Jelajah Kawasan Pesisir Tambrauw

Kawasan pesisir dari Kabupaten Tambrauw, sama seperti daerah pegunungan, memiliki pemandangan yang indah sekali. Saya beberapa kali melintasinya baik dengan kapal maupun speedboat saat menemani wisatawan.

Wisatawan Selandia Baru di perairan Tambrauw

Hutan hujan tropis yang ada di kawasan ini juga kaya dengan berbagai spesies hewan dan tumbuhan.

Di beberapa lokasi pantai, karena berhadapan langsung dengan lautan bebas, pada bulan-bulan tertentu yakni Desember, Januari, dan Februari, ombaknya cukup besar. Itu adalah saat yang tepat bagi pencinta olah raga selancar air untuk berkunjung ke Tambrauw.

Pada beberapa tempat tertentu dari pesisir pantai Kabupaten Tambrauw ada terumbu karang dengan air lautnya yang jernih. Ikan-ikan tropis dari ukuran kecil seperti Orange-skunk Anemonefish, Moorish Idol, Stripe Surgeonfish, parrotfish sampai yang berukuran besar seperti Humphead Wrasse bisa kita lihat saat menikmati aktivitas snorkeling.

Terumbu karang di Perairan Tambrauw

Para wisatawan yang ingin snorkeling di pesisir pantai utara Tambrauw sebaiknya membawa kamera bawah air agar keindahan dunia bawah laut di daerah tersebut bisa dipotret atau direkam dalam bentuk video.
Untuk wisatawan yang ingin menghabiskan waktu selama beberapa hari mengunjungi kampung-kampung, hutan dan pantai di Tambrauw, sebaiknya menghubungi pramuwisata resmi dari DPC HPI (Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia) Cabang Kabupaten Tambrauw yang cukup mengerti kondisi alam dan budaya masyarakat setempat. Salah satu yang saya rekomendasikan adalah Bapak Anis Sundoi. Beliau tinggal di kota Sausapor dan dapat dihubungi lewat nomor hp: 085243497666.
Beliau bisa memandu para wisatawan pencinta alam untuk melihat berbagai hal yang menarik di kawasan pantai utara Tambrauw dari pesona alam seperti Weyos yang adalah habitat alami bagi berbagai satwa burung tropis; rusa, soa-soa, kuskus, penyu, hingga ke Pulau Dua dan Werur yang pada masa Perang Dunia II adalah pangkalan militer tentara sekutu.

Wisatawan Eropa di Pantai Werur

Ada cara murah meriah untuk menikmati keindahan pesisir pantai utara Tambrauw dengan harga yang sangat terjangkau. Wisatawan bisa naik kapal penumpang barang yang berlayar antar Sorong dan Manokwari tetapi singgah di kampung-kampung yang ada di Kabupaten Tambrauw.

Meskipun rasanya sepat, wisatawan asing banyak yang penasaran dan ingin mencoba mengunyah sirih pinang kapur seperti yang dilakukan oleh wisatawan Belanda ini.

Sebelum melakukan perjalanan, ada baiknya wisatawan menghubungi pramuwisata HPI untuk mendapat informasi mengenai jadual kapal perintis yang akan berangkat dari Sorong atau Manokwari menuju Tambrauw. Hal ini penting karena dengan demikian wisatawan bisa merencanakan perjalanan liburannya ke Tambrauw dengan baik dan tidak tertahan terlalu lama di daerah itu.
Ini adalah perjalanan wisata petualangan yang sangat digemari oleh wisatawan karena mereka bisa melihat dari dekat kehidupan warga setempat dalam kesehariannya. Durasi perjalanan dari Manokwari adalah sekitar 3 hari hingga sampai di Sausapor (salah satu kota pesisir di kabupaten Tambrauw). Setelah tiba di kota Sausapor, perjalanan berikutnya bisa dilanjutkan ke daerah pedalaman dengan menggunakan kendaraan 4WD.
Saat ini, Pandemi Covid-19 masih berlangsung. Untuk sementara, perjalanan wisata ke Tambrauw terutama buat wisatawan asing belum bisa dilakukan. Ketika pandemi telah mereda dan sudah ada izin dari pemerintah, wisatawan internasional dan nasional bisa datang lagi ke Papua Barat. Ditulis oleh: Charles Roring
Baca juga:

