Cruising Indonesia Part 2 

03 September 1998

We cautiously motored through the narrow entrance around the island, as our charts were not specific as to depth for this three kilometer passage to the inland bay. There were very good (and new) lead lights to guide us which would indicate that larger ships may come through here. We stayed in line with them very carefully, as any deviation brought us into very shallow water. (Sea Fever needs a minimum of two meters of water). As we rounded a corner to see the bay, many large freighters, barges and fishing boats were anchored inside. After dropping anchor, we settled into our new spot just off the shore of the old port and historical part of the city. The water is very dirty, filled with rubbish and plastic. Today is the day we are to pick up our two crew, Karen and Peter, from their holiday. We have an appointed time to pick them up at a pre-arranged destination. Of the two of us, I am elected to be the one to go ashore for this.

We see a jetty on shore, where ah the water taxi canoes take people to other parts of the bay. This seems a good place for our landings. Once on shore, children surrounded me asking for money, asking to help me. I have learned the work "tidak" which means No! These were the most cheeky of all the kids I have come across so far. They left me alone once I reached the end of the jetty and off I walked, mainly to get some exercise. It was very warm and I had forgotten my hat...not good.

As I walked, I passed by many houses, open gutters with sewage, lots of rubbish everywhere. Some how I was not shocked or dismayed about this, but sorry that it has to be this way. All the people and children, again curious about me, were all very friendly with afternoon greetings.

The hotel where I was to meet Karen and Peter was farther that I expected so took a bemo (small van-bus) to my destination. Karen was there with a big hug and very worried look on her face. I think she thought we would not be there. As it turned out, Peter had contracted malaria while they were gone and they had both been through their own kind of hell with this. It was very serious and he has stayed in Bali to recuperate. Peter had chosen not to take the preventative malaria medication which we all take daily - this made him highly susceptible to contracting the disease.

We return to the jetty by bemo with a short walk in town to pick some things up. Once on board, Karen tells us the stories of Peter’s experience with the malaria and her brave actions to get him proper medical care. The two of them were very frightened because they did not know much about the disease. Fortunately the two of them were in a good place where good help and medical care available. Also, had an English speaking doctor, so Peter got the best care possible.

It is obvious that Karen is torn between staying with us and returning to care for Peter. But Rob and I leave that decision to her and not try to influence it in anyway.

19 August 1998

Many things to do today.... provision the boat and get fuel. Rob and I found the place where they sell diesel, just across from the waterfront. The fuel is sold from open drums. I am impressed as Rob evaluates the quality by looking for clarity, proper odor and if there is any water in it. Later in the day, Rob and Karen transfer by many dingy runs, 220 Liters in two 10 liter containers to the boat. It was a job that took all afternoon. Luckily, Karen had a pair of pantyhose that Rob promptly confiscated and cut up to be used for filtering the fuel before putting it in the tanks.

I have been to the market this morning, purchasing veggies and fruits, cookies and crackers and anything else we need for our next leg. We still have plenty of meat purchased in Darwin and kept frozen, so I have not yet had to face the meat sections of the markets, a hard task for me down the road. Fresh milk or cheese is not available in this part of the world and we are on our last stores from. our provisioning in Darwin. I have saved a special white castille for Louise’s arrival evening. We have begun to use powdered milk, which really is not too bad as I remember!

20 August 1998

Louise arrives today. I am anxious as I hope she will enjoy Sea Fever and our new lifestyle. Rob and I have planned an itinerary which we hope she will enjoy and should get her back to Ball as per her itinerary go ashore to meet her at our planned location, hoping that her flights worked out well and on time. Communication would be difficult if not. But alas, she arrives! And we embrace with open arms. It is so good to see her and to know she has come all this way to share this experience with me.

We return to the jetty in her taxi, stopping off to buy a case of Bintang (local beer). The crate is promptly loaded in the taxi and off we go. Louise has just come from the Ritz Carlton in Bali...and Kendari is a far way from that! But she is a trooper as we wait for Rob to pick us up in the dingy....kids clamoring for this and that; "What is your name, where you come from?" On and on with many things we do not understand. Once aboard we start to relax and hear of Louise’s adventure of getting here...she almost did not get a seat on the airplane, but being a seasoned traveler, she made sure she got one. So glad she did.

