Fresh nutmeg, straight from the tree. The fleshy fruit's good for jam, the red bit is dried and called "mace" and the kernel's dried and is what we call nutmeg. The other shells are from the almonds which grow beside the nutmeg trees. Obviously a different breed of almonds to what we're accustomed to.
Into the channel between islands we sailed, the famed "Spice Islands" which the Dutch fiercely protected from the Portuguese, the English and even the Bandanese. Ruthless days back in the sixteenth century, and blood spilled freely for hundreds of years.
It was believed that spices from these islands could fend off the Bubonic Plague, and prices were higher than gold. The English and the Dutch did a trade at one point, swapping Manhattan Island for one of the smaller islands in the Banda group.
But today, the Dutch and English have all gone, leaving behind the odd cannon which is put to good use by cruising yachties for tying up the dinghy.
It's a charming place, volcanic islands thrusting skywards from the Banda Sea with its depths sometimes reaching over 5 kilometres. That's a unique feeling, floating above that much water.
It was believed that spices from these islands could fend off the Bubonic Plague, and prices were higher than gold. The English and the Dutch did a trade at one point, swapping Manhattan Island for one of the smaller islands in the Banda group.
But today, the Dutch and English have all gone, leaving behind the odd cannon which is put to good use by cruising yachties for tying up the dinghy.
It's a charming place, volcanic islands thrusting skywards from the Banda Sea with its depths sometimes reaching over 5 kilometres. That's a unique feeling, floating above that much water.
Foreign Invasion! Just a part of our 36-boat fleet, backed into the seawall outside the Maulana Hotel.
Visitors these days are somewhat rarer it seems, and we are welcomed by the locals with open arms. A truly unique place to visit, still unspoiled, fascinating history, superb landscape and a quiet little tourism industry that could easily explode.
Our horde of invading sailors is the biggest thing the island's seen for awhile, and between us all, we've taken advantage of Spice tours, cooking classes, massage services, volcano climbing, snorkelling and scuba tours, as well as devouring lots of really tasty, spicy local food. (Myself, I'm up for a daily Pilau Pisang, a banana, coconut and cinnamon smoothie.)
Our horde of invading sailors is the biggest thing the island's seen for awhile, and between us all, we've taken advantage of Spice tours, cooking classes, massage services, volcano climbing, snorkelling and scuba tours, as well as devouring lots of really tasty, spicy local food. (Myself, I'm up for a daily Pilau Pisang, a banana, coconut and cinnamon smoothie.)
Some of our yacht crews on the Spice Trail tour.....that's an almond tree we're adorning.
 Our bubbly tour guide and host, Ayu. |  The original Spice girl. That's a sack of cloves on her head, and a basket of nutmeg on her back. |
Enjoying being tourists, on the Spice trail tour.
 Cloves drying in the sun. The scent of spices wafts all around the villages. |  Premium parking space out front of the pub. |
The plush, colonial-styled Hotel Benteng Estate welcomed us for dinner, and some of our crews opted to rent rooms for a staggering $35 per night.
Not quite so plush for the locals who need to scramble for a spot on the inter-island ferry.
Lifejacketed and clipped on at the helm, ready for a long night. We've had a couple of rainy days in a row, (which is why the blog's been getting done) but need to pull the anchor up tomorrow morning to head for our next destination on Buru Island, to the west of Ambon.
Another two-day, one-night sail, around 200 nautical miles. We've become accustomed to clipping on at the helm for our 4-hour watches, and should have a relatively calm sea for this passage. We'll eat some diesel I think....the batteries will love us for it. We're expecting rain for most of the trip, so visibility may be an issue, but the rain may keep some of the fishing boats in port, too.
Ghost nets, unlit (and lit!) trawlers and fish-aggregating devices are just a few of the hazards to watch for.
A few of the fleet have left this morning and we're up for a farewell dinner tonight. So today's a cleanup and passage-planning day, and we'll be "out there" and out of internet/phone contact after tomorrow morning.
Another two-day, one-night sail, around 200 nautical miles. We've become accustomed to clipping on at the helm for our 4-hour watches, and should have a relatively calm sea for this passage. We'll eat some diesel I think....the batteries will love us for it. We're expecting rain for most of the trip, so visibility may be an issue, but the rain may keep some of the fishing boats in port, too.
Ghost nets, unlit (and lit!) trawlers and fish-aggregating devices are just a few of the hazards to watch for.
A few of the fleet have left this morning and we're up for a farewell dinner tonight. So today's a cleanup and passage-planning day, and we'll be "out there" and out of internet/phone contact after tomorrow morning.
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