Magical Manado

l a c i g a M

Manado Where on earth?..

Totally underrated North Sulawesi IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THE GREAT POWERS OF EUROPE FIERCILY FOUGHT OVER THE SPICE ISLANDS. UNTOLD WEALTH LAY FOR THE NATION THAT COULD WIN THE SPICE RACE I JUST HAD TO SEE IT FOR MYSELF!

Augustus 2023

DESTINATION OF A LIFETIME

The Spice Race!

Discover the Spice Islands for yourself!

Nathaniel’s Nutmeg is a book that tells the story of the battle for trade supremacy in the East Indies between the Dutch and English in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The book focuses on the Banda Islands - a series of tiny islands and in particular, Run Island!

These islands were the only source of nutmeg in the world at that time. Run Island had the highest concentration of nutmeg trees on the planet and so, became the site of bitter battles until the Dutch finally swapped Run Island for Manhattan Island and the rest, is history! The book is a brilliant adventure story of unthinkable hardship and savagery, the navigation of uncharted waters, and the exploitation of new worlds. It is a remarkable chapter in the history of colonial powers!

Navigator after navigator departed ports in Europe to find these far flung islands in search of great wealth. By the 19th Century the remarkable Spice Islands had all but faded into obscurity and today, they are just a four hour flight from Jakarta or Singapore.

I laid the book down, picked up my passport and headed to the airport!

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THE GET GO

Table of Contents I'm Scott McCook and I've lived in quite a few places around Southeast Asia over the last 40 years. I was born in Papua New Guinea but am a Kiwi by nationality. I've spent the majority of my time on sailing boats always dreaming of finding my little paradise. It's pretty safe to say "I've now found it"!

Scot

My trip to Manada was really magical in so many ways. I've put this booklet together based on my trip but really just to say thanks to those who made Manado so magical. scott.nd.mccook@gmail.com

Does the Spice magic still exist?

04

exists.

From the 1500's the great maritime nations of Europ engaged in bitter battles for control of the Spice's.

Magic begins on Final Approach.

Europe battled one another for control of the Spices that were endemic to the area. It comes as no surprise then that the Spices are with every delicious meal.

06 19 But where's the

Banking to starboard around Manado Tua and landing at the foothill of Mount Klabat. What a great opening act!

Head in the clouds

Crab Claw?

With such a long and vivid maritime history, I was a little puzzled that none of the villagers knew how to sail!

08

Within 40 minutes of leaving the comforts of the S Loft, I was with my head in the clouds!

Hole in the planet

hari minggu 20 Selamat You are going to hear that a lot. Where

09

How we got there so effortlessly is part of the amazement. Never did I cream it would be this easy to peer into a great hole in the earth.

Epi Adventures There it was, "Epi" scrawled in the clay way down deep in the crater of Mawahu. Just how did they get down there?

12 Spice magic still

ever you go, you will be acknowledged and greeted in the nicest manner or like what happened to me, get dragged to Church!

chappy 24 Happy Cap Tikus is Manado Sakae. It's fermented from the palm tree. Its 45% alcohol. It's very warming and if you drink it, you will have new friends!

10 What Where 28 Who I had a great stay in Mando. One of the very best ever thanks to some key people.

NORTH SULAWESI MAGIC

Does the spice magic still exist!

The public overnight ferry departing downtown Manadoa to another realm, Sangihe Island.

What place?

What a place!

Final approach into Sam Ratulangi International is already breathtaking enough! I had been so enthralled with the coastline of North Sulawesi that my head was hard-pressed against the window. Banking around Manado Tua was awe inspiring as this stratovolcano sticks out of the Celebes Sea as if it was a street cone marking the path into Manado! Then we 'parked' it right at the foot of 1780 metre high, Mount Klabat!

Manado is the capital city of North Sulawesi and lies towards the end of the Minahasan Peninsula.

It's almost as far northeast as you can go in the entire Indonesian Archipelago. So much so that for many years, the federal government had all but forgotten that it even existed!

