Quite a few tourists try to time their visits for when local cultural events are taking place. Last month the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia held the Ambon Bay Festival, offering visitors a combination of stunning natural beauty and fascinating local arts and culture.
The Ambon Bay Festival – A Way to Revive Tourism Once upon a time in a small village there lived a poor family. To earn a living, they made their only daughter sell sago, the basic food in Maluku.
Every day, as the girl, Martha, sold her sago, she would pass by the Portuguese fortress. (The Portuguese were the first foreigners to colonize parts of Indonesia.) Martha's beauty won the heart of Alfonso, a Portuguese soldier. Every day, he bought up all Martha's sago, and paid her far above the market price. And so every day, Martha went happily home with an empty basket and a bundle of money.
This went on for some time; finally, Alfonso got up the courage to tell Martha he loved her and wanted to marry her. Martha's parents asked Alfonso to wait two years until Martha turned 17. While he was waiting, Alfonso received orders: he was to be transferred to Batavia (now Jakarta). Martha and Alfonso were quite flustered in the last few days before he was to leave.
When the ship came to take Alfonso away, Martha still could not accept the idea that she was to be separated from the man she wanted to marry. Unable to control her sorrow at seeing the ship passing into the distance, Martha threw herself into the sea. Seeing this, Alfonso also plunged in to rescue her, but they were both swept away by the tides.
This was the simple drama performed by students of a state primary school in Ambon at the opening ceremony of the Ambon Bay Festival (October-1 November 2007). The legend of Martha and Alfonso explains the origin of the name of Tanjung Marthafons (Marthafons Point) on Ambon Bay, where the art and culture festival was held.
On the second day of the Ambon Bay Festival, Tanjung Marthafons presented a pleasant panorama; glittering aquamarine seas under clear skies, coral rocks visible through the clear water.
Tanjung Marthafons is always enchanting, but even more so when the Ambon Bay Festival enlivens it with traditional Maluku sports and competitions, such as arombae manggurebe (a boat rowed by 10 to 30 persons), perahu semang (a smaller boat rowed by two or three persons), decorated boats, a 2000-meter swimming race, swimming relay races, and a coral reef cleanup.
Other events were held at various other nearby locations, such as Karang Panjang Cultural Park and Galala for the local foods competition, and, a favorite among the local people, music competitions: bamboo flute, Hawaiian music, and Islamic-inspired hadrat.
This regular event is a strategy by the local government to revive
tourism in Ambon by attracting more visitors, both foreign and domestic,
as well as to preserve local cultural traditions. Most importantly,
it aims to restore the image of Maluku, tarnished by the religious
and ethnic conflicts in 1999, 2002 and 2004. This cultural festival
also supports the two current programs of the Department of Culture
and Tourism:
"Know Your Country, Love Your Country" (aimed at promoting domestic
tourism) and "Visit Indonesia Year 2008".
Ambon's Enchanting Beaches
One good way to start sampling the beauty of Maluku, which consists
of 1,422 islands, is to explore the provincial capital, Ambon. The
local government assures visitors that it's safe for tourism, and this
promise was certainly kept when I and several other tourists visited
a number of destinations on this island, which is working rapidly to
repair damaged facilities and infrastructure.
This province has given birth to many talented people, in the realms entertainment, sports, and politics, not to mention national heroes. Patimura (born Thomas Matulessy) and Martha Christina Tiahahu are two names dear to the hearts of all Indonesians for their struggles against the colonialist oppressors. To commemorate their struggle, we started our tour with a visit to the monuments to these two heroes, quite near the city center.
A visit to Ambon also means enjoying its beautiful beaches; one that is a steady favorite with tourists is Natsepa, in Suli village, Salahutu district. At this clean, natural beach, you can also savor tasty local dishes served right by the water. And Natsepa is not alone; other well-known beaches include Hunimua on the Hitu peninsula; Namlatu, in Latulahat village in the southern part of Ambon, on the Banda Sea; and Lelisa, also in Latulahat village.
Another natural feature that is not to be missed is Pintu Kota, the "gate to the city," a cliff in the shape of a welcoming arch, facing the Banda Sea. But make sure you go when the tide is out, or else part of the gate will be covered up. Grassy fields with cattle grazing add to the venue's rustic charm.
Fortresses,
Houses of Worship, and … an Eel Pond?
Ambon is full of history – the silent witness of historic buildings.
Most tourists visit the Dutch fortress Benteng Amsterdam, on the north
coast near Hila and Kaitetu villages. This fortress was built by the
Portuguese in 1512, but later taken over by the Dutch in the 17th century.
The fortress, which now contains a small museum, has been thoroughly
renovated and is now one the best-kept fortresses in Maluku.
Not far from Benteng Amsterdam stands another historical relic – the Old Wapauwe Mosque in Kaitiu village. A unique tale lies behind this ancient wooden structure, which is built without nails or spikes but bound together in places with–ijuk–(black palm fibers). Long ago, the local people lived in the hills of Wawane, around 8 kilometers from the coast. Originally animist, after they embraced Islam, they built this mosque, in 1414. The first imam of the mosque was Muhammad Ari Kulapessi; after he died, he was replaced by Imam Rizali, who, in 1614, moved the mosque from Wawane hill to another hill to the east called Tehala, around 6 kilometers away. Then the Dutch came to Ambon and seized the Portuguese fortress (the aforementioned Benteng Amsterdam).
In 1664, the Dutch authorities forced all the people living in the hills to move down to the coastal area, where it would be easier to keep an eye on them. But the mosque was still up in the hills. One morning, the people were amazed to see the mosque standing in the middle of the new village, complete with all its ritual equipment and historical relics. The legend of the mosque's mystical journey attracts many visitors; some come simply for historical tourism, but others for prayers, as it is still in good shape and in regular use for daily worship.
If Masjid Tua Wapauwe is still standing, the same cannot be said for the Immanuel Church (Gereja Hila), not far from the mosque. One of Maluku's oldest churches, it fell victim to the conflicts a few years back.
Tourists
visiting Ambon can also play with fresh water fish, including eels,
in the pond at Morea on the Waiselaka river at Waai village, Salahutu
district. And these are no normal eels; there are hundreds of them,
each up to one and a half meters long. Surprisingly, they eat eggs.
Dominggus Bakarbessy, one of their "keepers", uses eggs as rewards
to draw the eels out of their hiding places in the rocks so the tourists
can see them. He says that eating eggs also makes the eels tame, so
they won't bite tourists who want to "play" with them. He also notes
that the eels are protected by the local community; it's not surprising
they are so numerous.
And this is just a small taste of what Maluku has to offer; with more time, there's far more to explore. Those thousands of islands we mentioned earlier all await your visit.