Karen in the meantime has decided to leave the boat to rejoin Peter in Bali, so it will just be the three of us. So we are now without any crew. Okay for now, but we will need some crew down the way for voyage crossings. It also makes it difficult for Rob and I to do things together on shore, as someone should be on the boat at all times in regards to security. After a champagne welcome and a good dinner and conversation, we get to bed.

21 August 1998

We depart Kendari at high tide through the narrow channel with a bit more confidence than when we came in. We are headed for an anchorage Rob and I had before...nice quiet, beautiful rainforest covered hills, calm, behind a reef. Very comfy. We had a good swim here. Louise is adjusting to boat life very well. I have moved her to the forward cabin where Karen and Peter stayed. She seems to be happy with this.

22 August 1998

Start to head on our way south. Stopped at an island and Louise and I took a really nice snorkel on the island’s reef. Rob worked on the boat. We had a visit from a fisherman whose dugout was perfectly fitted out for fishing....complete with an area which held water to keep live fish for bait...a section for ballast, bamboo floor to keep himself dry, and an anchor made of wood and stone, plus his sail. Rob and he chatted for quite sometime, admiring his canoe and skills. Very nice interchange.

The reefs here have fish traps on them, a maze of tall sticks designed in some way to attract and confine the fish, These are worked very quietly and slowly by men in canoes and underwater "goggles" made from carved wood. From a distance, we have never seen a fish being caught. We think they are very small.

At night the horizon is full of all the lights of fishing boats, using kerosene lanterns to attract the fish. By morning, they are gone, or anchored to repair nets, prepare meals and sleep. On some shores of these islands, the villages are all built on stilts over the water. Rob has recently learned that this area was once populated by sea gypsies, a nomadic people who were born, lived and died on the sea. They have recently begun to settle on islands and have built these stilt houses in place of their vessels.

We went onto anchor off one of the villages for lunch with the idea to continue on to Wononi Island...During lunch a big wind came up with lots of rain... It was getting on in the afternoon, so we decided to backtrack 45 minutes to our anchorage of the night before, knowing it would be very calm there, choosing this over the alternative of a three hour voyage in a howling wind and rain.

23 August 1998

We head for Wowoni Island in better weather, although the sky is very gray. We get to a calm, anchorage...Rob and Louise take a dingy exploration of the mangroves. Later on, she and I do a snorkel, but the tide is changing, visibility not good, but very interesting.

24 August 1998

Sail down Wononi Straits to Buton Straits. Nice sail, some rain, nothing serious, but I am able to collect some rainwater for our stores. Lots of dolphins. Louise is learning boat terms and helping a bit with the sheets (ropes).

25 August 1998

Sail to town of Raha, first town since Kendari. We had a tremendous squall hit us, and it completely turned us around 180 degrees in what seemed like 30 seconds! The sudden storm really frightened Louise...she ran for life jackets (which were really not necessary). Rob and I handled it well, responding with fast action. I only did one "eeek!" this time, when my foot slipped a bit. I am getting better about not "eeeking!!". We got back on course and adjusted everything accordingly. Louise had a time settling down after this experience.

We anchor off Raha, a windward town so our anchorage a little roly-poly. Louise and I take a trip on shore, walking around the town. Market is finished for the day, but really did not need anything anyway. The exercise is good. Again, the local people were friendly, many spoke fairly good English. They are always asking where we are going and where we are from. Everyone loves to practice what little English they know. I am gradually picking up some Indonesian vocabulary. Rob has been doing boat jobs while we are ashore. Off we go to a more protected anchorage near the opposite shore for the night.

27 August 1998

Up anchor in the morning and we go through the narrows of Butan Straits. Quite spectacular rock formations, limestone islands sculpted by eons of tidal flows. Current very strong here, moving us along quite nicely. Some islands with reef.. very picturesque villages. We arrive at the city of Bau Bau anchoring near several traditional trading vessels. It is a very busy market day and the pier is a hive of activity. Rob and Louise go ashore to do some errands, explore and have lunch. Louise chooses to return to the boat and Rob goes for a long walk for some exercise. They met the town’s English teacher, who has met all the yachts that have come to Bau Bau. He is very gracious and Rob suggests he return to the boat with Louise and I for afternoon tea. We had a very nice visit. He helped me a bit with my Indonesian. The teacher arranged for a tour for the next day of the areas sites (a fort and palace). Rob & Louise went on this and enjoyed the afternoon.