My head was hard pressed against the window for the entire length of the Minahasan Peninsula, my imagination working overtime just dreaming of what it was like down there in those early years! Then as we approached Manado the aircraft banked to starboard around a great volcanic cone that sticks out of the Celebes Sea. Minutes alter we were on final approach for Sam Ratulangi International.

Just how many airport approaches lead you around one volcano only to land facing such a scene? To my knowledge, just this one!

Sulawesi is the fourth largest of some 16,500 islands in the entire archipelago! It's a really unusual shape sort of like a 'k' but disfigured from the opposing movements of the three tectonic plates that this unique land sits upon.

I had just read the book, "Nathaniel's Nutmeg" that for me, made sense of my 40 plus years of life in Southeast Asia! In all that time. I'd heard all the tales of Spanish versus Portuguese versus Dutch versus English, as each one swash-buckled their way through foreign lands in search of untold riches.

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A VIVID HISTORY

The taste of the World Spices above.

Species below!

Looking NE over Manado and up towards Pulisan and Mount Klabat.

It looks just like a tree!

Countless lives were lost in the pursuit of spices!

We've probably all heard the great tales of the Spice Race but Nathaniel's Nutmeg cemented this chapter of history into my mind's eye with an untold clarity by bringing all chilling accounts vividly to life. Imagine sailing half the world to find an island only to fill up the ship with enough spices to return - the return journey would take a year for such vessels!

But the penny only drops when you realise that the return on investment was a staggering 6,000 or in some cases 60,000%!

The two islands of Ternate and Tidore lie to the east of Manado. Both of these feature prominently in the history of the Spice Race. The Sultan of Ternate presided over Sulawesi up until the Portugese arrived in the 1500’s. Then the Spanish arrived on Tidore before the Dutch and their mighty maritime power came and conquered all!

To the northeast of Manado is the Pacific Ocean and here is part of the secret of why there are just so many species in the underwater gardens that surround Manado. This is the confluence of the Indian and Pacific oceans - it is literally, the best of both worlds and the proverbial garden of the sea.

Navigator after navigator departed Europe for ventures to the Spice Islands. Now that we live in an era where most people can't make it to the local shops without Google Maps, their feats are truly remarkable! Most were accomplished before the sextant or even the advent of the magnetic compass, as we know it!

I love sailing and it has been my livelihood for the past 40 years. The stories of The Great Spice Race intrigued me to the point where I just had to visit Manado. And on that notion, I decided to go 'discover' this world for myself and what unfolded was much more delightful than anything I could have possibly imagined.

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DELIGHT NUMBER ONE FINAL APPROACH IT'S EASY TO GET LOST AND FOUND, IN MANADO! I know because I got lost in its history but found my soul hanging around in in its rugged natural beauty.- Scott

Manado sits right on the foreshores of the Celebes Sea. It's the only city that is 'protected' from stormy seas by a wall of malls!

Every evening the city folk gather at various locations along the entire foreshore to watch the sunset and I really enjoyed watching young people enjoy the pleasure.

Where else in the world does a stratovolcano feature as a navigational aid for pilots!

I mentioned the beautiful final approach to the lovely immigration officer and she replied, "That's great to hear! Because a lot of people just say jungle, jungle, jungle!"

Maybe those people missed the point of visiting North Sulawesi because the magic of flying was certainly lost on them!

Even from a few thousand feet up, you can just see how pristine this sea is. It was easy to spot the whitecaps dancing across the Celebes Sea. Splendid because I haven't seen those in a long while too!

THE PEOPLE OF MANADO

Delight Number Two

It takes great people to make a great place.

It's a religious experience, to be above Kota Manado. To make my short stay more fruitful, I engaged the services of a local guide named Anastasia who would later be nicknamed 'Anastasia the Great'. Charming, capable and ever so passionate about the outdoors of North Sulawesi. Each day that unfolded became even better than the preceding one.

That's a magic touch!

