Bangka

We overnight at the lovely remote island of Gelasa before continuing to our next stop is the large island of Bangka, famous for its tin mining.  

Palau Gelasa

The Indonesian word for tin is wanka however it has been changed to timah for obvious reasons!  We aim to anchor at the port of Pangkal Pinang so we can meet Sam and Josh when they arrive in Bangka however it is decided that it may be a dirty, bad anchorage so we continue for a couple more hours to Parai Beach at Sungailiat where a very popular Indonesian beach resort is nestled in the bay. The white sandy beach is clean and inviting.  We venture to shore in the dinghy to explore and Graeme and Heather are accosted by security and then taken to hotel reception.  We explain that we have arrived by boat which causes much confusion. Finally, there are smiles all round and in the evening we dine at their restaurant to dreadful karaoke and average food – oh dear.  Later that evening, we are contacted by phone by the local Harbour Master and the bureaucratic fun begins.  Brian heads back to shore with the ship’s paperwork and it is all settled – we think…  

Squidding Platform - there are hundreds of these around Bangka

Fireworks street seller

Local minimart

Curtain making shop

 

The next day, Graeme and Heather hire a car to journey to meet Sam and Josh at Pangkal Pinang where they have booked a few nights in various hotels.  The car arrives at reception and they are told they can’t leave without speaking to the Coast Guard.  Strangely, the Coast Guard has been sitting next to them for 30 minutes and has not said anything!  They apologise and tell him they can’t stay as they must go to meet their children at the airport at Pangkal Pinang, an hour away, and off they go.  It’s great to see the guys and they spend some quality time catching up. 

Meanwhile Brian and Lyn are unable to hire a car from the hotel as they must stay there to meet the Coast Guard, Immigration and Harbour Master.  Meetings, phone calls and text messages swirl around between Brian, Graeme and the bureaucrats.  Requests for passports, visas, ships documents and port clearances ensue whilst Brian and Lyn are under ‘house arrest’ much to their disgust!  We are politely insistent that do not require Port Clearance as all our paperwork is in order.  Later that day it seems to have been settled however unusual phone messages continue with the final message to Brian being:

“OK..heppy hounny moon memoris this nigt whit your wife sir … enjoy plese… be carefully at the sea way captain.”

The next day they are able to hire a car to sight-see around the island – phew.

During all this drama, Brian discovers the engine mounts need replacing – not good when you are in the back of beyond. The Monkhouses continue gallivanting around Bangka re-provisioning, buying wine and phone credit etc.  They are lucky to buy some lengths of mild steel and have them pre-cut so Brian and Graeme can temporarily ‘fix’ the engine mounts.

Then we are on our way – yey.  We sail to Belinyu, a small town on the north of Bangka.  It’s a fairly average anchorage in the port – noisy, dirty and no good for swimming.  We start to walk to town and Graeme flags down a ute - we all jump in the back and zoom off to the only hotel in Belinyu.  The Monkhouses again check into the hotel and Sam and Josh enjoy their last night before they head to the airport to continue their holiday at a surf spot in Java.  Early in the next morning, Graeme and Heather re-provision at the traditional market.  There are hundreds of locals all vying for the best produce.  We buy the usual fruit, veges, eggs, bread and fresh chooks (head, feet and guts included), fresh beef cut from the hanging carcass …mmm.  We have diesel, ice and water – and off we go … 

Chickens complete with head, feet and guts

Buying beef at the market - tough as old boots

Hitching a ride in the back of a ute at Belinyu

Buying phone credit at Telkomsel

Monkeys for sale at the market