28 August 1998

Went to market this am for provisions. Had a helper with me for interpretation. Sometimes this is good and not so good, as it inhibits my purchases. I get a little self-conscious about spending "so much" money. I do not want to appear too extravagant even though everything is very inexpensive compared with US Dollar.

Louise has decided on the option to do the two night crossing with us to Bulakumba, where she will get a car to take her to Ujang Pandang for her flight on 31 August. I am really glad she decided this as her other options were not that great. We had no promises what the crossing would be like...smooth sailing or rough. But she is well adapted to life on board now and is willing to go for it.

We depart Bau Bau at 5:00 pm with a good tide carrying us out to the open water. Over all, the crossing is very good. Not a lot of wind at times which makes for roly-poly water. But not enough to send us out of our bunks. Rob and I do four-hour watches for the next two days and two nights. Louise handled it well! I tend to get a bit tired on these crossings. Its times like this when it is so nice to other crew aboard Sea Fever.

30 August 1998

Arrive Bulakumba around 8:00 am, right on schedule! After anchoring, Louise and I go ashore to find a car and driver to take her to Ujang Pandang tomorrow. We were going to walk, but we were tired, hot so we hired a becat (3 wheel pedal bike with seat). Our driver speaks no English. But he gets the idea of what we want...so he takes us to the central market, where all the buses and bemos (small van buses) are. It is a mad house. No one speaks English. I am madly trying to find words in my phrase book...curious people all around us! We start getting some headway and start to make the final deal for Louise’s "car" and it all seems to fall apart. Then this young man comes to us and says in English "May I help you?" YES! I say! So with his help, we confirmed a pick up time, price and who. We just hope the guy shows up.

31 August 1998

Louise leaves today and I am sad about that. We will miss her. We both get paranoid that we are in a different time zone and hope that our plan will not go awry. The driver shows up and all is well. I hitch a ride in with them to town and it is a teary good bye to Louise. She has been a great guest, crew, and learned a lot about sailing. I hope she will return to be with us again. Best for me is that she will contact my family and friends with all the news of her trip and our new lifestyle. A good firsthand connection. Rob and I spend a couple of more nights at this anchorage, catching up on sleep, going to town, organizing things etc.

1 September 1998

In the afternoon we take a two-hour sail to the village of Tana Baru, just around the corner. This is the place where major boat building takes place. We also catch up with some other yachts and friends from the Darwin Ambon Race who are anchored here, the first Westerners and yachties we have seen since leaving Ambon. (yes, we go off the beaten track!) It is nice to chat with them, catch up on what everyone is doing. While apart, we maintain contact on the HF radio for any news and information they have; networking so to speak.

Since we have come to Sulawesi we have been in Muslim country. It is not as strict as I thought it would be. In remote villages you must dress conservatively and also on deck when others (fishermen, people on shore) are around, but overall it seems the Muslims in the larger villages are quite liberal compared to the Middle Eastern countries. Only some of the women wear the traditional head to toe covering, while some go to the other extreme of wearing Bermuda shorts and T-shirts or blouse - no tank tops. Starting a three in the morning, you hear the call to prayer from the minuets. This happens 3 - 4 times a day. Most of the time the call is on poor tape recordings broadcast over poor loud speakers. Others are quite pleasant. We have found the people to be extremely friendly and helpful and also curious. The extent of most English speaking is "Hello Mister/Missus!", "Whatsyourname?"’ and " Whereyoucomefrom?" Students spot us and they want to practice English, which usually turns into a fruitless exercise, although some have been somewhat fluent and this is refreshing. The children, of course, are always wonderful with a few pests thrown in. Most seem very healthy and happy, especially in villages. One thing to note here is that there are a lot of them! Indonesia is headed for an over population problem and only introduced family planning programs two years ago. The theme is "Two is Enough" and there are signs with what to us is the peace symbol, (with two fingers up in a V) as the symbol for this campaign. Many people from overpopulated areas are sent to less populated areas of the country to spread it out a bit. You can imagine the potential for local problems which may arise from this. Java people in the Maluku region, totally different lifestyles and culture.