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CULTURE UPON CULTURE

With my head in the clouds!

And I thought that this platform was what we came to see! How wrong was I!?

Heavens above.

Fields below!

All great adventures begin over coffee. In the 1500's the Spanish exploited Sulawesi's fertile soil and established their coffee plantations here. With such a long history in cultivating coffee, Sulawesi coffee is very good.

So I hatched out my basic idea of what I needed to see, to Anastasia. Moments later, we departed town through the small lanes that link the city to the hinterland. Forty minutes later, we were driving through lush vegetable fields up in the cool of the highlands. We alighted on a hill at some old wooden platform that overlooks Tomohon district. Awesome, I thought!

Tomohon Town, its lake and neat fields were being momentarily blotted out as the clouds zoomed around us. I have not had such a view since I was a small boy growing up in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea!

My childhood daydream was soon interrupted as Anastasia suggested we could gain a better view by ascending some steps that lead to a higher peak. The step climb wasn't too hard but necessitated a small break half way up to catch my breath - city boy! At 1580 metres high it is just that little bit thinner on oxygen. Slight, but noticeable. Continuing on a short distance, the forest trees that flanked the path, gave way to blade grass. I took a final step forward and looked up!

Right there before me was a great hole in the planet!

Never in my wildest imagination did I think this would unfold in such an easy manner but here I was right on the precipice - the rim of Mahawu, a volcano with a view over greater Manado.

Now where in the world, can you go from airport to volcano in about an hour!

The moss protects the ascent to Mahawu, only the sure-footed will gain entry!

An astonishing view awaits but you must pass the Minahasan Warrior and that is your second challenge.

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"OOH, YOU SET MY SOUL ALIGHT" - MUSE

Super massive hole.

The massive hole in the ground with Epi's name scrawled in the mud at the bottom of the crater!

"Superstars sucked into the supermassive"

This is Epi. Am imposing figure of a warrior that had me thinking twice about approaching him.

I haven't been near a volcano since I was a small boy. That was some 50 years ago, and that happened to be in Hawaii!

During our coffee chat, I'd mentioned my need to see a volcano. But somehow Anastasia had managed to disguise this volcano bit and so it came as a complete and delightful surprise followed by countless ohhs, ahhs and wows!

The rest stop halfway around the rim. I think I could just daydream here all day long!

From our lofty vantage point we could see another larger volcano in the background just a few kilometers away, still belching steam and smoke! Mount Lokon is active with an eruption once every couple of years! "When's the next one, do you know? 'Cos I really want to watch it?"- As if!

North Sulawesi lies on the collision belt of the tectonic plates of the Pacific, Philippines and Australian plates. You can say that it is in the Ring of Fire.

That's Lokon belching out smoke and steam in the background. Just the day after our visit, the areas were offlimits to tourists due to abnormal seismic activity.

This is an ancient land with a Stegodon (mammoth) fossil found on the island of Sangihe which lies just north of the city and is but one of North Sulawesi's 150 coastal gems.

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MANY 'EPI ADVENTURES

It's simply stunning in every hue. angle.

Shakers and movers!

True to form, during the time I was in Manado Mount Lokon was more active than usual and was closed to tourists as was Mahawu. Although I didn't get to see any sparks, I did feel a small earthquake one night at the hotel - this is an ancient land but still a very active one!

Taking a walk around the rim of the volcano was such a memorable treat. As we completed the circuit I noticed a rather imposing figure standing atop the platform. For a moment there, I was truly unsure if this was friend or foe!

But there he was - a Minahassan warrior in full kit! The Minahassan warriors were known for their resolve in fighting with the Dutch colonials that had taken over from the Portuguese colonials - and I thought I was only ever going to see one at a festival! But here he was, larger than life, in the wild!

Epi'; loosely translated from bahasa to mean Happy!

These are the "the Manado people". Indigenous descendants of the Austronesian migration from much further north. Prior to contact with the Europeans, the Minahasan primarily had contact with the people of North Maluku and traded with Chinese and traders from within the archipelago.

