Things Begin To Get Interesting

After leaving Bau Bau, we quickly returned to our routine of eat, nap, watch the horizon, nap, eat, watch a movie and sleep. It would be two more days of landless vistas before we would make our next landfall. 

The first night and day at sea were uneventful... calm seas, few visits by marine life of any sort, a few birds and fishing boats seen in the distance. We made good time and continued on at a steady 9-10 knot clip. On the third night after Bau Bau, we entered the Banda Sea... one of the roughest stretches of water in all of Indonesia. All night long the boat tossed. Down below, I was being bounced around on my bunk. As I don't really like to sleep in air conditioning I had been sleeping every night with the porthole next to my bunk opened for air and enough of a cool breeze to be comfortable. At one point during the night, I was rudely awakened by a face full of sea water coming thru the porthole. Well before dawn, I gave up trying to sleep and climbed up on deck to await the sunrise. Mr. T was already there... he had slept on one of the lounge sofas and was feeling seasick from  the night on the Banda Sea.

We were both glad to be awake as the first light of day began creeping over the horizon. Land! Beautiful land! A mountainous island silhouette was all we could make out in the distance. As daylight increased, we could see that the island we were approaching looked exotic... beautiful!

We now found ourselves in the Moluccas Islands, commonly referred to as The Spice Islands due to their rich crops of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and other spices. We were somewhere near Ambon. The island ahead of us, I was told by the Captain, was called Bwano or Buano but I have yet to find it on any map. Around this island lay several other smaller islands and several small rock island that jutted up from the sea floor.

As the sun rose in the sky, we could make out a small, primitive looking village on the beach. The rest of the island, at least this side of it, seemed largely uninhabited. The water was crystal clear and we could make out luxurious coral formations in the depths below.

Shortly after sunrise, the crew dropped anchor and again lowered one of the dinghies and made a reconnaissance trip around the bay where we were anchored while we stayed aboard and contended ourselves with photographing the small rock islands and coastline.

It wasn't long before the village on the beach sent their own reconnaissance group, 4 men is a small motored boat began heading our way, pulled up beside us and were welcomed aboard. From them we learned that the last group of foreigners to drop anchor here was over 6 months ago.

This island and it's bay were idyllic... like out of some dream. Lush mountains, jungle, white sandy beaches and very few people from what we could sea. The water surrounding the island was amazingly clear and inviting after 7 days aboard the boat and no chance to swim, dive or otherwise recreate save for the excursion into Bau Bau a few days before.

The men from the boat informed us that we were welcome to visit the village on the beach in the distance. We grabbed our cameras and a knapsack full of brightly colored plastic balls, colored ink markers, pencils and writing tablets we had purchased back in Bali for just such an occasion and hopped into the zodiac once it had returned from it's scouting mission, making our way thru a narrow channel in a very shallow reef, and making landfall on the beach fronting the village.

Here, the people were quite friendly. Their homes were rough, wooden structures built on stilts. There were electric poles and a single service cable running thru a clearing in the jungle behind their homes. We were told that the electricity was produced in another part of the island. We also spotted more than one satellite TV dish. It appeared that the primary economic activity and food source for this village came from fishing. I am guessing there are spice plantations elsewhere on the island creating an entirely different economy. Goats and chickens also wandered freely on the beach and around the homes... another food source.

Shortly after landing, as a crowd had gathered around us, we quickly distributed the balls, markers, pencils and pads to the children and began a tour of the village, followed everywhere we went by a group of children. We found the village mosque, the community well which provided this village with drinking water, a fisherman with fresh catch from whom we purchased a fat red snapper, a captive hornbill, lots of exotic seashells and lots of fruit trees. The three of us split up for a while, following our own individual photographic interests. We remained here in this village for several hours until the outgoing tide threatened to make passage through the reef impossible, preventing our return to the ship until the next high tide.

