Kei

Kei 16th of March 2011

We bought economy tickets to a Pelni boat called Kalimutu. The German explorer known as Sven who arrived late to the harbor was driven to the boat with a tiny fishing vessel and he climbed aboard while the boat was already on its way.

The ship was to take us to Tual, the capital of the Kei-islands, in 36 hours. The economy class is the cheapest of classes (1st class was 900 000 IDR, 2nd 750 000 and economy 242 000), but you travel without a cabin, basically sleeping at the corridors of the boat or on the deck. This would not be a problem if the boats weren’t immensely overbooked, but luckily I had a hammock with me that I hung on the deck and actually managed to enjoy the trip, slowly swaying over the filthy floors of the boat, glaring at the endless sea decorated with flying fish.

The boat lost one of its engines during the trip, and we arrived 8 hours late to Tual.  I somewhat disregarded my hand hygiene during the cruise, and was rewarded by a food poisoning that bound me to my bed for the next day.

It’s Thursday 17th today and I’m back on my feet. We’re residing at a guesthouse called Savana Cottages. Gearson owns the place, a blond haired dark skinned man who left Holland due to some drug-related problem and arrived here to try again from a fresh start.  I haven’t really explored the place yet because yesterday was a bit hazy, but it seems really quiet and beautiful. Last night I forced myself to eat a bit of rice and coconut, and now I’m slowly regaining my strength.

The next stop from here might be surprisingly Manado in North Sulawesi. I was thinking of conquering Sulawesi during this trip, but wasn't so keen on rushing away from Kei. However I've come to the conclusion that one week is enough here. Coen happens to be going to Manado, and he seems like a really cool guy, so I guess I'll join him on his quest.

I guess that's it. My head is still functioning with 50% efficiency, and writing seems a bit difficult. I'll get back with pictures, this place seems amazingly picturesque.

Best wishes!
-Me