In the early days the skulls hanging around his neck would have been human enemies but in the modern world, these can only be animal skulls procured from hunting.

Once past the first warrior, you must correctly answer two questions to proceed further along the path to riches!

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FRESHNESS BEYOND DOUBT

Delight Number Three

Fresh ingredients makes great cuisine.

On the way to the volcano Mahawu, we passed along beautifully shaded, tree-lined country roads through undulating hills and lush fields that were just so completely stocked with crops.

So it comes as no big surprise that the food around Manado is exceptionally fresh and very delicious.

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SEDAP

The "Big Fish". Prehistoric and you can find out all about him in the Museum!

Spice magic does exist Cakalang What a dish...

Perhaps it's the mixing of cultures that has created such a delicious cuisine. Every meal is served with vegetables and the most amazing sambal on the planet. In fact. I've never eaten so much sambal before. It's that good!

There's no need to eat in a 'posh' restaurant as the street fare is superb and has the atmosphere to go with it. Just east of Manado center is a great street stall area. You sit on the footpath between the main road and the Celebes Sea. Here you have the catch of the day while watching the sunset of the century and listening to the main street melody!

With so many species in the underwater garden, you are absolutely spoilt for choice!

Typically, a meal consists of grilled fish with very fresh vegetables and the most delectable sambal.

Guaranteed fresh. This stall was just metres from the Bay of Manado. Just about every meal I had was grilled fish. I've never been more healthy in all my life nor whacked so many species!

Another curious observation, it's not common to find soft drinks at the average stall! That's a very good thing because, in their absence you have all manner of fresh juices from orange to avocado.

Page - 12 Raja Sate is the best satay that I've ever had including tuna, prawn and squid satay - this is a real winner, served on the cooker!

UNIMAGINED DIVERSITY

Delight Number Four

Insanely diverse environment.

Sulawesi is sandwiched between the Wallace and Weber Lines that biologically demarcate an area that separates fauna and species, of those in Oriental and Australasia - scientifically endorsed to be really unique!

With the Pacific Ocean pushing south and the Indian Ocean pushing north, Manado is home to so many species that it has the most bio-diverse marine environment imaginable. Just Bunaken National Marine Park alone, is home to 390 species of coral and more than 70% of all the known fish species of the Indo-Western Pacific.

Search the internet and it'll come up with hundreds of notable dive sites. But the truth of the matter is that the waters are so rich in life and the corals are all still vibrant that even a brief snorkeling session will be sufficient to amaze you!

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MY WISH LIST NO. 1

FASCINATING MARITIME HISTORY The Spice Islands conjure up so many images! Great struggles and brutal battles, it's all part of the historical seascape that exists. A maritime history that dates back to the 1500's when the Spanish and the Portuguese arrived!

I visited Manado as I had beoame fascinated in the maritime history that exists in the area and I had anticipated seeing some throwbacks to a bygone era in the local boats. At one stage, these shores were visited by hundreds of vessels from far flung lands.

In the 9th Century - Chinese, Indian and Arab merchants stocked their vessels with goods to move along the Silk Road to deliver to European markets! In the 1500's the Spanish exploited the rich soils of North Sulawesi to establish coffee plantations. Sadly, with such a vivid maritime history there is little in the way of maritime evidence on the foreshores of Manado today!

It's a common story throughout Southeast Asia and the South Pacific where the introduction of the outboard motor has eradicated all sailing skills. In just 50 years, hundreds of years of sailing experience has been all but wiped out! That's the price of 'development'!

Wouldn't it be so nice to see sailing cargo boats make a come back!

MY WISH LIST NO. 2

IT'S BETWEEN WALLACE AND WEBER With scenery that is reminiscent of more harsh climes, North Sulawesi is breathtaking. It really is the most underrated destination! - and that is protecting it!

