Beating the Bounds of Beguiling Banda

There were many highlights of our stay in Banda – a few lows as well, including the chaotic and high speed entry into the Harbour by a huge ferry/cargo ship that caused havoc amongst the boats tied up to Hotel Maulana with some quite serious damage to one of the yachts.

The Captain of this ship took it gently unlike the previous one who caused havoc!

Fortunately, although Bali Hai skewed round like a corkscrew and dragged her anchor, she was fine. We weren’t there at the time but a number of locals and other yachties made sure her lines were tight and she re-anchored herself! Thank goodness for our marvellous new Rocna anchor!

This ferry leaves the harbour with barely a ripple!

Walking round the town of Banda was an absolute highlight and we especially enjoyed being taken around on one of the days by Maga, the teacher we had helped with the plastics clean up. 

Discarded cannons everywhere you go in Banda Neira

The first thing that strikes you as you walk around is that there are cannons just lying in the street wherever you go! In fact, our dinghy was often tied up to one in the grounds of Hotel Maulana.

The cannon we used to tie up our dinghy

Jonathan outside the former Governor’s house

One of the most poignant things I have seen was a note scratched in beautiful copperplate hand writing on the window in the former Dutch Governor’s residence.

The building that was formally the Dutch Govetnor’s residence

The story goes that it was written by was the French mistress of one of the governors and she was so unhappy with the way things were in Banda (exploitation, slavery, savagery) that she decided to hang herself. 

Her note scratched in her native language saying goodbye and saying how much she loved her family tore at our heartstrings.

From the grounds of the Governor’s House

Apparently many years later notes that she had written in secret expressing her unhappiness were found hidden in a cavity in a wall. 

Not sure how much of the story is true but if anyone has more details I would love to hear what year she died and more about the circumstances of her death.

Fort Belgic

Looking from Fort Belgic

Fort Belgic, built in 1609 by the Dutch on the abandoned foundations of Fort Nassau laid by the Portuguese almost a century earlier, is still more or less intact. It was wonderful to be able to clamber around its ramparts without hindrance and even go up a rickety ladder up to the turrets where cannons still stood.

On my way up to the ramparts

Jonathan and another cannon!

Looking down from the ramparts – no safety rails

We had the chance to snorkel in the waters after visiting Pulau Lanthor which was fun – while the coral wasn’t all that colourful, the amazing variety in the shapes and size and type of coral made up for that. There were also lots of colourful fish and some people saw an enormous conger eel. 

In the Put Put boat on the way to snorkelling

 We also loved walking in the narrow, dark, market lanes crowded with stalls selling everything from eggs to nutmeg, clothes, bottles of two-stroke and heaps of vegetables and fish. 

Shopping Banda style – nutmeg catcher anyone?

Fish on a stick

A few crews were corralled into visiting a school to give the students the opportunity to practice their English. 

Amusingly, we were the only native born English people – the rest were Dutch! It didn’t matter however, as they speak excellent English, albeit with a Dutch accent.

So sweet!

In between times we enjoyed sundowners at the dive school and the Hotel Maulana, as well as some excellent meals, mostly at the beautiful Hotel Cilu Bingtang.

Sun downers at the Dive School (and below)
  
We left Banda with a heavy heart and hope very much that one day we will return.