The Battle For The Balls

The Mosque

A Deadly Sea Snake Hunts in the Shallows of the Lagoon

Exploring Pasar Bau Bau

After leaving the Kraton and Fortress, we made our way to the Pasar... the central market for Bau Bau. Here, chef would shop for fresh fish and vegetables and my companions and I would search for photo-ops. Asian markets are a personal favorite of mine. The smells... strange fruits and vegetables, the frenzied activity involved in the haggling over prices, the welcoming faces of strangers... hopeful that you might purchase something from their stall. 

The Pasar Bau Bau was no disappointment. It had all of the above and more... fish mongers, fruit and vegetable kiosks, spice merchants, t-shirts and homewares, butcher stalls, even a hardware store where Mr. T purchased several spools of fishing line and some small hooks in anticipation of some hand line action from the boat while we were at anchor.

While touring the markets, we were constantly stopped by everyone  wanting to have their pictures taken. This proved to be great fun and after a while, we realized that a handful of the same men on motorbikes kept showing up ever couple of minutes for their portraits. It seems they would circle around the market area and then come back to us repeatedly for another photo. After they had made 4 or 5 laps around the Pasar, their faces became familiar and we realized that these guys were serious hams, intent on photo-bombing us at every opportunity.

While wandering thru a dark and congested maze of stalls deep in the interior of the Pasar, two young girls approached me and really began mugging for the camera. They followed me everywhere for at least 1/2 an hour. Cute as pie and sweet as they could be, they stole my heart quickly.

After a while of playing with these girls, they took my hand and led me thru the maze of stalls to what I can only guess was their mother's stall. Further camera mugging ensued here as Mom summoned all of her nearby friends to pose.

While at the Pasar and besides the fishing equipment Mr. T purchased, we bought some dried green beans which would be our breakfast the following morning, bunches of fresh, delicious bananas and some small fish for Mr. T to use as bait. Chef had also purchased several bags of goodies to supplement our meals for the next few days at sea. Loading our newly acquired treasures into the waiting minivan, we headed back down to the port to rejoin our boat & crew.

Arriving dockside in late afternoon, we discovered that the Manta Mae was now tied up alongside of the wharfs and was in the process of being filled with petrol from a large tank truck. The Coast Guard and Police were still on deck, laughing, talking excitedly and making a good dent in our beer supply. More photos with the assembled officials ensued, more chatter and beer consumption also. At one point during the conversation, in my limited ability to understand spoken Indonesian, I heard Mr. T laughing and talking with the Police Officers about the rampant corruption of government officials. Lots of smiles, laughter and head nodding followed as everyone joined in to offer their opinions on what could be done to solve the problem. This entire conversation was, of course, ludicrous (they were obviously waiting around to be given some money) and Mr. T's gentle and persuasive way of letting the officials know that they would indeed be getting their palms greased but they had better not get greedy.

It wasn't long after that conversation that a few bank notes where discreetly exchanged and the officials returned to land, waving and smiling after a day of hanging out on our well-appointed boat and consuming a large portion of our beer stash.

As the sun began to drop lower in the sky, we began to wish they had stayed onboard as being tied up to the wharf gave easy access to anyone wishing to board the vessel. Small groups of men began paying us a lot of attention from the docks. One sketchy looking guy sat in the shade of a scaffold nearby, casting looks in our direction and talking with someone on a cell phone. As waters around Indonesia and SE Asia are notorious for pirate activity, we began to suspect that some of the locals might have plans for us. With a discreet nod from our Captain, I grabbed all of our camera gear from above deck, as well as other valuables below deck, and locked them in my cabin. 

The Captain informed us that we would remain in port until a second truck of fuel could arrive to top off our tanks and portables. It would probably be a few hours more of waiting. We would need to leave the wharfside and anchor in the harbor waiting for the truck to arrive as space along the wharf was needed for a large Indonesian domestic cruise ship that was rapidly approaching. Leaving the dockside was a welcome move given all of the attention we had been getting during the past couple of hours. A couple of hours later, just as it was getting dark, a cell phone call arrived... the fuel was waiting. We made our way back to the wharf, topped the tanks, waved goodbyes and set out to sea again at around 8pm that evening. It would be another two days at sea before we would see land again...