The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Australia. The line divides Bali from Lombok and runs through the Makassar Straits separating Borneo from Sulawesi. West of the line are species found in Asia and to the east, Australian species. This explains why the Archipelago has endemic species such as the Komodo Dragon, the Giant Flores Rat and the Babirusa (Deer-pig) of Sulawesi. Far from animals, the topography and fauna around Manado are bound to surprise!

Just as The Line creates an amazing scene on land, below the waves is another surprise. Lying just to the northeast of Manado lies the vast Pacific Ocean and way down southwest, is the Indian Ocean. Manado and her outlying islands sit at the confluence of these two great oceans. The total number of species you can see in just one dive will astound you. It's truly an amazing place and especially so for nature lovers.

MY WISH LIST NO. 3

"I FELL INTO A BURNING RING OF FIRE" - JOHNY CASH I think I fell in love with this bit of the "The Ring of Fire" - the 'Ring' skirts the entire Pacific Ocean starting in South America it wraps the west coast of USA, touches Alaska then runs through Japan before curving over to Sulawesi. This is a great deal seismic excitement! Sulawesi sits on three tectonic plates: the northward-moving Australian plate, the westwardmoving Pacific plate, and the southeast-moving Eurasia plate. This is an ancient land but that doesn't mean it's docile! In 2018, Mount Soputan (simply must see), North Sulawesi, erupted and is just one of the 130 active volcanoes that are in Indonesia.

Manado has to be one of few cities of the world where you can step out of your hotel and 40 minutes later, be standing breathless on the rim of a great hole in the planet! On the day I visited Mahawu to take this photo, Mount Lokon (1580m) was steaming and hissing in the background! True to form, the very next day, Lokon and Mahawu were closed to visitors!

Go with the flow, even if it's a pyroclastic one!

Mahawu is a stratovolcano with a 180 m wide and 140 m deep crater with an elevation of 1,324 m (4,344 ft). It's a short ascent but it will still take your breath away!

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OHHH. AHHH. WOWW! ALL OVER AGAIN!

Find paradise here The road to paradise is surprisingly paved, all the way.

At the top of the Minahasan Peninsula

The sun hasn't set on this outrigger empire yet!

Bunaken National Marine Park gets all the attention but it didn't really do it for me! Perhaps I'd been spoiled by the time I got to Bunaken.

Now that is saying something because all reviews put Bunaken way at the top.

Flat atolls don’t really do it for me and to rub salt into the wound, as we sat having grilled fish on Bunaken’s main beach, there loomed Manado Tua taunting me with its volcano so close I felt I could just reach out and touch it.

Yes I’m enamored by the volcanoes that are littered around the place!

Manado Tua from Bunaken's main tourist drag. annoying close - next time!

I love sailing boats and in particular, multihulls.

So I felt right at home with the outrigger style boats of north Sulawesi.

Pulisan Beach is in the district of Likupang, about one hour's drive northeast of Manado.

Roads in North Sulawesi are really nice and I especially enjoyed the smaller lanes. The smaller the better.

Pulisan Beach lies in a decent sized bay with its own islands as well. The primary attraction for me was the traditional style outrigger boats.

These are made by owners mostly from wood and elbow grease. These aren’t tarted up in some factory, these are the real deal. Given the great maritime history that surrounds the area, it's sad to note that all the boats have long forgotten their sails in favour of little motors.

Simplicity of design allows the outrigger to be multi-capable.

Just pull up to any beach you like with consummate ease!

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TRANSPORT ME TO ANOTHER TIME

Katinting Where else in the world can you go from airport to sea cave in under two hours!

Katinting beached at Pulisan. Charter one and push off into your own little adventure. Each katinting is made by the owner who becomes the captain.

Chartering one of the outriggers for the afternoon cost the princely sum of Indonesia Rupiah 200,000. That sounds like a huge amount, but in reality it's S$20! You get the captain and the boat. For that you can set out to any of the beaches in the bay. We putt-putted off to the first bay and stopped at the first beach to the east, less than 5 minutes from the main beach. We stopped over the top of a coral head which looked to be so close I was sure it would touch the hull.

