Boys on Banda Neira
Chapter 4, Part 10
Blessed with fertile soils and pristine waters, which at one point in history turned out to be a curse, the Banda Islands today is a place where avid divers go for its world-class reefs (the islands lie at the heart of the Coral Triangle – the world’s most biodiverse marine area), as well as where aficionados of history retrace the vestiges of European colonialism in the world. But many overlook what makes this chain of islands in a remote corner of Indonesia an even more memorable place to visit: its people.
From the playful and inquisitive children on Banda Neira, to boatmen on Hatta, a homestay owner on Run, and local people on Banda Besar attending a wedding ceremony, all the Bandanese I met were more than willing to have their picture taken. Some gave their best smiles when I pointed my camera at them, but some turned to expressionless faces as I was trying to capture the laughter a moment earlier – a classic pose among some rural people in Indonesia.
The following are some of the Bandanese, and a few visitors to the islands, who I encountered during my two-week stay.
Friendly People We Met on Hatta
Boatmen and some locals on Hatta Island; they were all laughing and making jokes a moment before I took this photo. The man on the right told me that the best time to visit the Banda Islands is between October and December for a calmer sea and the absence of jellyfish in the water. They said they could still travel between the islands when the sea is rough and the waves are high because they know how to navigate them.
Bang Uci on Nailaka
Bang Uci (bang is a term used by people in some parts of Indonesia to address a man who is not too much older than you, or a polite way to call a man who is about your age and who you’re not familiar with), our trusted skipper from the village of Salamun on Banda Besar. When he was younger he had to paddle a small boat to Banda Neira to go to school. One day his boat flipped due to bad weather, and he learned more from his father and grandfather since then on how to deal with such situations.
Bu Rosani and One of Her Top-Notch Smoothies
Bu Rosani (bu or ibu is Indonesian for ma’am) runs a small restaurant called Nusantara. She served the best fruit smoothies on Banda Neira, as well as some of the best dishes on the island. Each meal usually took at least half an hour to prepare, but no one really was in a hurry. James and I were regular patrons, and by the end of our stay on the island she gave us complimentary slices of chocolate cake. From her I learned that the Bandanese way to say sorry is “please don’t be angry.”
Abba in front of Cilu Bintang Estate
Fried Eggplants Smothered in Rich Kenari (Wild Almond/Pili Nut) Sauce, Cilu Bintang Estate
Rizal Bahalwan, better known as Abba, is the owner of a guesthouse and a brand new hotel which started receiving guests six months prior to our visit. Taking the name Cilu Bintang, after a princess from local folklore, the estate was designed as a colonial house with a conspicuous emblem of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) embellishing its gate. Dila is Abba’s wife who co-manages the hotel and is also its head chef. Fried eggplants smothered in rich kenari (wild almond) sauce was just one of many delicious dishes she cooked during our stay.
Daily Commute between the Islands
Taking A Nap, Banda Style
Old Dutch Coins, Property of Maga Firaldi
We were joined by a local guide called Maga Firaldi the day we went to Banda Besar to see the island’s nutmeg plantations. However, the most interesting part of the tour was not the explanation he gave us, but rather his devotion to the environment in Banda Neira. Due to the lack of a waste processing facility on the island, in 2009 he began collecting used bottles, containers, and everything else made from plastic to be sold to a local Chinese businessman. The garbage was then compacted and sent to Surabaya in Java for further treatment. The machine suddenly broke one day. A replacement had been purchased and stored at a local government office, but some officials demanded profit-sharing as a prerequisite for Maga to be able to use the new machine. He never said yes.
The Groom’s Entourage
Colorful Dresses for the Wedding
On the island of Banda Besar, we saw an entourage that seemed to be heading for a wedding ceremony. The men were wearing Islamic-style garments with one in particular – I assume he was the groom – donning an thawb (white robe usually worn by some Arab men) and a keffiyeh (traditional Middle Eastern headdress). The women were far more colorful with matching hijab (head scarves), long dresses embellished with intricate embroidery, and jewelry.
