Pasarwajo, Buton Island
Casamara
John & Susan Simpson
Fri 23 Aug 2024 07:21
A long day sail took us from Wakatobi to Pasarwajo on Buton Island, South East Sulawesi. Our first impressions of Pasarwajo weren’t great. The only area in the bay that was shallow enough for us to anchor was also full of moorings for the local fishing platforms and it was difficult to find a space between them. The wind was also blowing into the bay so Casamara rolled side to side in the swell as a sea of plastic waste was blown into the bay around her. We almost made plans to leave the next day but when we went ashore were greeted by a horde of young people who were so excited to welcome us it seemed a shame to disappoint them. The Pasarwajo Bay Festival was about to begin and they were expecting the rally yachts to take part in the festivities they had arranged. Their enthusiasm was infectious and we ended up staying 8 days!  Our welcoming committee Buton island’s claim to fame is that it has large reserves of natural asphalt. Unlike the man-made version refined from petroleum, natural asphalt can be used in its raw form so it is a valuable natural resource. That said, we didn’t come across much mining or industrial activity. We did tours by car and by motor scooter to see places of interest such as a traditional market, a fishing village built on stilts over a reef, and two forts (a 13th century one near Pasarwajo and the 16th century Buton Palace fort which claims to be the largest fort in the world). At the Takimpo fort near Pasarwajo we visited a rock that folklore says is a dragon turned to stone to stop it scaring the people living in the fort. We came across lots of people preparing for Indonesian Independence Day celebrations, including marching groups of ladies all identically dressed We were also taken to an area which is home to some ancient fish. We asked what was special about the ancient fish but all we learned was that people aren’t allowed to catch them, except on one day a year when it’s a free for all. On the day we visited the ancient fish it was very low tide so there wasn’t much water about, but we did manage to catch a glimpse of one - quite an unassuming looking fish, despite its protected status.  John bought a rucksack in the traditional market  Bajo village, built on stilts so the fisherman can come straight to their houses with their catch  Inside the Dragon’s mouth at Takimpo fort, Pasarwajo  Marching ladies in Pasarwajo  An ‘ancient fish’ Indonesian Independence Day is on 17th August and marks the day in 1945 when diplomatic and armed resistance against Dutch colonial rule began, independence being granted in 1949. We were all invited to the flag-raising ceremony at the Government offices, a celebration full of pomp and ceremony with the Indonesian flag being escorted to the flag pole by a smartly dressed marching troupe. The participants of the rally were placed on the main stage between a children’s choir and a brass band. We were asked to wave our own country flags as songs were sung and played to celebrate Indonesia’s freedom. Meanwhile, seated opposite were dignitaries from far and wide, all beautifully dressed in military uniform for men and Islamic dress for women in bright red and white (the colours of the Indonesian flag) trimmed with sparkling jewels and glittering braid. I wonder what they thought of the view of the rag tag group of sailors sandwiched in pride of place between their beautifully turned out youngsters. Judging by the number of photos requested with us afterwards, we were a source of great interest! We have never before been photographed with as many random strangers as we have been in Indonesia. On one occasion, as we walked by the side of the road in Pasarwajo, a car stopped and the driver jumped out gesturing to us that he wanted a photo with his family. His daughters duly got out of the car and we all had the customary photos, one with us smiling and the other with us grinning and making thumbs up or other hand gestures. They all jumped back in the car and started to drive off but stopped again. The driver came running back for more photos as he’d realised he hadn’t got one of himself with us!  Indonesian Independence Day flag bearers  Local dignitaries  The brass band - the lady in the black, silver and feathered outfit is the conductor!  Sailors centre stage on Independence Day John managed to get some wing foiling in whilst we there, and also on the e-foil board as there wasn’t much wind. We had a great afternoon with some of the young people from the welcome committee. We offered those who could swim the opportunity to try e-foiling and, with the help of a second support dinghy from MV Sand Pebble, spent a couple of hours teaching a group of eight how to do it. Or rather, once the first couple had had a go they all became experts and were yelling instructions to their friends as we hared after them around the bay. ‘Kiri, kiri, kiri (left, left, left)’, ‘Lebih cepat (faster)’, ‘Berat depan (weight forward)’. It was great to experience it with them and they became very fond of Meesterr John after that, greeting him with beaming smiles and whoops of joy whenever he went ashore.  John e-foiling amongst the anchored fishing boats The Pasarwajo Bay Festival opened and closed with evening ceremonies for which staging had been erected and a tables and seating set up for the audience. As we’ve seen before, local dignitaries take the front row and sit at tables suitably decorated to indicate that these are honourable guests. Typically the seats will be occupied by the head of local government, the government secretary, the chief of police, the port captain or other notable ranks. A band had been booked to play at the beginning of these events and John was delighted to play a few numbers with them. It seems to be perfectly acceptable, indeed expected, for people who can play or sing to join in. Even the Chief of Police stood up and sang a couple of songs at the opening ceremony - not ceremonial songs or national anthem, more like karaoke with a live band. It was all very jolly.  Meesterr John and the Teluk Pasarwajo Band In the end, our time in Pasarwajo exceeded our expectations and we were sad to wave goodbye to the lovely friends we made there. They asked us what would be the one thing they could do to improve for next year and all the yachties were unanimous in saying that they must try to do something about plastic waste. There did seem to be recognition of this and we were pleased to take part in the final event of the festival week, which was a seminar on plastic waste management. John and I, along with some of the other sailors, attended to talk about our experiences and give thoughts on what could be done. Video clips will be used to create a longer piece which will be used to give the message to local government, community leaders and schools. We sincerely hope that the young people who took part in the seminar and those who see the video will take note and start to make a difference for the longer term. |