Central Indonesia
Rally destination #5 was the old trading port of Makassar in southern Sulawesi (formerly the Celebes) 290nm north of Riung. We island hoped there over five days, making landfall at Tana Beru, centre of the largest wooden shipbuilding community in eastern Indonesia, where we saw more than 20 boats from 8 to 40 metres being made right on the sandy beach, supported by flimsy bamboo scaffolding.
Makassar’s a large city of 2 million, and the venue for the annual Sandeq Race Rally of large outrigger sailing canoes, which come from all over Sulawesi, and which coincided with our rally itinerary. The city also has a history dating back over 600 years to when it was the hub of the far eastern Spice Trade, and one of the most important trading ports of the world in those times. Substitute the word Spice for Oil in current times and you’ll get an understanding of its then trade value and importance, and why the Portuguese, Dutch and English fought bitterly over the centuries for its control.
The Indonesian Navy invited rally boats to berth at their Makassar Naval Base and, for a small daily fee, we had access to electricity and water, plus the privacy and security offered within the compound. When doing routine maintenance on the anchor winch here I discovered some nylon bushes were broken. Getting them sent from Oz would be time consuming and costly, so I took the broken pieces to the naval workshop and had new replacements that afternoon for less cost than Oz postage. The Navy also provided several free courtesy cars with drivers and guides every day to take us shopping, sightseeing, etc anywhere around the city for our week there. Absolutely great!
Following a chance meeting in a supermarket, Noel, an ex-pat Victorian businessman married to a local lady, invited 20 of us Aussies to his home for Sunday cocktails round the pool. What an eye opener! The recently built place more resembled a palace with its marble construction and grand sweeping staircase, exquisite floors and luxury appointments. It all went so well that cocktails progressed to a BBQ that evening, followed by return visits by Noel to our yachts during the week.
Dating from 1545, Fort Rotterdam is a well preserved, harbour-side historical site of numerous buildings within its high stone walls, providing fortification for Makassa during the spice trade skirmishes through the centuries. We sailors attended a Seafood Festival there, as guests of the Mayor, culminating in a feast of magnificent lobster, fish, prawns, shellfish etc; what a treat!
On the outskirts of the city is a failed tourist attraction known as ‘Old Makassar’. Built about 15 years ago but now closed, the complex comprises a variety of architecturally old, traditionally styled and built houses, a few of which are privately occupied with the remainder lying idle. A German expat associated with ‘Sail Indonesia’ and the Sandec Race, Horst Liebner, rents the large “King’s House”, and he gave a few of us a private tour through his house and the complex, including its old clothing and artefacts museum. So many superb buildings sadly going to waste.
It was now time to start off towards the next rally destination at Bali so in the company of two other yachts we headed south westerly for Lombok, day hopping 312 nm in the Flores Sea between tiny islands that are too small to be shown on most charts, anchoring nightly behind a pinprick island, a coral reef, a sand cay and in a lagoon before reaching the comfort of Gili Aer Island, one of three satellite islands just off the NW coast of Lombok.
Everyone loves Gili Air (as it’s commonly spelt). This tiny island with its scenic waters and white sand beaches is only about 2km around, and totally tourist oriented with inexpensive cabin accommodation and restaurants, pretty much aimed at the backpacker market, all very low key. There are no motor vehicles, only ‘Tuk-tuk’ pony carts for transportation. Like all of Indonesia, Gili Air people are very friendly, but severely feeling the effects of low tourist numbers. The so called restaurants are a collection of beachfront shaded platforms with bamboo slatted floors covered in cushions, where one can relax and enjoy the sea breeze and view over a meal and cool drink, and view the wares of the numerous hawkers selling jewellery and clothing.
We spent seven lovely restful days at Gili Air before sailing down to Bali’s Serangan Island anchorage, doing the 56nm in record time with assistance from the strong current that runs down Lombok Strait.
Bali is a totally different cultural experience. It’s quite ‘westernised’, wealthy and modern by comparison to the rest of Indonesia that we’ve visited, and being predominantly Hindu as opposed to the sombre Moslem majority elsewhere, has a totally different architectural style and holiday atmosphere. Tourism ranks a close second after agriculture in the local economy but it has suffered significantly since the bombings. In addition to it being the next Rally destination, we needed to extend our Tourist Visas for a further 30 days, and Bali is the place to do that.
So here we are in Bali where Bruce revisited Kuta Beach again after a 33 year interval, and didn’t recognize any of it. Even the long sweeping surf beach seemed different, and most of the buildings new since then. By comparison with other places Kuta Beach seemed full of tourists, but aggressively competitive deals in accommodation, souvenirs, clothing etc were everywhere to be had. The locals tell us that tourist numbers are again on the upturn.
We hired a 4 door Toyota Kijang (small Landcruiser) very cheaply at A$15 p/day and shared a 3 day trip with another sailing couple up through central Bali seeing silver jewellery being made, wood carving, weaving, art galleries, and more, in Celuk, Gianyar, Mas, Ubud and the wonderful lake and mountain scenery around Kintamani and Bangli in the North.
We decided to take advantage of the heavily discounted accommodation market and treat ourselves to some unusual luxury (for us) for a change, so stayed the first night at Ubud’s upmarket Sahadewa Hotel with its grand appointments and four poster beds at only US$50 per room. The following night we moved up into the foothills to the even more exclusive La Subak Villa Resort where the 4 of us took an enclosed twin villa with own pool etc for US$145 p/day, reduced from US$400! Simply grand, as was the one hour guided exercise trek around the surrounding picturesque rice paddies before breakfast the next morning.
During the last seven days we’ve seen a lot of this island, but you could spend months here seeing something new every day. Last night we went to Jimbaren Beach just south of Kuta to eat Bar-b-que seafood at one of the several open air, candle lit restaurants that spread for a km along the sandy beach. Superb fish, prawns, etc for A$12 each.
Today we return the hire car, then go on the last free Rally sightseeing trip culminating with its farewell dinner tonight, before departing tomorrow (Tuesday) morning for the 5 day Java Sea passage North again to Kalimantan (Borneo) to see Orang-utans in the wild up the Kumai River. We’ll keep you posted. Until ‘H-7’ ex Singapore.
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