Several times each day while we were visiting Moshe in Ambon, he would exclaim with frustration, “Indonesia!” This indicated something that was clearly wrong. In other countries, that thing might be fixed up, but Indonesia, one simply had to accept it as a fact of life. For example, closing a major thoroughfare in the middle of Ambon City with no suggested detour or other guidance, with the predictable result of a very, very bad traffic jam. “Indonesia!” Or a moped, no doubt carrying a family of at least four people, zipping down the wrong side of the road directly towards us as it attempted to pass a large truck. “Indonesia!” I thought I might use this as a helpful prompt to share a few of my own personal frustrations about this developing but still not entirely developed country. At the same time, I want to share some of the really wonderful experiences that I had while there that were not necessarily connected to my rabbinic work: First is Reddoorz Hotels. I’m guessing the name is loosely connected with the American budget chain Red Roof. But there the comparison ends. While Red Roof Hotels are pretty basic by western standards, they can still be counted on to have hot water. And toilet paper. And a sink. And a bed with more than just a fitted sheet. It is a poor commentary on our past experiences with Indonesian accommodation that we were actually relatively satisfied with the Makassar Reddoorz, where we stayed both on our way to and back from Papua. At least the rooms were clean! And there was reliable WiFi, which we all know is the most important consideration in choosing a hotel room. A different hotel was rumoured to have WiFi as well. However, the person staffing the hotel overnight explained that she couldn’t get us the WiFi password, because the person who knew the password was asleep. Indonesia! Second is traffic, which we have dealt with in every place we’ve visited across Indonesia except for in West Papua. Jakarta is particularly notorious, and a big reason for that is that the city is almost completely lacking in any kind of helpful mass transit. If you want to get around, you can either drive (usually a large van or SUV), ride a motorcycle or moped, or (eek!) test your luck and lungs by riding a bicycle. However, traffic is pretty bad in Bali too, mostly because it seems that all the tourists want to have their own individual cars. The cumulative result is that I’ve come to dread having to travel almost anywhere by car, because you just never know if a trip that should theoretically only take 30 minutes will end up lasting two hours instead. And usually with at least one or more extra people packed into the back of the car. The most we packed in on this trip was seven adults. Plus all of our luggage. Indonesia! Third is false advertising, although this really only applies to the city of Makassar at the southern side of Sulawesi island. With flights still not up to their previous level of frequency, we ended up with a whole afternoon and evening to spend in the city before we caught our connecting flight at 6:00 am the next morning. We had heard tantalizing rumours of a wondrous place called Losari Beach in the center of Makassar. David, Shelley and I all put on our flipflops in anticipation of walking on the sand and maybe wading a bit into the sea. Alas, when we arrived we discovered that there is no actual beach at Losari Beach. It’s really a waterfront, with a concrete boardwalk and a view of the 99 Domes Mosque on the other side of the port. On the positive side, the Losari WATERFRONT is absolutely delightful. There are kiosks everywhere offering snacks such as roasted bananas, meatballs, and icy drinks. In the evening, people pack into the outdoor seating areas to enjoy each other’s company and live music. Makassar has a reputation as a devoutly Muslim city, but it just proves that Indonesian Muslims can be faithful and still enjoy evenings out with their friends and families. We had such a lovely time there that we resolved to spend a full day in Makassar as we transit to elsewhere. That was our second time this visit that we had an extended layover in Makassar. Our first layover saw us arriving late in the afternoon and departing very early the next morning. We wandered a few blocks down from our hotel until we reached a small warong—an Indonesia restaurant offering local street food. I was a bit nervous that the cleanliness and quality of the food might be lacking, but we ended up having one of the most delightful meals of the whole trip. The workers grilled two whole fish over a charcoal fire for us, then served the fish in two different styles with a variety of side dishes, sauces, rice and condiments. All for about AU$24 for the five of us. We were their very first western guests, and the hosts and their family members kept coming back to the table to have their photos taken with us. A quintessentially Indonesian adventure was our overnight trip to the island of Saparua in the Maluku Islands. This involved a one hour ferry crossing each way, which was particularly concerning on the way back when the winds were blowing furiously. On-board, women hawked hot snacks up and down the aisles, and then we were left in relative quiet to gaze out the windows as we sped across the water. The ferry tickets cost a little less than AU$7 each, and that was for the first class seats. On our journey there, a stretcher with an elderly man who was clearly very ill was laid across the entryway. He was being brought home village to die. We reached the port and then piled into a very small pink bus, which took us all around the island. Much of our time was spent in the charming town of Tuhaha, where Ambon member Shmuel David grew up. We were kindly hosted for meals by his extended family, which runs a small business producing sweets and rolls for local markets out of their kitchen. Another great treat was our visit to the Bogor region south of Jakarta. As we drove up and up out of the city, the temperature plummeted until it was...actually...cool! We stayed in the comfortable but slightly tired Pinewood Lodge, surrounded by lush foliage and the sounds of insects and frogs. We spent a delightful and utterly unexpected afternoon at the Bogor Safari Park. This is a drive-through safari with a difference: visitors can bring in carrots and feed them to the animals! The price of admission was pretty eye-watering, especially when we three foreigners were spotted in the car, but it was actually worth the expense! There are even a pair of giant pandas housed in a magnificent enclosure which is only accessible by the safari’s own bus. We spent many happy hours sharing our carrots with the wildlife and ooh-ing and ah-ing over the larger animals. I have now returned to the fresh, cool Adelaide winter and to the relative predictability of my life here. I’m sure that no one would have been able to convince me ten years ago that I would someday eagerly anticipate my travels to Indonesia, a place I’d never imagined visiting even once. Now look forward to my next visit—an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary commitment of the Jews of Indonesia and a chance to connect with my Indonesian families. Sampai jumpa lagi—until we meet again!
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Rabbi Shoshana KaminskyI've been the rabbi of Beit Shalom Progressive Synagogue in Adelaide since 2006. As part of the Council of Progressive Rabbis of Australia, New Zealand and Asia, I'm now on my fifth trip to Indonesia to teach, pray and celebrate with the communities here. Archives
July 2022
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