The Journey To Kei Islands, Maluku

Good morning, guys! I believe you had a great weekend? Mine include home cleaning and presentation file making. Not a fancy one, but I can't complain, especially after the tiring but fun journey to Maluku. The article is out to read yesterday, so now let's find out what happened behind the scene:)

I went to Kei islands of Maluku to attend the leatherback turtle festival there. It was a really last minute assignment for my boss handed me the letter on Wednesday night, while I was supposed to go on Sunday at 1.30 a.m.

First of all, I was a bit panic because I live in Bekasi, some 30 kilometers away from the airport. How was I supposed to go to airport in the middle of the night? Taking taxi alone in the middle of the night seems not a good idea.When I checked the Damri bus schedule, their last bus departure from Bekasi terminal to airport is at 8.30 p.m., so I took the bus.

It was the quickest airport bus ride I had, only one hour ride! I arrived at 9.30 p.m., met Mbak Eny of Kompas and then waited for Aulia (heretofore will be written as Olya) from WWF Indonesia, Reza from Jalan-jalan magazine and two other WWF Indonesia documentary people. When Olya arrived, we walked to the boarding room, but it was still closed. I felt sleepy so I laid myself down on the floor, just like everyone else did there:).

The airplane took off at exactly 1.30 a.m. It was a 3.5-hour flight but since there is 2-hour time difference, we arrived in Ambon at 7 a.m.! Argh. Since we still had to wait for one hour for our plane to Langgur, Kei islands, I slept. When we boarded the plane and the pilot announced that the flight to Kei islands would take 1.5 hours, I also slept.

When I touched down in Langgur, I was still a bit disoriented. After taking a bath, a meal and another few minutes of nap, I was ready to hit the road. Our first destination was Ngurbloat beach or also known as Pasir Panjang beach in Ngilngof village. I posted one photo of that beach with my feet last week:). Here are more photos on the beach.

This is the most beautiful beach I ever visited in my life. Guys, the white sand is as soft as talcum powder! I regretted that I forgot to bring my sunglasses. The white sand really reflects the sunshine. Ouch, my eyes!

Then we went to Ngur Sarnadan beach in Ohoililir village to catch the sunset. The beach is as beautiful as Ngurbloat, but less touristy. I like the serene atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and we couldn't get the perfect sunset. Here are the photos I snapped there.

There is a road system that almost encircles the island, and I saw how the Kei people enjoy lives similar to the ones in Pantai Indah Kapuk real estate houses. Despite the simple lives they lead, most Kei people can enjoy such heavenly views like the photos below in their backyards.

We also went to Goa Hawang, a freshwater cave in Letvuan village. The guide said that it stretched for about 100 meters and to explore it we needed snorkeling mask and torchlight. Too bad we didn't have those when we got there. It is just so beautiful.

Kei people come from various ethnic groups, such as Javanese, Balinese, Bugis and Minahasan. Some local legends say that Singosari princess Ken Dedes fled to Kei island to avoid the invasion of Majapahit troops. She had a daughter called Nen Dit Sakmas, who later become a queen and established a traditional law called Larvul Ngabal.

With so many ethnics living in Kei islands, Kei people clung to the Larvul Ngabal law that unite them regardless of their ethnic backgrounds or religions. An old adage in Kei islands goes that Kei people come from the same chicken egg and breathe with the same gills. It was that local law and that old adage that helped save Kei islands when a religious conflict struck the whole Maluku province in 1999.

I think the picture above speaks for itself. A mosque and a church are standing next to each other  peacefully. Islam entered Kei islands in 1300s, as an Islamic name was found in a headstone of an old cemetery. In later years, Christian and Catholic dominate the population.

However, most Kei people still practice the traditional ritual, such as placing betel nut, betel leaves and coins  in places they deem as sacred, like I found on a tomb a few meters away from that Jesus Christ statue.

Religions aside, Kei people are warm, friendly people. Once I bumped into a group of students walking home from school and every one of them greeted me with a smile and a cheery,"Good afternoon!" In Letvuan village, the people held a dance performance to welcome us. Wow:)

You can read my article here, if you like.