Yamdina 2

www.kanaloa55.com
David & Valerie Dobson
Tue 31 Aug 2010 00:09

7

 

 

 

7:49.95s 131:16.96e

Tuesday 31st August 2010

 

PICT0277 Mini bus in coconut grove.jpg

Next day, Higi organises this minibus and driver to take us on a cultural tour of the island.

DSC02502 driver's windscreen.jpg

How he managed to see out of his windscreen is a mystery, like peering through a cave hole!

DSC02390 Mini bus front window.jpg

So many decorations and good luck charms,  I think the driver likes to reflect upon himself!

 

DSC02396 Ollie with 6th formers.jpg

Second stop after dropping of some laundry at Higi’s relative’s house,  was to one of the High Schools to try and use their internet facility.  Whilst waiting for our turn in the computer room, we took this picture of Ollie with the 6th form boys.

DSC02398 Ollie with the girls.jpg

And the girls who had come in from the Northern part of the island to use internet for their studies

We were unlucky however, and not able to get the internet connection to send off our blogs.  Luckily David did have the ‘Telstra roam’ internet connection for his i-phone, so a few text messages could be sent.

DSC02403 Gasoline station.jpg

Next stop was to fill up the jerry cans with diesel, which Higi had managed to borrow from another hotel for us.  This gasoline station had no name up on the canopy.

 

PICT0276 Fuel counter.jpg

And the fuel counter was manipulated manually!  At least we knew how much diesel we had delivered, and Higi soon realised that we had been overcharged by 95,000 Rupiahs, and ensured we got our change after being charge the wrong amount! (800,000 instead of 705,000 Rupiahs) – cost was 31 pence a litre, or 51 Australian cents a litre.

DSC02409 GovernmentHQ.jpg

The government in Jakarta has funded a huge building project for all Government employees in Saumlaki, this is one of the main ‘parliament’ building in the process of being completed

DSC02410 Government building.jpg

Government offices

DSC02411 Governor's House.jpg

Provincial Governor’s house and guest wings

DSC02413 Government Dept.jpg

One of the many departmental buildings

DSC02414 Saumlaki Library.jpg

Saumlaki’s new Library, not yet open, but should offer internet facilities eventually one hopes!

DSC02419 East Coast.jpg

Higi takes us to the East Cost, to visit the shrine made up to the first Dutch priest to arrive here

DSC02418 1st Dutch priest arrives 100 yrs ago.jpg

100 years ago, they will be celebrating the anniversary next year at this outdoor Church place

DSC02420 Home made speargun.jpg

Whilst there, a couple of fishermen arrive to go spear fishing with their home made spear guns, made out of pieces of rubber, metal and wood.  Even their goggles had been cut out of rubber and pieces of glass fitted to them.

DSC02425 Shrine of 1st arrival of Christians.jpg

Just inland of the coast was another shrine which will also be part of next year’s celebration.  It was built just 5 years ago, and is falling to pieces already!

This is on Higi’s family’s land.  The family were given money by the Church to build the shrine.

DSC02430 East Coast landscape.jpg

The view from the top is spectacular.  The trees in the middle ground are all teak, owned by various members of Higi’s family.

DSC02432 Weaving village house.jpg

This home belongs to a family of weavers, with the carpentry next to it.  It must have been used to make this lovely teak house too!

DSC02434 Weaving ladies.jpg

We are introduced to two ladies who are still weaving cloth for use in ceremonial occasions.

DSC02436 Old lady weaving.jpg

This old lady clearly still enjoying her work, but it must be hard on her back, despite having a back strap around her

DSC02439 Kapok died with Indigo.jpg

This cloth is made from Kapok grown on the island, and indigo made from tree sap and the red is made from another plant sap.

 

I think the old lady must have lost her teeth and gums from chewing too much betel nut, judging by the betel nut spit which was outside their house!

I did not buy any of the sarongs or headscarfs, as we had no cash left!  A visit to the ATM machine in town solved the problem, as it was finally working again

DSC02442 waiting for ATM machine.jpg

We had to wait our turn at the ATM however, but at least it dispensed cash with the MasterCard, although not Ollie’s Visa card!

DSC02443 well armed police officer.jpg

The police were in evidence, as they had just escorted a plane load of government officials up to the Governor’s house in a huge cavalcade of smart cars and armed escort each side!

We had lunch at the Hotel which had loaned us the jerry cans.  Fried fish fillets with rice and noodles and mixed vegetables, very acceptable, and costing only 15,000 Rupiah each (1GB pound).

 

DSC02446 basket weaving ladies.jpg

These basket weaving ladies were in another nearby village

DSC02447 V's head basket.jpg

They give me this small basket to try out, in exchange for the bottle of peanuts I gave them to share

DSC02463 girls collecting firewood.jpg

But this is where the head band comes in really handy, for carrying heavy loads of wood and copra

 

As we walk through the village, we notice newly concreted roads allowing a mini bus to offer local transport to the villagers.  These roads were only made 5 years ago, so not sure how long they will last the ravages of time!

DSC02473 Sopi Still.jpg

We are taken to this home made brew still, where they make ‘SOPI’ which is also known as RAKI elsewhere in Indonesia, made from the sap of the coconut flower

DSC02479 Coco palm flower.jpg

The flower seen here, dripping it’s sap into a clear plastic bottle

DSC02461 Village still.jpg

The sap is put into this huge drum and warmed up by the fire (doggy feels safe here too)!

DSC02467 Trying the Sopi.jpg

A few minutes later, the distilled coconut flower sap is poured into a glass for us to try – WOW, that’s very powerful stuff, about 95% proof!, but it tastes good, so we buy a bottle for 50,000 Rupiah (about 4 GPpounds, 7$ Australian).  They always give Sopi at weddings and funerals, and any other important event, so all the families must have some at home just in case!

DSC02474 Kids playing with moto tyres.jpg 

As we walk back, the kids follow guiding their wheels with sticks on the concrete path, so nice to see these old fashioned games still in use!

DSC02476 family lunch.jpg

I notice this family sitting on their bamboo platform enjoying their lunch in the traditional manner.

DSC02481 Wood Carvings.jpg

A bumpy road to the next village along the coast brings us to this wood carver’s home.  Here with a ‘sampan’

 

So many people arrived with carvings, figures and boats, many made from Black Ebony

DSC02487 Too many woodcarvings.jpg

It all became a bit too pressurised!  We bought a pair of carvings, and said goodbye

DSC02488 Lady weaving.jpg

A lady was weaving just outside the house too, a very beautiful sarong, pity it was not ready yet!

DSC02489 pig at home.jpg

The house opposite had a pig, which Higi told us is also a prerequisite for important occasions, like funerals and weddings, being given to the brides family by the grooms family

DSC02493 END OF THE ROAD.jpg

We get diverted off the main coast road to a back village road, due to a funeral.  Suddenly the road stopped!  Our minibus had to back up and go back down to the main road after the funeral procession had passed by

DSC02495 Higi and O waiting.jpg

Higi standing with our carving, chatting with Ollie whilst we wait for the road to clear

 

DSC02504 Carrying Diesel.jpg

David, Ollie and Higi carry a heavy can of diesel back to the jetty to load up into the dinghy

At the end of a very busy day!