Cautiously I lowered myself into the water trying not to disturb the coral head. But once I stuck my head underwater, I was completely surprised!

What appeared to be less than a meter deep was in fact four or five meters deep! Such as the clarity of the water. At the very first glance, there lay a very, very vibrant blue starfish about 30 centimeters in diameter. Now, I haven't seen one of those in the wild since my boyhood Papua New Guinea days!

Sadly, they have long forgotten their sailing skills! This is a common trait throughout Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. - motors in, skills out!

The fish seemed just as curious to see a white bloke in the water as I was of them! It was only a short distance to a very small sea cave. Now I'd only been in Pulisan about 10 minutes and here I was already in my own sea cave!

I had to ask myself, where else in the world could you go from airport to private sea cave in under two hours!

The Katinting is a versatile boat, it can be paddled or, powered by a single cylinder diesel Kubota engine.

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NOOO0!

Where are the crab claw sails?

Traditionally, the katinting would have had a crab claw sail on it.

At the main dock area in Manado, goods are still transported by trusty wooden hulls. Loading and unloading is still done in the time honoured way!

The outrigger has served previous generations well.

I asked the katinting's owner whether anybody in the village could still remember how to sail?

That was replied with a resounding NO! Even before the great Portuguese navigators found Sulawesi the locals were using outrigger style boats for fishing, diving and trade as well as crossing oceans.

"Outrigger canoes are common in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans thought to be developed by Austronesian seafarers thousands of years ago. Austronesians emanated from southern China through Taiwan and South-East Asia to become today’s Filipinos, Malays, Chams of Vietnam, Indonesians and more recently, the inhabitants of Madagascar and Polynesia."

- Richard Gregory, www.sea.museum/2016

Growing up in Papua New Guinea, I used to watch the "lakatois" scream across the water at breakneck speeds. Speeds that back then 'modern' sailing boats just could not achieve!

Lakatoi is the local Papuan name for a dugout canoe that is powered by wind. Today only a few Lakatois are kept for racing while commerce is conducted on single-hulled fibreglass boats that are power by the ubiquitous Yamaha outboard motor!

The story is the same throughout Asia and the Pacific, as soon as motors became available, sailing went out the window! The impetus for my trip to North Sulawesi was to see if any sailing outriggers still existed. I think found my answer!

This place does it for me. With Savana Hill as a backdrop, I'll never get bored!

Loaded, same old way!

Paid, per bag carried!

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MANADO FOLKS

Delight Number Five

Selamat hari minggu I was told some years ago by an Indonesian friend that "Manado has a church on every corner". I only half believed it but now I can say that it is really true.

On my excursion to Pulisan Beach through Likupang I counted 11 churches on one street.

Now the street was only a couple of kilometres long so that is a lot of churches! Obviously the remnants of the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English influences. Manado is known as the most culturally diverse city in all of Indonesia.

In true Manado fashion, I did get dragged into a village church. I'm surprised the doors didn't slam in my face and I am better off for the experience!

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GREETINGS

A day at the museum

Evidence!!

The traditional Perahu with it's beautiful bow bulb. Interestingly, modern day super tankers employ bow bulbs to make them more efficient. The early Austronesians knew what they were doing.

Clash of cultures The European threads are interwoven into a cultural Minahasan social fabric that makes the place truly unique in every sense. On one hand, you have the influences of Christianity and on the other hand, you have what would have been animism and tribal beliefs. A wander through the Manado Museum turned out to be a highlight.

It's big. It's prehistoric and it was caught in Manado Bay in 2006. It's since become an icon.

The building is not the most glam' but I was most fortunate to meet Pak Robi who was the museum's curator for the last 35 years. That happens to be one of the endearing features of Manado, people find their 'thing' and stick with it!

Pak Robi gave a personal tour of the displays within and was able to explain things in great detail. That was well worth doing. In a brief period of time you can see how each culture has washed the shores of Sulawesi, each leaving their own indelible imprint on the culture.

