Kota Ambon

So picture this, I wake up with a smile on my face reminiscent of the ones I had earlier on this trip. Its the smile a 10 yr old wakes up with on Christmas morning. I'm going to The Spice Islands today!! At 10.45, I fly to Kota Ambon with Merparti on a Boeing.... meaning that if it goes down, it would be reported (ie more than 10 passengers on board) the downside however is that this is Merparti therefore the Boeing will be a thousand years old and held together by masking tape... !! So the chances of it going down and being reported are fantastic! :)))) ouerr!

I get to the airport and I check in. Easy enough. Then I felt the distinct need for cheek(iness). I attempted to sweet talk Merparti into refunding my missed (because I changed my mind) flight of yesterday, Manado to Kota Ternate. My hopeful & fictitious excuse of engine trouble on a boat off Bunaken and the 'miss-connection', a word inputted with a knowing nod by the member of Merparti staff helping me, (Christian - Merparti's Mgr at Makassar Airport) resulted in me being handed back 80% YIPPEEEE It's amazing what a smile can do!!! :)

Now I'm scanning the departure lounge for another bule (foreigner), there are 2 but they're not on my flight, Father & Son. No surprise but jeez I wish there was one on my flight...

Then I get on the plane. I had asked for a window seat and got one (12a) on the left. So I ask the air hostess if it were possible to change seats as I would like a window seat on the other side... BOY I'm in a demanding mood today aren't I! :) What the heck after all the conversations I've had with friends I now feel I'm risking my life to fly to Indo's most beautiful & best kept secrets.

I get my wish, I'm placed on the other side of the plane at a window seat, one row behind my original seat and in the emergency row which now means that a portion of the wing is blocking my view but relax, at this point I decide I've already been given enough for one day and I still get a partial view.

To get this seat a rather nice looking man in his late 30's was asked to move (hehehhee) this was Dr Zol I found out later. So hey here I am sitting in the emergency row with a Javanese Doctor (who's wearing very fashionable Gianfranco Ferre blue retro styled specs) at my side. I couldn't be safer, if something was going to happen I'd have had all best opportunities of getting out alive and being cared for at the crash scene, if only I could keep him alive too. And of course it would be reported news! :)

The whole point of wanting to move to the other side of the plane was actually to catch a glimpse of the Banda Islands before we landed in Ambon but unfortunately they weren't visible!! Instead I made a good friend out of Dr Zol. He is married but that hasn't stopped him taking me out on a 'date'. A day time date with a Muslim in Ramadan, its pretty interesting. I was watered and feed 'Rujek' (chillies fruit salad and crushed peanuts - actually really good) on the waterfront of Natsepa a town on the east of the island. His English is good and we had quite a laugh before he drove me back to town and dropped me off in the safe hands of my new Dutch friends Ive made here at the guest house in Kota Ambon!

Ambon reminded me of Hawaii when we came in to land, very tropical and so green but its not as well manicured as Hawaii is. It's actually quite wild and true to the image I had of the Spice Islands. Full of Cloves, they are all drying out in the sun on the side of the roads and you can smell them when you drive past. We've explored the whole island, seen remnants of the Christian/Muslim war of 2002 and found the best beaches and generally had a good time.

On Friday I fly to the Kei Islands, this will be the highlight of the trip! The sand is white and so fine and soft, its a better texture than flour. I'm not kidding Ive actually seen and felt it already, the dutch girls have an old water bottle of it.... can't wait, then Banda and a couple of great dives I hope!

OK Folks more later, pics too as having problems with my pic storage.