Reflections on Indonesia
23 September 2008 | Sebana Cove
Our reflections and focal key memories of 2,000 miles of Indonesia can be summarised as:-
People - welcoming, cultural, industrious, friendly, proud, helpful
Boats - thousands and thousands of traditional boats fishing every day, everywhere
Fantastic Anchorages - myriads of anchorages that are beautiful throughout the archipelago
Islands and protected waterways - the Whitsundays only 1000 times bigger and better and with every one of thousands of islands having distinct communities
Sailing - just fantastic along rugged coastlines in deep water, protected waterways, islands and straits, bays and harbours, so interesting and so different
Dragons, Bima Schooners, Praus, Fish traps and things that go bang in the night!
People that care for their housing, albeit quite humble in many cases, it is clean, tidy and cared for
People who work hard to make the best of limited opportunities
Beaches, beautiful islands, coral reefs, snorkelling, diving beautiful clear water, magnificent waterways.
Bureaucracy - heh - but no worse certainly than what we have allowed to happen in Australia in the last decade!
Rubbish - there seems no recognition of rubbish and pollution in public area, a house can be maintained immaculately with rubbish everywhere across the road, creeks, drains, waterways, the ocean - rubbish is just thrown down. This is a a global problem now and will exacerbate in years to come destroying our oceans. Western and wealthy nations MUST start helping Indonesia NOW to address this problem. A clean up Indonesia campaign is a MUST. Beautiful tourist areas are marred by unimaginable piles of rubbish - hundreds of miles of beautiful clear ocean waters are full of plastics, bottles, bags, foil and wrappers - mostly supplied by Western Countries and now destroying OUR oceans - it will come back to haunt us. Something needs to be done NOW! Remote and beautiful island beaches are covered with Rubbish, Plastics, Bottles and Bags - Reefs and beautiful waterways the same, it washes out the drains and waterways into the Oceans - by the tons - every day.
The Rally - do it, it is a wonderful opportunity to see and do things and have access to areas not otherwise possible. Be challenged by it and take advantage of these opportunities - you will be one of a priveleged few who have this opportunity while it lasts.
Keep an open mind, enjoy the parts that you wish to and enjoy sailing to other underexplored areas as the whim takes you. Take patience, tolerance and understanding in abundant supplies and you will gain from it!
Above all YOU will the visitor in their country.