Today we are told, "leave only your footprints behind". Well that certainly wasn't the case back then!

Epi'; translated from bahasa to mean Happy!

A replica of a Waruga at the Museum. Aboveground stone tombs used by the Minahasans to honour their deceased. Pak Robi's indepth review of the displays was superb.

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One of the most interesting displays is the Waruga - the traditional tomb of Minahasans. These are large stone, above-ground tombs into which the bodies were placed and then the tomb oriented to face north. It was believed that the ancestors came from true North!

Now tie that into the history of the Austronesians who really migrated from the north and you can say, they were dead right!

WALKABOUT

Jalan Jalan By the 1820's the Dutch banned the use of the Warugas and introduced the Christian way of burial. Sadly, most of the Warugas were looted for the valuables that were entombed with the deceased. I was planning a visit to a traditional Waruga site but the afternoon was suggested as "not the best time to visit the dead" and so that part of the adventure will have to wait until a more appropriate time.

Street life is never dull and nothing but nothing beats a Honda Cup!

Around town People are ever so friendly and helpful. Every time you pass someone on the street, you will be acknowledged. That's a really nice thing and I truly appreciated it.

If you visit the modern malls that are on the Manado shopping belt, locals will greet you and chat to you so if you know just a little Bahasa Indonesia, it will go a long way. Most of the locals speak some English so things aren't too difficult.

I was really fortunate to have Anastasia as the guide for my stay in the Manado adventure. With Anastasia I was able to get a much better picture of life in Manado than I would have if I tried to do it by myself. So in just one week we literally covered a lot of ground and was able to see many things that I would have missed as just a lone tourist.

But Manado is a far cry from just some backwater. A quick visit to the malls will let you see that everything is available if you so wish.

Sulawesi coffee rates highly and there a number of really cool coffee shops around or you could while away your time at Danau Linow and watch the lake change colours. Truly, it does. Three colours, each day!

The whole time we were sitting there, the across the way was pouring out steam and steaming hot water was flowing into the lake and, that Lake is stocked full of fish!

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MAKAN

Just go with the flow In Anastasia's capable hands, I felt as if I had become a thread of the social fabric there. To highlight that fact, we spent the afternoon at Pulisan Beach enjoying the katinting trip, the beach and the water there.

Damn. I feel homesick just looking at this!

Super efficient, the beacg crew sort through the catch!

By evening the local beach crew told us to wait as they were going to collect their nets. So we sat and chatted to some of the villagers while waiting for the 'catch of the day'.

Catch of the day comes ashore!

Just after sunset, the team arrived back on the beach with multiple nets and each just as full as the other. The seas here are obviously plentiful!

It was really interesting to spend the time watching them at work. After an hour or so the large cooler box was about 3/4 full - that's quite a haul!

Next came, "we are going to grill some of the fish so you need to stay".

It was totally unexpected but what a great offer and so we hung around to watch what happened next.

I can't stress it enough, the food in Manado is really amongst the best of anywhere and i think it rivals all in terms of freshness. Hundreds of years of Spice Culture all deliciously wrapped up in a dish!

Net to table in 30 minutes! Cocked over a grill of burning coconut shells - awesome!

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HAPPY CHAPPY

Cap tikus Next?

I almost don't remember.

Well, while we were waiting I got introduced to Manado sake' otherwise known as "cap tikus". This is fermented from the palm tree - that's one useful tree! Each village basically has their own brew. It is slightly more fragrant than Japanese sakae but has the same kick and the same warming sensation but at about $1/bottle, it won't break the bank! Actually very good! After three bottles - fabulous!

So with fire in our bellies, a real fire was set and this was also interesting as they use dried coconut shells. Just a dozen of these gave off enough heat to cook a whole lot of fish. I like how all natural things are well used in their daily life. Once the grilled fish was served, out came some more, sambal!