Making Landfall in Bau Bau

Through the early morning haze we could make out details of the coastline that lay ahead... tankers and cargo ships lining the docks, buildings and mountains rising up behind the town. As we sailed closer, the coastal waters were busy with small fishing boats, ferries and water taxis making their way back & forth across the harbor. Soon we could make out the buildings lining the waterfront... the biggest and most obvious being a 3 story KFC (they are everywhere) and the ubiquitous mosque.

We were approaching Buton Island, off the coast of South Sulawesi... the grim & active little port town of Bau Bau. Here we would spent the entire day refueling the boat and shopping for provisions. I and my two travel companions were anxious to go ashore for a change of scenery and some photo making as during the past 3 days aboard ship, photographic subjects and options were rapidly being exhausted.

Slowly the Captain guided our boat into the calm waters of the harbor and dropped anchor, waiting for space along the pier to become available where the fuel trucks could fill the ship's tanks. It wasn't long before local authorities from the Coast Guard and Police showed up to board our boat, inspect our papers and passports. One of the Coast Guard Officers seemed to take an immediate interest in us, noticing that the three of us were armed with multiple cameras. After a half our of chat and deciding our papers were in order, we asked him about going ashore and hiring a car & driver to take us around the town. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and made a call. After hanging up, we were informed that when we arrived on shore a driver would be waiting and that the costs for his services were "taken care of".

With this bit of luck, our Captain instructed the crew to put one of the dinghies overboard and ferry us and Chef & Divemaster Nikko to shore.

Access to the wharf area was gained by pulling alongside a large wooden ship, climbing through the side hatch, wandering around through the hold below deck... dark and filled with strange faces that did not seem overly enthusiastic about our arrival. Finding the ladders to go up to the top deck, we quickly made our way up and walked the gangplank onto the wharfs.

Stopping briefly to take photographs around the wharf area, we then quickly made our way to the port terminal where our papers were again inspected to the satisfaction of the kretek smoking official behind the window. As we wandered around the large parking area fronting the terminal, fending off determined offers of transportation from a determined group of touts, we were met by a female Coast Guard Officer and led to our waiting minivan, complete with loud indonesian pop music blaring from the speakers.

Mr. T and his new friend

Mr. T asked about visiting the Kraton, the old palace of the Regency's Raja... now the home of the local mayor. We learned that the Kraton was surrounded by a huge, ancient fortress made of limestone & coral blocks dating back to the early days of Dutch control of Indonesia. We also inquired about visiting the local "Pasar"... the market serving the town. All questions were met with a smile and a nod to the affirmative. We all piled in the vehicle and made our way up a steep, winding road to the Kraton, nestled high on a hillside above the town.

Walking around the Kraton, we were surprised to find several old Dutch bronze cannons still mounted in the ramparts had survived looting over the years. The style of home building here was also quite different that what I had encountered in Bali and Java. The climate appeared to be quite dry and arid, probably a result of the low mountains not being quite high enough to catch and hold rainfall. The town itself, once we left the wharf area, was clean and tidy, if a bit dusty. Everywhere we went we were met with smiling faces and folks quite insistent on having us take their photographs once our cameras were spotted. 

Outside a central courtyard and large open-air pavilion were a group of young school children and their teachers from the nearby school. They were having their exercise period. The sudden appearance of three strange foreigners in the midst disrupted their activity completely. The teachers gave us a look, smiled and shrugged as the children ran towards us and began posing for photos.

After a short time of being mobbed by kids, Mr. T spotted a small shop at the corner of the courtyard, pulled a 20,000rp note from his pocket and bought all the kids small treats, no doubt making this shopkeeper's morning!

Making our escape as the kids were busy buying sweet treats, we piled back into our minivan for the day and headed down the hillside towards the markets of Bau Bau.