Kaimana
Blue Hound
Phil Marks & Rosy Jensen
Thu 1 Dec 2022 03:38
Kaimana is a small port town in Triton Bay, with plenty of space for anchoring away from the commercial vessels and FADs. Two hours after we had dropped the hook a RIB with military personnel asked us to move & anchor opposite the mosque. The next morning the rib was back, the military personnel boarded and asked for coffee. We didn't know what this was about and waited for paper inspection, request for back handers etc. After an hour chatting with Phil (with google help) about the world cup etc. they left, they were just on a coffee break.
At last we could jump in the dinghy (it was after all Phil's birthday) & go ashore. The town was swarming with police and the military, all with guns, roads were blocked off & the streets were quiet. Eventually we met a young man who worked on a cruise ship. In excellent English he advised us that the Vice President of Indonesia was visiting. No sooner had the Vice President cavalcade gone & there was a big funeral procession.
This area has a history of insurrection with a secessionist rising being put down in 1963.
We stayed for a few days, enjoying the markets and the people, although the rubbish thrown on the beach & directly from the boats was sad to witness. The children liked to help with the dinghy, and I played football with one little girl while Phil disappeared for ages arranging 100 litres of fuel. The fuel was kept in a shed amidst the homes, and was ladled out by a Muslim lady 5 litres at a time from open drums! Yes, both petrol and diesel. They have a different attitude to risk here...
Phil had to flex his muscles and carry it all across the beach. There is no simple solution here for re-fueling and lack of wind hasn't helped!
Nevertheless, there was a good internet connection as is surprisingly the case in many of the remote Indonesian islands. That has helped to keep us sane.
Photos:
1. Birthday boy & coffee visitors
2. Rosy & military
3. Phil talking football again
4. Funeral procession
5. Monument 1963 official transfer from Holland to Indonesia
6. Mosque
7. Rosy & football friend
8. Local taxi
9. Children seeing us off
10. The beach
