A Spicy Treat

Not feeling completely recovered from yesterday, I finished up my packing. Thank goodness Jen had the foresight to bring a huge extra duffle bag that we shared for our dirty clothes. I never would have had enough room to get everything I purchased and was gifted home (even with the extra bag I bought!). We crammed in our last clothes and headed down for our last hotel breakfast in Tangerang. As we ate, we really appreciated how fortunate we were. We had amazing accommodations. Judging from our communication on Facebook, some of our colleagues had not been even a fraction as fortunate, so we savored our beautiful breakfast spread. With one last run to our Starbucks, we were ready. (I will miss the call for "Miss Amy" at coffee!)































The driver, Yuna, and her husband picked us up and we all noted how our luggage had almost doubled. Let's just say that we helped the Indonesian economy a bit. Jen and I had asked Yuna to take us to the Port of Jakarta, a significant place in history. The port served as the major trade center over the centuries. The Portuguese first arrived in 1513, followed by the British, and of the course, the Dutch; these were only some of the foreigners who traveled to the "Spice Islands" for their precious resources.

We began at the Spice Trade Museum. We climbed eight leaning floors of the ancient (and rather precarious) stairs. At the top, we had a wonderful view of some of the ships and the surrounding area, which now included lots of vendors and polluted water. I was even brave enough to take the stairs to the very top of the building (literally, on the roof). I was not brave enough to actually stand on the ancient tiny platform - my family would have scolded me for going up there to begin with!




























We walked over to massive Dutch buildings which now house a maritime museum which tells the history of the Port of Jakarta and shows model boats and actual boats which once floated in these waters. The large stone buildings and enormous wooden doors were made in the late 1600's/early 1700's which were marked above doorways. It was incredibly interesting to learn about the endless visitors who selfishly came to rob this country of spices, slaves, and many goods. This felt like the most historically significant place we had been to during our time in Indonesia.











Although our bags were overflowing in the car, we could not resist stopping by a few of the nearby shops. Yuna and her husband explained many of the unusual cooking utensils being sold. Jen and I were both amazed by the musical instruments in some of the shops and couldn't resist purchasing a little something.



















We then drove over to the actual Port of Jakarta. What seemed like thousands of boats crammed practically on top of each other lined the dock. It was incredible. The massive ships towered over us and could not hide their age. It seemed every ship had a story. The workers who rested on board wore the look of tired, ancient men. It was almost like stepping in to a piece of history. Some bugis pinisi boats throughout the port, which were used by the first Islamic traders, were essentially identical to the ones originally used. Even today, this port is Indonesia's largest and is used as it has been for centuries with an annual capacity for 45 million tons of cargo.
Fortunately, Yuna's husband made nice with the crew of a ship who allowed us to board, which is easier said than done. You must carefully cross a long wooden board across the water which is quite dangerous. I was the first to volunteer. (I don't know what I was thinking! I think I was caught up in the historical romanticism of the moment.) With the help of Yuna's husband and a crew member, who I am certain hadn't showered in a year, I made it across and aboard the incredible vessel. Jen followed and after some major coaxing, we were able to get Yuna to come too.



















The boat was out of a time machine. Carefully crossing single boards, we could see the cargo down below. The filthy crew examined us as though we were aliens as we made our way up to the top of the ship. The captain looked like a giant Samoan and wore only a Batik sarong around his waist. He looked as though he could kill a man with a single squeeze. We decided to get out of his bubble very quickly. I'm sure the crew wondered what these silly foreigners were doing, but it was an absolutely amazing opportunity which I am certain we would not have been able to experience without Yuna's husband.














It was time to make the trip back to the Park Hotel in Jakarta. Our adventure with Yuna was time to come to a close. We unloaded all of our bags and said our thanks and goodbyes to Yuna, her husband, and our driver. While leaving that part of the journey was somewhat sad, I was happy to be back to our starting point and excited to be reunited with our colleagues.










After some miscommunication, which tends to be a common problem in Indonesia, Jen and I did not get to see the group until much later. So, we treated ourselves to a foot/leg massage (60 minutes for $10). It was a slice of heaven and just what we needed. Once done, the group arrived and it felt a little like seeing family. We happily greeted each other and shared our experiences.

We made a quick run to a bead mart where many bought stones, rings, and other jewelry. We came back to dinner and then had a long meeting to start our debrief process. It was clear that we all had unique experiences, so it was interesting to learn even more about the Indonesian education system and culture.

Some of us wanted to unwind and really share the good, the bad, and the ugly so we grabbed some cocktails and met in my room. Jen and I brought our beloved Cotton Buns for the group to enjoy, so we ate, drank, talked and laughed sharing our stories. It felt so good to be honest and find comfort with others. What a great group of people. One day left and we're on our way home so I can see my favorite group of people!


















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad