Today has been quite a strange day.
We are July 12th, it is 7pm, iftar time in Ramadan days. I am sitting on the passenger seat of a kijang, in an empty parking, waiting for people to finish praying so we can take off toward Medan.
I had heard from a few people that Pulau Banyak had amazing pristine white sand beaches, off the coast of Singkil, so since I am short in time, rather than going to Pulau Nias, I decided last night that I would go to Pulau Banyak, much closer.
I arrived in Singkil (main port of departure to Pulau Banyak) about an hour before iftar, just bin time to find a losmen and spot out the place to eat a good mine goreng.
This town is really tiny, and other than in the late afternoon, it is dead. Since Ramadan started, I didn't really get a chance to watch out in the open how people change their daily lives. So when I made the effort to do so. People here spend the afternoon purchasing their food for the evening and for the fast breaking. When the moon dictates, they break their fast and eat, no particular ceremony around this. Then, for those who want, definitely not more than 80% of the population, they go to the mosque, prey, then eat some more or/and go about their social activities.
I found strange, that being the only foreigner in town, and my host clearly knowing that I had been fasting all day, didn't even offer me a glass of water, nor to break the fast with them. I am extremely surprised, in a disappointing way, about how the Muslims in Indonesia do not show at all any of the values I had learnt/observed with the Muslims from other parts of the world. It has shocked me quite a lot so far. In that way, I really look forward to being in the other Muslim regions of the world to reconciliate me with then culture of this religion.
(A thought that has been going through my mind quite a lot for a few months now is that the majority of the locals here, though very curious about foreigners, they actually dont care at all. After the 'where are you from? Are you married? What religion are you? How long have you been in Indonesia? Where are you going?' There is not any 'you should go there, or eat at that place, or the cheapest bus/boat to go there is this one...' Yes some young students in Sulawesi showed genuine interests in order to work on their English skills, but the rest of the locals don't really. It is strange because they do however stare at you in the street as if they had never seen a white skin person before.)
I woke up this morning, well, I got woken up by the loud mosque at 5am, decided to go to Pulau Banyak. The local boat departs at 9am. 4 hours later I arrive on the main island of the group of 90 islands. The town name is Belai. The town is tiny and looks like a dump. Tons of litter all over the place. (I still wonder how these people can call themselves Muslims, denying pig from their diet because it is supposedly to dirty, when they themselves live like the dirtiest of pigs...) Once there, I ask around a few souls regarding prices for accommodations/bungalows on the three islands who do have accommodations, and I keep on hearing the same song from everyone's mouth. Rp 200,000 per night including the food for one person. Terribly expensive. On top of that, I am quoted Rp150,000 one way for transportation to the islands offering lodging!!! For just a one-hour ride! Absurd! Nobody seems to be cooperative at all in the town, the sky is dark grey, I am exhausted because of the fasting, it is really hot. I a upset. So I just walk back to the jetty, and hop on the next boat to Singkil. Voila, such was my trip and experience to Pulau Banyak. A bit sad indeed...
Oh, one quite strangely funny fact about that island. In the guide books they say that that island is making serious efforts to promote its ecotourism. I heard the same from the mouth of the locals I spoke to. Quite contradictory is you ask me, to be promoting ECO tourism in a place that has absolutely no sewage nor trash disposal infrastructure other than dumping all trash in the street or in the ocean. Not sure whether to call it contradictory or hypocrite.
I have been fasting for three days, pretty much since the start of Ramadan, not so much by choice, but rather by constraint due to transportation mode (always being in the same car/boat with locals who are fasting) and respect for the locals. The no food part is quite do able, but the no water part, with this heat, is quite a challenge.
It was so funny to watch the driver's face when I told him I had been casting for three days yet that I do not have any specific religion, but simply by respect for his people. Not quite sure he fully got it.
He kind of had the same reaction when I told him that in was still single and that I would get married only when I find the right woman, no matter where she is from, her skin color, nor her religion.
It is so strange to see that in a country where everyone seems to be constantly connected to the internet, people do not actually seem be connected with the rest of the world culturally speaking.
I was so upset about the day and about being totally misled about the prices on pulau banyak. But I guess I could have done more research or maybe even tried to call the different lodging options to inquire about prices. Lesson learnt for later. Too bad though, a week on a paradise island could have been sweet...though I have already done quite a few of those on the past months. Well, now direction Berastagi...hmmm...well, it is now past 9pm, and we still haven't moved from the parking lot...I am the only passenger aboard so far...not very encouraging situation...but I have hopes. Lol
Well...after waiting on the empty parking lot for 5 hours, and changing car, I made it to Berastagi at 4:30am...in the freezing cold.
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