Adventures at sea in Sangir<\/p>\n
Text by Wahyuni Kamah Photos by Thomas Kiss<\/p>\n
MANADO, North Sulawesi (JP): Since Merpati Airlines has
\nsuspended its flights between Manado and Tahuna from July of this
\nyear, visiting Tahuna on Sangihe Island in North Sulawesi now
\nrequires a trip by sea. There are only two choices to visit this
\nisland of nutmeg and cloves: by ferry or by jet boat, both of
\nwhich serve the Manado-Tahuna route three times a week.<\/p>\n
I was eager to visit this most northern archipelago of
\nIndonesia and see its landscape and meet the locals. I thought it
\nwould be exciting. Sangihe is one of three main islands in the
\nSangihe-Talaud archipelago, the other two being Karakelang, the
\nbiggest, and Siau. There are 77 neighboring islands but only 47
\nof them are inhabited.<\/p>\n
On the day we wanted to travel there was no jet boat leaving
\nfrom Manado. We decided to take the ferry which, unfortunately
\nfor us, ran out of business class tickets and had only deck seats
\nleft.<\/p>\n
The name of the ferry that we were going to take to Tahuna
\nreminded me of Columbus' ship the Santa Maria. I didn't think it
\nwould be a nightmare to travel on this ferry. However, the
\nnightmare began as soon as I boarded in Manado Harbor.<\/p>\n
Manado Harbor was busy in the afternoon. There were a lot of
\npeople. All passengers of the Santa Maria had to cross the
\ncrowded one meter-wide wooden platform to reach the ship. This
\nplatform was filled with vendors, young and old passengers and
\nporters carrying large heavy sacks on their shoulders. I had to
\nsimultaneously watch my step so as to not fall into the sea while
\nkeeping an eye on the porter who carried our bags. It was truly
\nchaotic. I was shocked when I first boarded this small ship. As
\nvendors noisily hawked their goods, some passengers rolled out
\ntheir mattresses for a rest.<\/p>\n
For Rp 23,000, the price of a one-way economy ticket serving
\nManado-Tahuna, each passenger receives a bed with a hard mattress
\nand nasi bungkus (take-away rice). The bunk beds were all
\noccupied by passengers -- women, men, babies and children mixed
\ntogether.<\/p>\n
There were no spaces at all on the deck because there were
\nmany boxes and big sacks scattered around. My friend compared the
\ndeck on this ship to a slave ship -- an apt description
\nconsidering the number of people on board.<\/p>\n
On deck, the situation was much like that of the traditional
\nmarket until the ferry left for Tahuna and the vendors left the
\nship. \"Beep, beep ... ,\" the signals sounded at 6 p.m. as the
\nferry left Manado Harbor. In the basement, the odor of people's
\nperspiration mixed with the aroma of ripe durians. The smell from
\nthe toilet added to the sickening odor.<\/p>\n
The ferry is the only available transportation for people who
\nregularly commute between Manado and Tahuna. Most passengers are
\nused to this mode of transportation. All the passengers were from
\nSangihe, or Sangir, and most were vendors. Their merchandise,
\nsuch as different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and snacks, were
\nstrewn about the basement. Those passengers who did not get beds
\nslept outside the room together with their belongings and
\nmerchandise. They did not seem to mind.<\/p>\n
People stared curiously at us. Their first question was \"What
\nare you going to do in Tahuna?\" because they thought there was
\nnothing special there compared to the Bunaken Sea Garden in
\nManado.<\/p>\n
It is recommended that anyone who suffers from seasickness
\ntake antinausea tablets before boarding this ferry. Six hours
\nafter leaving Manado, the sea was rough and it easily stirred up
\nthe contents of your stomach or made you quite dizzy. The waves
\nshook the ferry for three hours and for newcomers like me it was
\nreally a nightmare. Thanks to the antinausea tablets, I was
\nsleeping as the rough waves shook the ferry.<\/p>\n
At about six in the morning, the Santa Maria finally arrived
\nin Tahuna. The nightmare was abruptly over when I stood in Tahuna
\nHarbor. The mix of the fresh morning sea air cooled our nerves
\nafter 12 hours of sitting, standing and sleeping on the ferry.
\nThe harbor was small. There were three other ferries which were
\ndocked as we arrived. The landscape of Tahuna by the harbor was
\nstunning. The hill bordering the harbor was adorned with compact
\nrows of coconut trees.<\/p>\n
Everyone seems to know each other in this small town of
\n24,000. Thus, it is obvious if you have newly arrived. As a
\nnewcomer, unfortunately, you will be given different prices,
\nespecially if you are a tourist.<\/p>\n
People in Tahuna call the minibus a taxi. The taxi driver took
\nus to the hotel which we found in the tourist guidebook. At six
\nin the morning, life had not begun yet in this small clean town.
\nThe road to the connecting town in the capital of Sangihe-Talaud
\nIslands is good and the landscape of Tahuna is unique. Half of
\nthe town is surrounded by rocky, planted hills. Coconut trees and
\ncloves are the main trees along the road in Tahuna. Most zinc-
\nroofed houses that we passed by are decent but all look neat.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this town is not prepared to accommodate either
\nlocal or foreign tourists. Hotel Nasional for example, does not
\nserve their guests well despite its rating in the guidebook as
\nthe best hotel in town. The hotel attendants do not dress
\nproperly to welcome guests. They responded to guests' requests
\nvery slowly and served guests with strange faces. There are a few
\nrestaurants where you can enjoy good food after a long trip from
\nManado.<\/p>\n
The facilities on this island are basic. However, the view of
\nthe sea, its unique landscape and the typical hot seashore
\nclimate are impressive. The heat in the afternoon is intense on
\nthis island where people speak in the Sangir dialect. You can
\nreally enjoy the sea, the heat and the landscape. It is a
\nfascinating place.<\/p>\n
There is nothing special in this very slow-moving town. People
\ndry their nutmegs and cloves on the side of the road. There are
\nonly a few shops in town. They are like shops in old Jakarta --
\nkiosks made of wood. However, the town is surrounded by a hill
\nplanted with coconut trees and it has an attractive and unique
\nappearance. If you want to visit white sandy beaches, you can go
\nto Pantai Pasir Putih in Pananuareng. No public cars are
\navailable so you have to rent a car. It is best to negotiate the
\nprice, which includes a charge for waiting. This beach is located
\nbehind the hill that surrounds Tahuna, so to save time you can
\nalso rent a boat in the harbor to reach the best beaches.<\/p>\n
Most people in Tahuna are devout Christians. However, there
\nare also some Muslims that live in Kampong Islam Tidore. Besides
\ncivil servants, most of the population are farmers of nutmeg,
\ncoconut and cloves. Sangihe is also popular for its almonds. The
\nnative Sangir people are fishermen and they usually raise pigs in
\ntheir yards.<\/p>\n
After knowing the nightmare of taking the ferry, we preferred
\nto take a jet boat back to Manado, which only serves the Manado-
\nTahuna route. It took us seven hours to get there and the ticket
\nwas Rp 170,000. The 100-seat boat is air-conditioned and
\ncomfortable. However, as it is smaller than the ferry, passengers
\ncan feel the rough sea strongly. Therefore, it is also
\nrecommended to take antinausea tablets before traveling.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/adventures-at-sea-in-sangir-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}