Banda islands: Holding down the forts in remote Indonesia<\/p>\n
Christopher Dickson, Contributor, Banda Islands, Maluku<\/p>\n
A letter sent from the Banda islands to any location, even in
\nIndonesia, is likely to take not days but weeks to arrive at its
\ndestination. This is a reflection of how remote this area is.<\/p>\n
If you look on a map, the isolation of this tiny archipelago
\nof 10 islands in the middle of the Banda Sea is immediately
\nobvious.<\/p>\n
In a country of unsurpassable beauty, the Bandas must surely
\nbe one of the \"Jewels in the Crown\". Rich in volcanic soil,
\ncoral reefs, a fascinating (but tragic) history and a unique
\nmicro-climate, the Bandas have much to offer the adventurous
\ntraveler, including snorkeling and diving in clear blue waters.<\/p>\n
There are also heritage sites, particularly the forts dotting
\nthe islands.<\/p>\n
To reach the Bandas is a mission in itself. Presently, air
\nservices to the small airport on Banda Neira are not in
\noperation, and the Pelni boat service is dependent on the
\nseaworthiness of the vessels. Recently, the ferry Sugintang was
\nin dry dock due to a little \"fracas\" with a reef.<\/p>\n
Added to this is the security situation in Maluku province,
\nwhich has led most foreign embassies to recommend against
\ntraveling through the provincial capital of Ambon (although the
\nlocal people of Banda will quickly tell you, \"Oh, but that is
\nAmbon ... Banda is different.\").<\/p>\n
However, the Pelni ferry Rinjani sails from Surabaya, briefly
\nberthing at Makassar, Bau Bau, Ambon, and finally reaching the
\nbeautiful harbor of Banda Neira island. The boat trip is a
\nwonderful experience, something akin to being part of a floating
\ncity. There are corridors and stairwells filled with passengers
\ngrabbing that vital shut-eye, the periodic call to prayer echoing
\nthrough the vessel, a little market in the economy section and,
\nduring a rather stormy 18-hour open-sea leg from Bau Bau to
\nAmbon, the inevitable seasickness that afflicts numerous poor
\nsouls.<\/p>\n
By boat, the first indications that one is approaching Banda
\nNeira is a blinking red light of the navigational tower at the
\nentrance to Banda Neira Harbor (the Rinjani arrives at 7 p.m. on
\nTuesday evenings). Then, as the eye adjusts in the darkness, a
\nhuge cone-like shadow can be discerned.<\/p>\n
This, the dominant geographical feature of the Bandas, is
\nGunung Api (literally \"fire mountain\"), a volcanic island that
\nrises some 600 meters out of the sea. The volcano, still active,
\nlast erupted on a major scale in 1988, destroying one of the two
\nvillages on the island.<\/p>\n
The ferry berths right next to the Hotel Maulana, one of three
\nhotels on the island, and a welcome coffee at the hotel itself is
\nhad with the lights of the ferry so close that one feels that the
\nhotel is an extension of the boat.<\/p>\n
But it is the early morning light which truly displays Gunung
\nApi and the harbor at their very best. The harbor is half a
\nkilometer wide, with the volcano on the other side affording a
\nsafe anchorage from the powerful currents of the Banda Sea. The
\nsounds of small fishing boats venturing out for their day's catch
\nperiodically can be heard.<\/p>\n
And the call to prayer from Hatta-Sjahrir Mosque echoes
\nagainst the volcano, creating a truly romantic atmosphere. This
\nis a scene that would have inspired Joseph Conrad.<\/p>\n
But the Bandas are not simply renowned for having a beautiful
\nharbor and an awe-inspiring volcano. Some three to four hundred
\nyears ago, this was the place, as various European powers sought
\nto find the source of the \"holy trinity\" of spices -- cloves,
\nnutmeg and mace. First, the Portuguese then in turn the Spanish,
\nEnglish, Dutch and French dispatched expeditions out to the other
\nside of the world, all in the hope of securing a foothold in the
\nextremely lucrative spice trade.<\/p>\n
And, most significantly, the Bandas were virtually the only
\nregion where both nutmeg and mace grew.<\/p>\n
To a certain extent, it could be argued that the quest for the
\nsource of the hallowed spices fueled the achievements of the Age
\nof Exploration. The need to avoid the \"middlemen\" (Arab and
\nChinese traders) of the spice trade drove explorers such as Vasco
\nda Gama to (eventually) round the southward cape of Africa, sail
\non to India, to the trading port of Malacca (on the west coast of
\npresent day Malaysia) and finally to reach Banda itself.<\/p>\n
One of the major aims of the expedition of Christopher
\nColumbus in 1492 was to reach the Indies, \"for God and Spices\".
\nAnd we all know where he ended up, don't we.<\/p>\n
The rivalry for control and dominance of the spice trade in
\nthe Bandas became rather \"testy\" (to say the least) in the early
\n17th century, and there were numerous armed confrontations, and
\nmassacres, involving European crews and the resistant locals. The
\nfirst ever British colony was established on the islands of Ai
\nand Run, but after a Dutch invasion (of Ai, in 1616), and a
\nprolonged siege (of Run) for the next four years, the Dutch East
\nIndies Company (VOC), perhaps the world's first multinational,
\ngained control and a virtual monopoly of the nutmeg trade.<\/p>\n
The VOC became renowned for its ruthless, cruel and systematic
\nmethods of forcing the local people to comply with company needs.
\nAnd the most tragic episode in the history of the Bandas occurred
\nin 1621, when VOC forces massacred and enslaved thousands of
\nBandanese people.<\/p>\n
Today, there are only a few vestiges of this (often tragic)
\npast. The town of Banda Neira boasts of having a number of old
\nDutch mansions, churches and forts, many in a state of disrepair,
\nbut still a reminder of all that was before. Local efforts to
\nrestore many of these buildings have been stymied by the current
\neconomic and security situation. But the large fortification
\nBenteng Belgica (Fort Belgica) has been restored and dominates
\nthe town.<\/p>\n
Most islands of the Banda group have at least one Dutch or
\nEnglish fort, and are the site of an old Dutch nutmeg plantation,
\nwith associated crumbling building. Some of the fort sites are
\nnow simply foundations in clearings (such as Fort Defense on
\nNailaka Island, or Fort Swan on Run), some are gradually being
\nreclaimed by the forest (Fort Hollandia on Gunung Api) and some
\nare serving as shelter for cassava plantations (Fort Revenge on
\nAi)!<\/p>\n
But one of the least visited is Fort Concordia, on the largest
\nisland, Banda Besar. A recommended means of reaching this
\nlocation is to walk from Kampong Salamon, over the island (a good
\ntwo hours through nutmeg plantations and forest) to the fort
\nitself, which is in Kampong Waer, on Banda Besar's south coast.<\/p>\n
The view across to the ubiquitous Gung Api from the Mesjid
\nJami in Salamon is worth the trip in itself, and, along the way,
\none also finds two other tiny forts (Salamon and Kota), very much
\novergrown and largely hidden in the trees.<\/p>\n
Fort Concordia stands on a low cliff, overlooking the sea,
\nand, standing on it's thick walls, one needs little imagination
\nto see a Dutch Carrack or a Javanese Prahu approaching.<\/p>\n
For those with a historic bent, the Bandas are a worthwhile
\ndestination, despite the current headaches in getting there. The
\nlatest word is that the security situation in Maluku may be
\neasing, and that air services to Banda may resume in the next few
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
This is a part of the world that deserves to be visited, not
\nonly for its forts, but its snorkeling, diving, wildlife, culture
\nand generally relaxed way of life.<\/p>",
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