The Spice Islands

I was finally successful in making it to Ambon! After months of waiting in the States for my visa to work there, and months here in Indonesia trying to get a permit to visit, it turns out the only thing I needed to visit was my passport and visa! So the letter and dealing with the police wasn't necessary (see other blog entry). It makes for a good story though!

Ambon is a small island in the Maluku Islands, Eastern Indonesia and these islands are the original "spice islands." Before the 16th century, spices were used to preserve food and also for medical purposes. People from all over the world came here in search of cloves and nutmeg, since they couldn't be found anywhere else.

During my visit there I realized that these islands are little pieces of paradise. Because I was there for work, I was only able to site see around the island of Ambon, which has beautiful coral offshore, turquoise water, rivers and streams, and is a mostly undeveloped island. During 1999-2004 this area was involved in religious riots, and remnants of those riots can still be seen. There are still many burned shells of buildings, houses, mosques, and churches. But the people which I interacted with seem to be optimistic about the future and are moving forward.

My workshops went really well and the participants were so enthusiastic. Our RELO (director of our program here) also joined the workshops and we both commented that we have never seen and participated in so much singing and dancing at a workshop! In fact, after the closing ceremony of the workshops, we did the poco-poco (line dancing). Somehow, the lecturers in the English Dept. also got me to sing in front of the group! I won't even do karaoke, so this was big!

We had lots of rain while we were there since their rainy season is opposite the rest of Indonesia. But we were determined to do some snorkeling and went to the north of the island, where there were lots of fish and I spotted another turtle! The RELO and I also did some pearl shopping on the last day.......you can find them for such a great price here! I was browsing the internet and found that Mikimoto actually gets their pearls from Indonesia, among other areas!

So this trip was definitely one of my highlights in Indonesia and was a great way to finish my contract here. I'll be coming back to the States on July 7th.

Bali

I just had to go back to Bali one more time before leaving Indonesia! I spent a week there, first in Ubud where I did some shopping and went to 2 spas. The first spa was outside under a thatched roof, with the sound of the nearby river and views of the tropical foliage everywhere I looked. The second massage was at a different place and was a little painful. Unfortunately the girl didn't understand very much English, so I wasn't successful in asking her to be more gentle. The highlights of the trip were the times I went by motorbike through the countryside. The first time a guy from my guesthouse took me to Mt. Batur, which is an old volcano in central Bali. It was amazing passing the beautiful rice fields and Hindu temples along the way. Then I met a friend in Seminyak, south Bali and she and I took a motorbike ride to Uluwatu temple. We both agreed that it's one of the most beautiful spots in Bali and not over-touristy. The small temple sits on the edge of tall cliffs which drop off into the ocean. There is also a family of monkeys which lives there.

Jail Time & a Rp5,000,000 Fine?

I'm leaving for Ambon tomorrow to do 3 workshops for lecturers, and junior & senior high teachers. Because this area is considered "politically unstable" there were a few extra steps I needed to do before going. Not to worry though, it hasn't been living up to this label. So yesterday Pak Dwi from my uni said that I need to go to the police station before going to Ambon. I knew this probably wasn't going to be an easy process, so I was prepared for whatever was thrown at me......or at least I thought I was prepared! So we sat down at the desk of the official and he and Pak Dwi proceeded to talk in Bahasa Indonesia and I was pretty pleased with myself that I could understand a bit. Then the official, with his very serious face, pulled a dusty book from his desk and had Pak Dwi read "Article 61". Pak Dwi began to smile....a smile here is used to mean so many things like......."you've got to be joking", "this is impossible", "how much can I pay you so this doesn't happen", etc. These things were probably going through his head. So I asked if I could read "Article 61" since it was in English and it said that I would face up to 1 year jail time and a fine of Rp 5,000,000 ($500USD) since I didn't report to the police station within 30 days of getting my immigration card. I told him I just received the card but he didn't believe me. Then he said it was impossible to go to Ambon tomorrow since I didn't have the permanent immigration card. With a smile, I kindly told him I had my ticket and I was going. So after jumping through lots of hoops and smiling a lot, the official told me no jail time, no fine, and just smile and tell the Ambon police I didn't know I needed a permanent card. Pak Dwi slipped the guy Rp50,000 ($5) and we were on our way with the letter we needed.