Banda Neira
Monday, December 5, 2022
Banda Neira
We are truly remote, now, in the northern portion of the Banda Sea, at Banda Neira, part of the Banda Archipelago, probably better known as the fabled Spice Islands. Nutmeg and mace were once found exclusively on the Banda Islands, leading to the immense spice trade and the brutal colonization of these parts.
Few tourists visit here, and it’s a big deal when an expedition ship arrives. We were met by a long boat:
Multiple boats joined in the welcome parade:
We docked at the waterfront:
The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity 100%. We broke into small groups, each with a local guide, for a two-hour walk through the town and surrounding area. Our group’s first stop was at the local museum, located in an old residence:
The most dramatic thing there was a painting depicting a
massacre of 44 chiefs of Banda on May 8, 1621 by Japanese mercenaries hired by
the Dutch Governor General, Jan Pieterszoon Coen (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_conquest_of_the_Banda_Islands
)
This was all about nutmeg and mace. Here’s nutmeg:
We walked through the town, past homes:
And then climbed and climbed up to the Fort Belgica on
top of a hill overlooking the bay:
Our water bottles were empty—we had used it all, but the
sweat was dripping off us and it clearly had not been enough. Some were not feeling well at this
point. We hiked down and went to a
public building back in town where they were waiting for us with this
reception:
And we had the opportunity to relieve our thirst:
We then had a cooking demonstration using local spices:
I tried the fish curry which was truly delicious! We then had another dance demonstration, with the dancers covered up in the brutal heat:
Our morning was done, and we went back to the boat for lunch and more liquid replenishment. The afternoon activity was snorkeling on a
local reef, Gunung Api. These are coral
gardens that have colonized a 1988 lava flow, where the lava had created an
entirely new offshore reef. It was truly
spectacular, with an enormous variety of very healthy corals and a magnificent
and huge selection of fish. An
astonishing hour in the water!
Back for a shower, dinner, and a well-deserved rest.
Thanks for all these amazing glimpses into a history I did not know and a culture that is quite unfamiliar to me! The dancers are all very graceful, and coordinate well, though their movements seem fairly basic. Whereas the child playing the bells has clearly mastered some tricky patterns that require intense concentration. Bravo, little one! It would take me a while to break down the musical phrases that he is creating--and the even, continuous pulse makes listening that much trickier--there are no long notes or pauses! I'm out of breath! (Speaking of which, glad y'all managed to get rehydrated after that hot climb....)
ReplyDeleteSpice islands! We've all heard of this but I've never seen or heard much about them, their history and culture. Very interesting.
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