Island-hopping on a Bugis schooner<\/p>\n
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
The morning light burst through as our anchored schooner bobbed
\namid a gleaming dark blue sea, filled with strange, arid islands.<\/p>\n
Not a single ship, even a catamaran, was in sight. It was so
\npeacefully quiet that, for a second, I thought I was in 1492:
\nConquest of Paradise. Obviously I wasn't, because there was no
\nGerard Depardieu on board!<\/p>\n
In reality, I was aboard the Katharina, along with a
\nmultinational group on a weeklong cruise of the Flores Sea,
\nsampling its enchanting natural and cultural beauty.<\/p>\n
The Katharina is no ordinary cruise ship, but a converted
\nBugis phinisi schooner.<\/p>\n
Made from ironwood, the phinisi make up the largest handmade
\nwooden fleet left in the world. These were the vessels that the
\nBuginese sea-goers of South Sulawesi used to control trade routes
\nin the eastern seas for centuries, challenging Western traders.<\/p>\n
Dick Bergsma, the director of the company that operates the
\nKatharina, Sea Trek, and the man who invited The Jakarta Post to
\nparticipate in the cruise, came up with the idea of using the
\nvessels to cruise the archipelago when he saw them at Sunda
\nKelapa Port in Jakarta in 1976.<\/p>\n
\"You have the largest archipelago in the world. The best way
\nto explore it is by the largest wooden fleet in the world, the
\nphinisi,\" Dick said.<\/p>\n
Built in 1998, the Katharina maintains the vessels' original
\ndesign: two masts with two top sails, two main sails and three
\nforesails. Manned by a crew of 12, it has the comfort of a modern
\ncruise ship, with eight air-conditioned rooms with private
\nshower, a salon, a fridge stocked with fresh beverages, a modern
\nkitchen and, most importantly, a spacious deck.<\/p>\n
It sails mostly to the eastern part of the country, but its
\nmany creature comforts always ensure a pleasant journey.<\/p>\n
Our trip started in Bima, a busy little port town in Sumbawa.
\nCatamarans, ferries and cruise ships jostled in Bima Port, which
\nserves as the hub for islands in its vicinity.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Putih beach, on the other side of Sumbawa island, was
\nour first stop. There is nothing spectacular about the stretch of
\nbeach except the fact that it has barely been touched by
\ndevelopment -- and that's what makes it beautiful.<\/p>\n
We sat anchored until dinner before sailing to Komodo National
\nPark.<\/p>\n
At dinner, our tour leader, Arifin, introduced us to the crew.
\nVery professional and friendly, they could do just about
\nanything, from sailing the ship to setting up a barbecue on
\nsecluded beaches. We quickly became friends.<\/p>\n
Dining on the Katharina was exceptional. Imagine having fresh
\nhot pancakes in the morning and mouthwatering fish steak and rose
\nwine for dinner, cooked up in the middle of nowhere.<\/p>\n
Arifin warned us it was the west monsoon season, when the sea
\nis supposed to show its full fury. But it was surprisingly calm
\nduring our trip.<\/p>\n
For the first two days, we island-hopped around the Komodo
\nNational Park, dropping in at the largest islands of Komodo,
\nRinca and Padar.<\/p>\n
Covering an area of 173,300 hectares, Komodo National Park was
\ndeclared a World Heritage Site in 1980 by the UN.<\/p>\n
Komodo and Rinca are home to some 3,000 prehistoric Komodo
\ndragons that have managed to survive into modernity on their
\nremote outpost.<\/p>\n
It's hard not to think of Jurassic Park when you see a wooden
\ngate at Loh Liang, Komodo island's main entrance (but,
\nthankfully, with no visitors covered in blood screaming and
\nrunning to the four corners of the island).<\/p>\n
In an attempt to get a glimpse of the real dragons, we trekked
\nsome two kilometers to a komodo observation spot, Banu Nggulung,
\nwith three rangers.<\/p>\n
The rangers carried Y-shaped sticks as protection against the
\ndragons, which are almost blind but have a highly developed sense
\nof smell.<\/p>\n
Surviving by devouring just about anything that walks, from
\nbirds to buffalo, the dragons can sense dinner with their forked
\ntongues at a distance of seven kilometers.<\/p>\n
Along the way, we spotted at least half a dozen komodos. They
\nlay under shady bushes or rocks, or simply ambled along.<\/p>\n
They totally ignored us.<\/p>\n
\"Komodos are only drawn to the smell of blood. If there is
\nnone, then there is nothing to worry about,\" Pak Abdul, one of
\nthe rangers, said, adding that women having their period are
\nadvised not to take part in the Komodo visit.<\/p>\n
Komodos are not the only inhabitants of the island. A
\ntraditional fishing village, the only human settlement on the
\nisland, is home to about 1,270 people.<\/p>\n
Rinca, however, has more diverse wildlife. Apart from komodos,
\nother animals include deer, buffaloes, horses, boars and megapod
\nbirds. The landscapes on Komodo and Rinca are similar, with vast
\nsavannas and arid hills covered in tall grass. The air is crisp
\nand dry.<\/p>\n
Padar, the third island we visited, was stunningly beautiful.
