Tifu South Buru Island 9/8-15/8 2018
9/8 We sailed early in the morning and we had a very changeable sailing day. We sailed with main up al day and sometime motor or jib. We had several rain showers and it was misty the whole day. Anchor down in the beautiful lagoon at 16 hour. Just after a heavy squall our Swedish fiends came in.
10/8 Lars clean the whose for salt water inlet to water-maker and the filter to generator. Now we can run the water-maker and make 60 litre water. We can have a long awaited shower. At 10 a´clock we sail in to the dock and Raymond is at the pier to take the line together with a lot of young local English students helper and of cause photographer. There were speeches and dances in the tent and Gert from Wind of Change was chosen to be honorary citizen and as such eat some special peas and have a traditional headlining on. The village lady’s have made local food for us like rice, fish, chicken, cassava, and vegetables. Some of the latter was to strong spiced for us sensible Europeans. We got bottled water for drink, that was room temperature, as much as we needed al along touring around Indonesia. A lot of bottles and straws that should be recycled!? It was possible to buy bear from the locals because they were Christian. We went a tour around the little village and up to the church. On the way we were stopped several times because the villager wanted to take selfies with us. Relaxed on Alexandra in the afternoon.
11/8 Relax on board Alexandra. Early morning we can here song and prayer from the church. They celebrate a holey day? There were boat racing in the bay and we so the woman race.
12/8 We meet at the pier at 9 o’clock and after a couple of hours there are arranged three pickup cars to take us on a tour to a fishing village. I sat in front of one of them together with Lisa and it was not much space but soft. The others had to sit on the hard fleet. They took it as a challenge and laughed a lot. Lars got very dirty in the but. After a de-rut to see a very beautiful view we arrive outside the village and the local old men met us dressed in there best clothes and the traditional head scarf. The whole village come with orchestra and we march with them into the village. Different group of women preformed with dance for us. Getting to the village we get interesting local food. We so the fishing technique to ketch small fish in the little stream by singing a special song close to the hole were the fish was hiding.
13/8 Lars got on a tour with longboat to a waterfall. I had different activity on board and rest my knee that still hurts. I sent an SMS to the sons because in Tifu we have no internet. Sun-downer at Blue Rodgers and afterwords sail in to the village for farewell party. Local food and afterwords speeches and handing over premier to the winner of fishing and boating competitions. Later dance to techno music. The local love it. I still had a good excuse for not dancing to that sort of music, my hurting knee, but Lars was high-jacked up to the gravel dance floor of a beautiful local woman. The locals just love to dance and no bad condition can stop them like heat, gravel floor, techno music etcetera.
14/8 Not a good weather window so we, and a lot of boats, stayed another day in Tifu. We could enjoy the 40´if birthday party for Franziska on Philocat. They grilled a pig. I made buns to add to the table but find out that the yeast is no good. Exposed for to much heat, that is 32C°. I have too by new and store it in the fridge. Great party with a lot of locals also. Grill a whole pig was something the locals did not no how to do so they were very interested. Also when fat was thrown away they picket it up and ate it happily. This was the only place in Indonesia we got pig meat.