A Boy Acting as A Pregnant Woman
The Dance Troupe
On the day when James and I had to say goodbye to Torben and Fiona as they only stayed on the island for one week, we passed Banda Neira’s main port and I spotted a medium-sized white cruise ship with a familiar logo emblazoned on it, right below the funnel. The unmistakable yellow frame logo of National Geographic was suggestive of a special guest aboard the ship as it is the norm for such expeditions to have at least one expert giving the passengers brief scientific explanations of the places they go. Near the former administrative seat of the VOC in the Banda Islands, dubbed the ‘mini palace’, a group of young women in colorful costumes were patiently waiting for the cruise ship passengers to arrive. Meanwhile a dance troupe appeared to be making a performance on the grounds of the mini palace, and suddenly I spotted that special guest, taking photos of the troupe from the veranda of the palace.
Dr. Birutė Galdikas is one of Leakey’s Angels – along with Jane Goodall who studied chimpanzees, and Dian Fossey who studied gorillas – and specializes in orangutans. Prior to her studies, little was known about the gentle ape native to the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra. She appeared on National Geographic’s cover in the October 1975 issue, and is still active in conservation efforts particularly in Borneo. When I saw her I finally understood why many people react the way they do upon seeing an A-list Hollywood celebrity or a famous K-pop star. Fortunately I could keep my composure when I was talking to her.
The Local Girls…
… and Boys
On the weekend or after school, local children played around and chased one another on the streets. Banda Neira’s remoteness, small size, as well as the low population meant that cars were a rarity on the island, making the streets a relatively safe place for the kids to play. Boys and girls were seen riding their bicycles, running around, and doing some silly games. Ah, the bliss of being young and innocent.
Scourge (right) and the Crew of Vega
What The Crew Read in the Boat
On our last day in the Banda Islands, just before dark, we went to a place where a special historic vessel was berthed. Vega is a 120-year-old Norwegian-built boat which sails across Indonesia to distribute food, books and medicines, among other things, to those in need who live in some of the most remote corners of the country. Shane Granger and his wife Maggi are the owners of the wooden beauty, and together with their cat, Scourge, they call the small and cozy boat home. Aboard Vega, the smell of stewed meat permeated from the cabin below, and we were welcomed by Shane himself and we thanked him and Maggi for their invitation.
As we were telling him about the spice route and our six-month journey across Southeast and South Asia to retrace parts of it, he was thrilled to tell us about another version of the story. He believed that world history had been told from a Eurocentric perspective. In an archaeological site on the Iraqi-Syrian border, a pot was found containing cloves dating back to 1,700 BC. He explained to us how the ancient Egyptians were able to sail across the oceans, and how early humans migrated from the Bandas to other parts of Asia. Definitely not a theory many would agree with, but it was fascinating and entertaining to hear nonetheless.
Click here for the full list of stories from the Spice Odyssey series.
What an Amazing World! 
Wow!! So fascinating!! Another place i definitely have to get to!! It had been on my list partly cos i had read that the marine environment was still intact. And i love terung 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can attest to the Bandas’ underwater beauty — you will be impressed! Near Ai, a small island to the west of Mount Api (see my previous post), at certain times you can see dozens of hammerhead sharks swimming in the depth. I didn’t see them, but someone I know did. Thanks for reading, Trees.
LikeLike
Another great post on Banda Islands with photos of mostly very happy faces. Well done, my friend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Peter, thank you for your kind words, as always. As you might have noticed, this post is quite different from my usual posts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kamu cepat akrab ya bam sama orang baru…., kelihatannya. Selama disana kamu tinggal di rumah warga setempat ya?
.
Melihat bang uci saya jadi senang, ternyata masih ada laki laki bernama uci selain saya di dunia ini hahaaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sebenernya gak juga sih. Kebetulan aja di Banda dua minggu, jadi punya banyak waktu buat mengakrabkan diri sama penduduk setempat. Saya tinggal di Cilu Bintang Estate itu. Karena dari awal memang diniatkan Banda jadi salah satu highlight dari perjalanan enam bulan saya, jadi di sana saya merelakan untuk merogoh kocek lebih dalam dari biasanya.
Saya rasa nama asli Bang Uci itu Fauzi juga sih. 🙂
LikeLike
I have just started following your blog.
One of the best I have seen, very interesting and well written.
