AMBON CITY
Keep your eyes open
When touring around Ambon, it is very frequent to see small roadside stalls occupied by villagers selling their wares. Seasonal fruits such as rambutan or gondaria are sold, and visitors are encouraged to stop to purchase these and meet the stall owners. Depending on the season, cloves, nutmeg are processed in the sun by the side of the road.Street food is also a big part of Ambonese life and most tours will pass several ‘warungs’ sell their own versions of traditional Ambonese snacks. Rujak is the best example of this, peanuts and cane sugar pounded into a sticky sauce, drizzled over tart fresh fruits. A hint of chili can also add spice to the Ambonese delicacy.
In addition to pretty scenery, Ambon also has wild nutmeg, clove and cinnamon trees, which are worth stopping to have a closer look. These spices are integral to the history of the Spice Islands and the island of Ambon is no exception.
DURIAN"I know," a lot of people might love this fruit but I'll be honest I could even get past the smell ! There are many places in Asia that have banned the eating of this fruit due to the strong smell, when I was in the subway in Singapore I noticed ;
At the time I had no idea what Durians were until I was passing by a street vendor in Ambon and the smell caught my attention. Maybe one day I'll try not to smell it and have a taste but for now,
GOOD-BYE DURIANS
LARIKE VILLAGE & FRESHWATER EELS
Arriving in Larike, a short 3 or 4 minute walk through the village takes guests to the river, which even today is a focal point of the village community. The locals use the river for washing, laundry, preparing food for cooking, which in itself is interesting to observe.
However the focus of the visit to Larike are the multiple freshwater eels which inhabit a deep hollow on the far bank. The eels are very tame and completely used to being handled. The local villagers have interacted with the eels for years, feeding them chopped fish or meat, which has resulted in the eels training themselves to swim upstream to the shallows when they sense the food in the water. This is a unique sight, 20 or more one meter long eels swimming against the river flow, in some areas exiting the water, to get to the food provided by the villagers.
The villagers shown above are washing their cloths as the eels are swimming around.
When Maluku Divers was situated on the southern peninsula of Ambon, the Waii sacred eels were the most famous eels on the island, it is prohibited for the local community to eat the eels, so they are very healthy and can be over 1.5 metres in length. Cared for by Mr Minggus, who hand feeds the eels with raw eggs, the eels inhabit a deep pool off a shallow area of a river. Here too, the local community congregates for washing clothes and plates after meals, so any eels in the area are very tame.
The local belief in Waii is that over 300 eels live in the pool and that some even have jewelry. Sadly, the eels which have been seen and photographed by guests of Maluku Divers, have never been so adorned, but certainly a visit to these of the Larike eels is an interesting excursion.
Mr. Minggus :-)
So far you are probably saying, " I don't see any big deal !" Well take a look below a small gathering!
The children in the village swim with the eels picking them up and putting them around their necks, that's how tame these eels have become.
TIME TO HEAD BACK TO MALAYSIA RUNNING OUT OF MONEY :-(
Once again until tomorrow my friends...."PEACE."