We find that everything cost three times more than before the crisis. A kilo of rice is RP2500. Before the crisis it was RP750. However, the remote areas, island people that we have visited seem to be okay. I guess we would have to stay longer to really know. Through observation, people we have seen appear healthy, well fed and not hurting. As we head west to more populated areas this may change.

Back to our anchorage in Tana Baru. Great village, really pretty. The whole beach area is a thriving industry of boat building. Heavy planked wooden boats for fishing, freight, ferry, trading, cargo, you name it, it comes from here.

Timber comes from Maluku and Iran Jaya. All work is done by hand. You hear a chainsaw once in awhile, and planers. No nails are used, everything is pegged. Some boats quite rough, others refined. Space between the planks of the boat are filled with the bark from the mallaluca tree (paper bark) so the ship must be kept wet all the time to keep the wood swollen. All the boats are painted in wonderful combinations of color. The designs work well for the job they are to do. People come here from all over the world to have traditional boats built.

I have lots of laundry to do and wondering where to do it. As Rob and I are walking in the village one evening, there are women at a well washing clothes. I get out my handy phrase book and ask where I can wash my clothes...here they say...okay! So the next morning off I go to the well, which is surrounded by a flat, smooth concrete surface for scrubbing the clothes. I have my bucket, scrub brush and soap. Locals cannot believe it. They have never seen anyone like me washing clothes at the well. Now, this well just happened to be located across the street from the local schoolhouse. Starting with the 4 years olds, I had every child in that school come over to watch me wash my clothes! As soon as each class was let out for break, they all came over to see this strange person washing clothes...it was fun, but a bit overwhelming. Of course I played the part of the spectacle, talking, practicing my Indonesian, saying ah the colors of the clothes in English and other games we made up.

Washing clothes is hard work here (for me anyway) A wringer would be a luxury! Here is how it goes: Load dingy. Take dingy into shore. Anchor according to tide. Carry it all to well. Lower a bucket into the well for water, fill my bucket, wash wash wash, wring wring wring; then get clean water, rinse rinse rinse; wring wring wring. Carry it ah back to the dingy, get back to boat and hang it all up to dry...monitor drying and change according to sun, get it all in before late afternoon, when it would get all damp again. That is the process! And it can take up most of the day. Its a challenge and a part of this lifestyle. Perhaps in some other places, I would have it done by someone in the town, but here it did not seem appropriate and it really gave me the opportunity to experience the culture of the village, interact with many people, meet the children, and become a familiar face around the village.

After a few days here in Tana Baru, Rob and I decide to take a vacation...a five day land trip up to north western Sulawesi. Tana Baru seems this is one of the safest places we can leave the boat, and we have met a person who is anchored nearby to keep a watch on it for us while we are away. We decide to hire a vehicle, driver and "English speaking" guide. This will cost up RP l million which is about AUS$100. We figure we may spend that again on food, accommodation and guide tips...so we did the trip for just a little over AUS 200. Our driver was really good, not a wild one. Our guide was a 30 year old wise guy type, but actually we really liked him. His English was okay. We taught each other our languages. The drive was really long, going through countless villages for over six hours for two days to get to our destination.

We spent our first night in the city of Seng Kang. Arriving around 3:00 pm we had time to hire a canoe to explore a huge lake created by the flooding river. This creates a wetlands that is perfect for birding. We observed several species of herons & egrets, moorhens, and other wetland birds.

The locals here build their houses upon a raft of bamboo and they float on the water..