Thumbs up ! I will certainly stay tuned 🙂
Keep rolling !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much for your encouraging words, Tomasz. I will publish a few more posts this month before Christmas holiday. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them as well! 🙂
LikeLike
No doubt I will !
Looking forward to it. I will have plenty of time during Christmas 😉
LikeLike
Wow – what an adventure… would love to have seen the wedding… and meet Jane Goodall… that’s so awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Adam. Thank you for reading! Seeing the wedding would have been interesting actually. But unfortunately we were on Banda Besar only for half a day. I’m not sure if Jane Goodall has been to the Banda Islands since she specializes on studies about chimpanzees, which are not native to Indonesia. I guess the excitement I felt upon seeing Dr. Galdikas was partly because her studies focused on orangutan, an ape species I’m more familiar with even though I have never seen one in the wild.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful Bama. You do make me want to go there. Why was the boy dressed up as a pregnant woman? You can’t just leave that hanging!
Alison
LikeLiked by 1 person
You would enjoy interacting with the locals there, Alison. As for that boy, I honestly have no idea why he dressed up like that. But cross-dressing is quite commonly used in comedy acts across Indonesia — many people find it amusing as well as entertaining. There’s even a traditional performance in East Java where all male performers always put make up to disguise them as women.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it’s common in many cultures – in Japan, and I’ve seen it in many of the indigenous dances in Mexico, and in Peru. It may date back to a time that women were simply not allowed to participate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahh that makes sense. It’s mind-boggling to think what women were not allowed to do: from taking part in the ancient Olympics, to participating in performing arts and voting in elections.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice one, very interesting indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Much appreciated, Daniel!
LikeLike
pretty place
LikeLiked by 1 person
Truly one of the prettiest and most fascinating places in Indonesia. Thanks for reading and reblogging!
LikeLike
your welcome
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on My Awesome Pics!!!! and commented:
Check out these photos so pretty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed this different focus today – on the people and little parts of life (books, naps, cats, bikes, coins!) of your travels in this area. There’s a simplicity there that is so appealing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you did, Lex. I believe we, urban dwellers, always find simplicity in such a remote place appealing. Walking around the small island of Banda Neira was so relaxing — allowing me to have ample time to interract with the locals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a combination of diversity in the faces of people, and in their culture. You must have had a fascinating time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Victoria, my two-week stay in the Bandas was indeed among the best experiences I had last year. The scenery, the underwater beauty, the people, the forts, the volcano hike, everything was so memorable. Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
Wow, really enjoyed reading this. Will follow you:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading and following my blog! Glad you enjoyed my writing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bama I enjoyed all the people in this post. Really gave me a feel of what life is like in Banda. Although I don’t scuba dive I assume some good snorkelling opportunities are available?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I had an underwater camera when I snorkelled there. By far the coral reefs around Banda are the best and most impressive I’ve ever seen. You should see them yourself to believe what I said. 🙂 Thanks for reading, Sue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photographs! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
LikeLike
What fabulous portraits of the Bandanese, Bama! You managed to capture some things that I did not, like the wedding procession on Banda Besar and the boy taking a nap on the boat’s plank! I also love your photo of Scourge. If only either of us had a blender in our possession, then we could try to replicate Bu Rosani’s smoothies!
LikeLike
Thanks again, James. As you know, I rarely take photos of people when I travel. But those two weeks in the Bandas allowed me to be more mindful of everything around me, including the people. If only I could capture the moment Bang Uci and those three people laugh! I was really impressed with the quality of those smoothies we had at Bu Rosani’s restaurant. Who would have guessed in such a remote corner of Indonesia we could find smoothies that good?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, the people of Indonesia. Those constant smiles and hellos never got old. I like Abba – that is a great shot and genuine smile.
I want to go to a wedding in the Banda Islands!
LikeLike
I realized how easy it is for Indonesians to smile only after I traveled abroad. However, if you noticed, we can smile and laugh at any situations, including when bad things happen to us.
I do wonder what they usually serve at weddings. Maybe everything would have nutmeg in it.
LikeLike
finally I find something good about Banda. Thanks for writing this Bama. This story figure out my mind, what land that I will visit in this end of month!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Much appreciated! I hope your trip to Banda will be an unforgettable one.
LikeLike