't catch a break. It got hammered by the tsunami last December. It's probably barely recovering and it' been hit by an 8.7 magnitude quake that has killed around 2000 more people.

I spent almost a month on Nias back in 1995 when I was traveling around Southeast Asia. The island is so isolated. You have to take an overnight boat from Sibolga on the west coast of Sumatra to get there. And getting to Sibolga is no picnic, believe me.

Most westerners are drawn to the perfect waves of Lagundri Bay in the southern part of the island, and I was no exception. It was heaven waking up to 90 degree weather at sunrise and padding out into perfect sets in 90 degree water. The fact that my room cost 25 cents a night was a bonus. I would have paid twenty times that. Maybe a hundred.

It's hard for me to believe that it's been 10 years. I had a great time there and it wasn't all about the surfing. The people on island are about the nicest, most genuine you could hope to meet anywhere. Nias has an ancient culture that has all but been untouched by modern society. I only hope the damage has been overstated and that most of the people are ok.