The Banda Islands are a small cluster of Islands which
are also known as the Spice Islands, they are famous for Nutmeg, Mace and
Cloves. In the 1600’s the Dutch and English fought to control the monopoly of
the spice trade, at one stage Nutmeg was worth more than gold. The Dutch were
successful in controlling the Banda Islands and were also responsible for the
massacre that took place 8th May 1622. Where all the chiefs were
slaughtered and then their heads stuck on bamboo poles in the ground, this was
done as a reminder to everyone that they were in charge and no one should
challenge them. Over all over half the population of the Bandanese people were
slaughtered by the Dutch all in the name of Nutmeg.
We arrived at Banda after a 2 night sail for Independence
Day dropping anchor and tying the stern of the boat off to the shore opposite
Gunung Api (Volcano Mountain) and outside a hotel. This volcano last erupted in
1988 where its crater increased in size from 40m to 400m, and the surrounding
islands were evacuated. The volcano still has smoke coming out the top. We will
be climbing it on our return trip here on the way back to Australia (some of
the crew myself especially has been to unwell to do it now). The water here is
crystal clear absolutely amazing, the only down fall is the ocean is a rubbish
dump and most things get carried out to sea with the current of the channel as
the tide changes.
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| Gunung Api Volcano with steam still coming out. |
Independence Day was celebrated with a parade, speeches
and parties in the night. We met a couple of lovely people at the parade Chinta
and Ayu who explained some of the groups in the parade to us and then we walked
with them to Government house were we saw the formal lowering of the Indonesian
flag by Senior school students after some speeches. They both speak good
English and told us what was happening. They also invited us to watch some
celebrations later that night which we went to and Amy fell asleep. Ian and I
took her back to the boat while Daniel and Kathleen went on to party before coming
back to the boat later that night.
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| Lowering of the Indonesian Flag Ceremony |
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| Amy with a little girl from the parade |
We have enjoyed trying food at many different places and
have been fortunate enough to enjoy 3 traditional meals more like banquets
while here. Some of which were with the
other 3 boats doing the Sail Maluku Rally with us.
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| Abba serving food at his guesthouse for us |
We have been made very welcome here being invited to
different people’s homes, Kathleen has been to the school were Chinta teaches
English and got up in front of the class and helped out with a lesson. Kathleen
and Daniel have b en invited to numerous parties in our short stay and we even
got invited to a wedding which unfortunately happens the day after we leave
for Ambon. Amy and Daniel had a great time playing with meeting new people and
some of their pets.
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| Amy with Jakob he is very gentle. |
Around the town there are many things to see including
the museum which has lots of Dutch memorabilia in it. The Dutch grave yard, now
is used as a garden to grow fruit and vegetables in amongst the headstones and
tombs. The Chinese grave yard has elegant shrines and was being maintained
while we were there. The aquarium pools had black tip reef sharks and some
beautiful fish that I have never seen before in it. There are 2 forts on the
island one built like a castle and one lower one which used to have a moat
around it, the water is now gone but the dugout area can still be seen. There
is a underground tunnel which connects the 2 forts but it has been closed for a
long time as the locals don’t use it and think there are snakes in there.
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| Daniel in Dutch Armor at the museum. |
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| Amy at the well where the chiefs were washed after being beaten and then beheaded. |
Snorkeling at the Lava flow was great, only a short dingy
trip for us to get there. The water is some places has a hazy effect where the
warmer water meets the cooler water again it is crystal clear with good coral
and fish life we even saw an eel in a rock. Of course the underwater camera
decided that is didn’t want to work for us, will have to try it again when we
come back. While over at the lava flow we saw the cruise ship come in from
Ambon. It must be an old P&O style boat it was huge. Ian is now worried
that something will go wrong with our boat as it is so close to where it is
going to pull in. When we got back to the boat we had been pushed backwards and
side wards. When Daniel jumped into the water he said we had 30cm under the
rudder. Without knowing how long until it leaves Ian wanted to move to another
spot so nothing else happens to our boat. A few hours later the cruise ship
left and the wash from the boat probably have pushed us onto rocks, good job we
did move.
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| The ferry |
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| Amy and Kathleen after snorkeling at the lava flow, Beautiful girls. |
Ian, Kathleen, Daniel, Amy went on a Nutmeg plantation
while I slept all day (I hate being sick and missing out). They caught a local
boat over to the Island where the plantation was and Ian said that it was so
loud you couldn’t talk to each other on the trip. They saw a canoe being dug
out and even gave a hand in helping. The nutmeg grove sounds interesting Amy
explained that fruit is ripe when it splits open. Inside the flesh which is
used in Jam or dried as fruit and tasty on its own is the seed which has a red
waxy spider web coating on it this is Mace, I never knew that. Then the nutmeg
seed as we buy is inside a shell. Everyone got to try and open them and watch
how the pro’s do it.
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| Any watching the nutmeg being opened |
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Ian trying his hand at carving a canoe
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| The tribe at the nutmeg plantation |