Quite a good idea really if you live in a flood zone. We were able to visit one of these water houses which is complete with kitchen and seems quite comfy. After a snack of tea and fried bananas, we get back in the canoe (long boat). The sun is setting and the scene very beautiful. The birding activity increases at this time of day so the return voyage was most pleasurable. The drive gave us the opportunity to see the inland regions. Most villages nice, neat and tidy...All along the road, rice, cocoa beans, & cloves are drying in the sun. As we approached Tana Toraja, the landscape becomes mountainous, steep limestone cliffs, beautiful terraced rice fields, limestone valleys cut by rivers. Great for photography. The culture here is very ancient and once discovered by westerners (Dutch) the people maintained their independence and culture. The Toraja people build structures with huge arched roofs covering a highly decorated rectangular base which is used for housing or storage of rice. The most elaborate belonging to the aristocracy of the society. This is a death-culture people. They have extreme celebrations for funerals. Animals are butchered, a feast is held. This celebration may be held months or years after the death of the person, when the family can get enough money together to have the ritual. Apparently the body is treated somehow and, remains in the house until the funeral ceremony. Sometimes the expense of this ritual can be ruinous to a family, but it must be done to maintain the cultures belief that if you take care of the dead, your family will prosper. In modern times, some families are beginning to refuse to carry on this tradition because of the expense. The water buffalo is an important part of this. The more buffalo that are killed the happier your dead relative is and the more prosperous you will be. We did not attend a funeral ceremony as Rob is not keen on witnessing the slaughter of the water buffalo, which he likes very much. The dead are buried in huge rocks in which large rooms have been chiseled out. Sometimes the whole family is put into this room. Then Tau Tau, or wooden sculptures are made representing the dead and are placed outside the grave. So when you see these places, there is an entourage of wooden people looking at you, eyes wide open. A very interesting place to visit but I would not like to live there!

We took a great 5 hour walk from a high village down the mountain, passing through many villages, meeting and greeting. In one village, all the children were singing the song "Frere Jacque" when we went by.

Our accommodation was very nice here...a civilized ethnic type place in the middle of some rice pads. The light was beautiful and again great for photography. The people here are Christian, not Muslim.

After two nights here, we head back towards home. We spent the last night of our "vacation" Ujung Pandang a city of over a million. We stay in a "homestay" that is very clean with a gracious hostess and a good breakfast.

In Ujung Pandang we are able to extend our visa for one more month, a process that I will not go into. I am thankful that Rob has the patience to deal with the officials in these matters, as I certainly do not. While here, we also stocked up on provisions, going to a huge market - they even had apples from America’s Washington State!

Speaking of provisions, we are now living on local foods, produce and meats. Everything from Darwin is gone (except our tin foods). I am really trying to learn to cook with some new foods, spices etc. I have had some successes and some failures. There is a lady here in Tana Baru who may give me some cooking lessons. She took me to the markets here yesterday and I learned quite a bit. Bought our first Indonesian meat - chicken. Rob roasted it tonight with potatoes and pumpkin. Really yummy and a nice change from rice and noodles. We are getting final laundry washed, airing out winter clothing that has been stored since we left Airlie Beach. Tomorrow we clean the decks, and organize before leaving on our next leg south to the island of Selaya.

I am leaning more Indonesian words everyday and it is getting somewhat easier to communicate on a very basic level. I have also lost a lot of weight, which feels good. Not sure what my weight is, but it is definitely less. YEAH!

Rob’s and my health continues to be very good. We always rinse all fresh veggies in a solution to kill the bad guys, we are still drink water we took on board in Darwin and rainwater.

We find that Indonesia is a great vacation destination and recommend it highly. Once you are here, it is very inexpensive to live, eat and get around. The scenery is fantastic. Beautiful reefs, great diving and snorkeling. The locals are very accommodating. So far we have not found the commercialism of Ball, which is very refreshing.

Just as I am about to close this off, Rob returns from visiting another boat at anchor not far from us. He is very excited! What did he see? Whale Sharks, right here in the Tana Baru bay where we are anchored. A ten metre whale shark went right under the dinghy! When he was on the other boat visiting, another one came there. Our friends gave Rob a snorkel, mask and fins and in he went to see it at a closer view, and close indeed. It came right up to him, this huge mouth, an incredibly large animal, completely harmless. I have not seen Rob so excited and happy. He has always wanted to see a whale shark first hand. Great experience for him! We will be keeping a closer look out for more sightings while we are here.