Dicing with Death: Sumatra – Cursed Treasure

In the vastness of the Indonesian archipelago, Sumatra occupies a special place. Sixty million people live on the sixth largest island in the world. A third of the population depends on work in the fields but the population remains highly isolated. Some large towns are linked only by dirt roads, so in the monsoon season the roads turn into a giant mud bath.

To avoid the dirt tracks, Masinis uses the old railway line that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, the tracks are bent and broken. Meanwhile Rudi the taxi driver carries six passengers over 80 km on a mud-logged road that is strewn with thousands of potholes and ruts.