So sumptuous and so fresh. Net-to-table in about 30 minutes I don't think you can get much fresher than that! But see how the people can easily take you under their wing and be ever so accommodating and as long as you are willing to go with the flow, things in Manado happen in a very magical way.

But I had to think, how their beautiful lives could be impacted by rising tides and rising fuel costs. As long as Indonesia has vast reserves of oil, things will remain but at some point in time there will be a big shift. I like the way they divide the catch and then they have their system for getting excess fish to market. It's what they've done for ages! Nice, let's help keep it that way!

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MANADO HOME

Delight Number Six

Better than home I prefer to stay in more personable, smaller boutique style hotels. Looking around the internet I found something that looked to have charming rooms and was really well priced. I didn't book through one of the big booking sites - I did it old style - call and book via the phone. The response it got was perfect and every detail of my booking was dutifully made without a hitch. I honestly prefer dealing directly as the big websites take way more than their fair share of the wedge. That small fact that the hotel will make just a few dollars more goes a long way in paying the wages of the staff and supporting their families.

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BEAUTY

Arty and so very cool So it was a great surprise to check in and receive exactly the same price as the booking sites had advertised for the same room. The big difference was actually the duty manager who had taken my call, said thank you for making the booking that way!

Just 40 minutes drive from the S Loft and you too can have all this!

So it's true.

A little bit goes a long way and it also shows how much more personable the smaller boutique style hotels really are. The whole team at the S Loft were so attentive and welcoming that after a week it was really hard to leave the place.

The S Loft is located on Sam Ratulangi and indeed his statue is just a short walk from the hotel. The location is ideal as its really easy to get to the shopping belt but easy to get out of the town area and into the adventures of the hinterland.

I took a morning stroll from the S Loft to the main waterfront area. If you read reports that say it’s really hot, I didn’t really think so despite it being the dry season. At 52% humidity, it’s actually a very comfortable climate for me.

The rooms at the S Loft are really nice and the decor suited my tastes as much as the big comfy bed suited my sleeping habit. There’s good hot water and the rooms are really clean.

I was a pain and requested pancakes for breakfast every morning which were dutifully served hot and fresh every morning - yeah I like pancakes when I can get fresh ones!

I used the S lofts strategic location so that I could enjoy some of the City lights as well as escaping into the greenery whenever I desired.

The internet at the S Loft is one of the fastest around - if you really need it! I particularly liked it when the GM Indah Kartika appeared at breakfast time to ask if everything was alright.

Very nice touch!

Distinct mural on the S Loft. Tallest mural around. I like art - this suited me perfectly!

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LINOU DANAU - LOOKS LIKE NZ!

Delight Number Seven

From the get go..

I was spoiled, as Anastastia had a car and so that’s how I covered the large distances with ease. But I also enjoyed buzzing around town and to this end the GoJek App is really handy particularly the GoJek Motorcycles. This is the most convenient way to get around town, needless to say the cheapest with around town fares typically in the $1-2 range. The bike is not only more exciting but squeezes through the traffic and you get a better view of the street life. The local mini-buses look great but I had to leave those for my next Manado adventure.

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HOW NOW

Who what where The only down side - Leaving!

The environment there is just so stunning, the air so fresh and the water amazing. It’s like nowhere else! Simply, everyone there are just so welcoming! Totally unique and very lovable!

Safari Tours & Travels

Jeremy Barnes, appreciate all the helpful info'. +62 431 857637

Raja Sate An easy way into Manado cuisine for really foreign visitors.

The Sate at Raja Sate is without doubt, the best I've had in 40 years in Southeast Asia. Pretty much opposite the malls. JL Pierre Tendean no.39, Boulevard Manado, +62 852-98065388

Guided S Loft Hotel Arty, funky, very comfortable and really great people there. GM Indah Kartika and the team, very easy to recommend. Jl. Sam Ratulangi II No. 118 95117 Manado +62 431 8809000

Anastasia the Great. Possibly the most fun city guide on the planet! Great driver, fantastic company. Airport pickup possible +62 878 4641 7232