Cruising from Bali to Irian Jaya and down to Cairns

[JohnM]

Next morning we arrived at Maumere on the island of Flores. Quite a large town, but we are taking a 1 hiur bus trip into the mountains to a remote village.

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A convoy of about 8 busses of varying sizes, with a police escort, necessary to clear the road for us. A good paved road all the way, but only one effective lane with wide shoulders.

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Arrived the village and the school kids were excited (only a couple of cruise boats make it up here) and were taking photos of us, taking photos of them.

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AN elaborate welcoming ceremony, unfortunately only view-able by a few at the front.

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Then led down to the performance area. Quite flash.

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The band

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Several perfomances, this one related to marriage involves an elephant tusk and the gradual chopping down of a banana tree.

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Ouch.

Unusual phallic symbolism...

 

[bPeteb]

Ouch.

Unusual phallic symbolism...

I think Roo was very circumspect in his description

 

[JohnM]

I think Roo was very circumspect in his description

Circum what?

 

[RooFlyer]

Basically involving defence against attack, necessitating climbing up bamboo to fire arrows from there

 

[RooFlyer]

Then it was to the demonstration of weaving of the local ikat.





Then to the shop! I virtually never buy stuff from places like these (last time was on the Silk Road in Uzbekistan), but given multiple assurances from the exped crew that its the real McCoy, I bought what will become bed runner for 50 euros.




About 50 mins back to the boat for lunch.



as we sailed on



Afternoon talks are good; this one, given by a 'geomorphologist' was a decent effort on that is a massively complicated topic.

 

[RooFlyer]

Couple more pics - and if worried about photographing children, they were being proudly brought forward by their parents and multiple OKs from the boat.

 

[RooFlyer]

Next day, we arrived at Kalabahi on the islad of Alor





Moored offshore and a short zodiac ride to a dry landing at a pier.

Just to show the marina on the Le Soleil







As before, on a convoy of air con busses for a 30 min ride to a village, not far from Kalabahi, but still up a mountain. The last bit was on foot.

 

[Cossie]

50 euro? I would not be able to help myself, especially after having seen the cloth being woven and dyed.

 

[RooFlyer]

50 euro? I would not be able to help myself, especially after having seen the cloth being woven and dyed.

I could’ve easily resisted except that I actually had a use for the thing I bought.

A$100 would be a huge amount of money in the village and they would’ve easily sold 10 or maybe 15 pieces between the various sellers.

The weaving is a hell of a lot of work, but if you think they could have a cruise ship visit or not, it must make a huge impact on the village.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcomed to the village with a dance

Then they preformed a series of dances - very entertaining and I'm certain authentic. I'm generally not a fan of 'cultural experiences' but this was very worthwhile.

Finale with audience invided to join in.

 

[RooFlyer]

Some scenes of the morning

 

[RooFlyer]

After the village we returned to the town and a market. Pretty standard stuff, I think.









Then onto a museum, greeted by another village dancers - wearing very old style bark clothes,

 

[RooFlyer]

An afternoon and night transit and we arrrive at day 6 of the cruise and the Banda Daya Islands. We landed at one, small sandy island for swim, snorkel and dive (for those who could).











Not being much of a snorkeler, I stuck to the shallow water (the deeper snorkelling didn't show much more apparently). WOnderfully clear water, but still a sad amount of rubbish on the beach. There were fish, but I hadn't adjusted my camera screen, and with a bit of fog on my mask, I couldn't easily point to capture them

 

[RooFlyer]

We were zooming along in the afternoon when the Captain hangs a hard starboard 180.



Announces blue whale sighter - ID from mottled colour and small dorsal fin. This is it ... sort of? Official blue whale sighting?



Bit of a hump there ...



We hung around while it blew about 5 times, dived, surfaced, blew three times and dived again.

 

[RooFlyer]

We were told to get up early to view close navigation of Band Neira island(s) from 6:30. Bit of a con - we didn't get close until about 7:15.



The islands are the remnants of a caldera after an big bang sometime in pre history.



We went past Rhun or Run island (the one on the left):



Interesting and bloody story... The Banda Islands / Spice Islands - collection of about 8 islands here) were the sole source of nutmeg in the 17th century. The Dutch claimed them and the notorious VOC ran them, at great profit. Cinnamon, mace and others too.

Rhun (Run) island was the exception and was claimed and settled by the English in c1616 and this is arguably the start of the British Empire - the first overseas 'colony' claimed and established by the Brits. The Dutch ruthlessly re-took it soon afterwards and cut down every nutmeg tree to prevent it being of use to the English, or anyone else. Over then next 50 or so years the Dutch also massacred the inhabitants of the other islands.

The English and Dutch were at war and when the first Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654), was settled by the Treaty Of Westminster, Run was notionally returned to England.

After the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667), there was some territorial settling, and Rhun was kept by the Dutch, in exchange for New Amsterdam being given to the English. New Amsterdam now known as New York and thus began Anglo settlement in Nth America,

The old volcano on Banda Api is still smoking a bit. Last eruption in the 1980s. From Wikipedia

Banda Api erupted on May 10, 1988, from a N-SSW-trending fissure that cut across the island, with both explosive activity and lava effusion occurring. The height of the eruption pillar was estimated at 3 to 5 kilometers on May 9; satellite measurements indicate an altitude of over 16 kilometers. To the south, north, and northwest of the summit, three craters formed, from which lava flows emerged that all reached the sea. The 1,800 islanders as well as 5,000 of the then 6,000 or so residents of the island of Banda Neira were evacuated to Ambon, some 200 kilometers away. Three people died as a result of the volcanic eruptions and most of the inhabitants chose to relocate to Banda Neira.






The 1988 eruption lava flow

 

[tgh]

We snorkled just near the lave flow, fantastic new growth, arguably the best I have ssen

 

[RooFlyer]

We crept into the harbour - small ship cruising









to be met by some Kora Kora was canoes. These guys went flat out for at least 15 minutes, probably 25, chanting the whole time. Magnificent.

This was when they stopped for a bit.



The kids at least were having fun







There was a third unit, and when we zodiaced into the wharf, they gave us a run for our money.

 

[RooFlyer]

As we landed, another welcome and the Kora Kora zooming past. The Ponant photographer, as usual being a pest and getting in the way.

The town of Banda Neira is the administrative capital, and has an airstrip. A sad history, worth a read:

Banda Neira - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The town is a mix of grottiness and some moderately well kept buildings, mainly down the main street





The house of Capt Christopher Cole, who captured the island in 1810.









A photo of the church taken during the 1988 eruption (source here)

 

[RooFlyer]

The church originated in the 1600s but has been destroyed several times; this version from the mid 1800s. The floor is lined with tombs of VOC and some English notables including several Governors




Dutch VOC on the threshold

 

[RooFlyer]

Views around the town with a bias towards the rustic