\nIt has distinctive red sand, courtesy of crushed red coral, and
\nclear turquoise water.<\/p>\n
The shore is lined with palm trees and ringed with jagged
\ncliffs, like picture-postcards brought to life.<\/p>\n
At night, we had a barbecue in Padar, another great highlight
\nof the trip.<\/p>\n
Every inch of the Komodo National Park is heaven for snorkling
\nand diving devotees because of the numerous islands with pristine
\nbeaches and reefs. Many of these places are so remote that the
\nonly way to reach them is by sea.<\/p>\n
After two days in Komodo National Park, we set sail again on
\nthe Flores Sea to Labuanbajo, a small fishing town in Flores, for
\na cultural trip.<\/p>\n
The scenery throughout the Flores Sea is eerily beautiful:
\narid islands covered in grass, craggy rocks protruding from the
\ndeep blue waters and crisp dry air dominate the senses.<\/p>\n
Just before entering Labuanbajo, we tasted what pure sailing
\nis all about: sails unfurled, the engines turned off, side
\nsteering down as we rode with the wind.<\/p>\n
You immediately feel the boat's grandeur, and it is easy to
\nconjure up images of Bugis pirates on their phinisi ruling the
\nsea.<\/p>\n
In Labuanbajo, we watched a caci, a war dance. To see this
\nperformance, we drove to Way Kesambi village, some five
\nkilometers from the port.<\/p>\n
Caci means one by one. Two to four dancers take turns as the
\nattacker and the defender. The attacker holds a whip and the
\ndefender has a rawhide shield. They were dressed in traditional
\ncolorful sarongs and wore horn-shaped protective headgear.<\/p>\n
The rhythm of the drums and gongs played by a group of elderly
\nwomen accompanied the duel. Symbolizing manhood, caci is
\nperformed during weddings and at harvest time. In the case of
\nreal battles, a caci can take up to three days.<\/p>\n
At the end of the performance, we danced with the local
\npeople. In the evening, we sailed back to Bima for another
\ncultural experience.<\/p>\n
In Bima, we went to Donggo village where the original Bimanese
\nlive. Today, they inhabit the highlands, forced out by
\ndevelopment and new migrants.<\/p>\n
We drove along a narrow winding road for about two hours,
\npassing lush green hills. Donggo is divided into Donggo Bawah and
\nDonggo Ele. Donggo Bawah is predominantly Catholic, while Ele is
\nMuslim.<\/p>\n
We went to Donggo Bawah, walking along narrow stone path with
\nwooden houses on stilts on either side.<\/p>\n
In the village, we saw a triangular rice barn on stilts called
\na lengge. It is said to be almost 200 years old. Its walls are
\nmade from grass.<\/p>\n
The lengge is more than just a rice barn. The elders use it to
\nsummon villagers to discuss village problems, including the
\ndivision of farming plots.<\/p>\n
After lunch in an old Dutch house overlooking Bima Bay, we set
\ncourse for Satonda Island.<\/p>\n
Arriving in Satonda the following morning, we were greeted by
\nprobably the oldest ranger in the country, 79-year-old Pak
\nPujadi.<\/p>\n
He led us to the holy crater-lake, Lake Satonda, or in the
\nlocal tongue Moti To'i, the Little Sea. It was given this name
\nbecause it holds two kinds of water. The first 40 m is salt water
\nand the rest fresh water. It is believed the lake has the power
\nto grant people's wishes if they hang pebbles on the branches of
\na mangrove tree.<\/p>\n
While Satonda is unknown to most Indonesians, it has long been
\nfamous among divers from throughout the world. The coral reefs in
\nSatonda's waters were the best we saw during our trip.<\/p>\n
We did not have to dive deep to see the underwater world.
\nSchools of colorful fish swam around us, while pristine reefs in
\nfantastic shapes and colors lay on the seabed. When the sun's
\nrays shot through the water, it was a breathtaking sight.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, we sailed to Moyo Island to sample the
\njungle waterfall. At night we sailed to our last stop, Gili
\nTrawangan, an island off Lombok.<\/p>\n
After spending days on sparsely populated, less developed
\nislands and sailing through vast, quiet waters, setting foot in
\ntouristy Gili Trawangan was a bit of a shock.<\/p>\n
Our trip ended as we sailed to Lembar, Lombok, to catch a
\nferry to Bali. It was an inspiring odyssey. In our seafaring
\nadventure, we made new friends and learned more about our land,
\nseas and people.<\/p>\n
For more information on Sea Trek: www.seatrekindonesia.com
\nwww.anasia-cruise.com<\/p>",
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