• Jelajah Gunung Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases
• Tambrauw Berpotensi Menjadi Destinasi Wisata Alam di Kelas Dunia

Jelajah Gunung Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases di Kabupaten Tambrauw

Gunung Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases adalah habitat alami bagi berbagai spesies hewan dan tumbuhan Papua yang menarik untuk dilihat oleh wisatawan. Kedua tempat ini terletak di pedalaman Tambrauw sekitar 30 menit naik kendaraan 4WD dari Fef, ibukota Kabupaten Tambrauw.

Wisatawan Prancis di Distrik Ases, Kabupaten Tambrauw

Selama beberapa tahun belakangan ini wisatawan internasional mulai tertarik untuk berkunjung ke sana. Mereka menghabiskan waktu kira-kira 4 hari hingga 1 minggu di sana untuk menjelajah hutan, sungai dan daerah perbukitan yang ada di sana.

Wisatawan Ceko dan warga setempat di Gunung Sakofsiah, Kabupaten Tambrauw

Air di Sungai Ases jernih sekali. Ada banyak ikan yang bisa dijumpai di sana. Saat berjalan menyusuri tepian sungai, wisatawan bisa melihat berbagai spesies burung seperti kakaktua putih, kakaktua raja, taun-taun, nuri kepala hitam, raja udang paruh kuning, rufous-bellied kookaburra, kumkum, jagal papua, mino muka kuning, mina emas, pitta perut merah, pitta kepala hitam, dan masih banyak lagi. 

Pohon-pohon besar yang tumbuh di Pegunungan Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases kerap dihinggapi burung New Guinea Vulturine Parrot, serta New Guinea Harpy Eagle. 

Wisatawan Amerika Serikat di Lembah Ases

Rata-rata wisatawan yang pergi ke Lembah Ases membawa binocular dan kamera telefoto. Mereka bisa memotret burung surga yang berdansa di cabang-cabang pohon di pagi dan sore hari. 

Aktivitas penjelajahan hutan dilakukan pula di malam hari untuk melihat katak-katak besar di pinggir kali, ular, dan rusa.  Kuskus pohon, tupai terbang serta kelelawar sering dijumpai di Ases. Ada tempat-tempat khusus yang tidak jauh dari Kampung Ases di mana wisatawan bisa pergi guna melihat rusa, dan wallaby yang datang untuk minum air. Di sana ada beberapa mata air kecil yang kerap dikunjungi hewan mamalia. Warga setempat menyebutnya viem.

Selama wisatawan berlibur di Lembah Ases dan Gunung Sakofsiah, para wisatawan ini dilayani oleh warga setempat yang bekerja memandu mereka di hutan, maupun memasak serta menyajikan makanan di pagi, siang, hingga malam hari.
Para pramuwisata yang ada di Kabupaten Tambrauw sekarang sudah ada wadah atau organisasinya. Namanya DPC Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia Kabupaten Tambrauw. Ketuanya pada  saat ini adalah Nico Nauw. Jika Anda tertarik untuk berlibur ke Gunung Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases di Pegunungan Tambrauw, silahkan menghubungi beliau lewat nomor ponsel: 082198060084.

Hutan hujan tropis yang ada di Kabupaten Tambrauw ini masih dalam kondisi baik. Para wisatawan tersebut sangat terkesan dengan keindahan alam pegunungan, dan lembah sekaligus keanekaragaman hayati yang bisa dilihat di Gunung Sakofsiah dan Lembah Ases. Mereka berkata akan memberitahu teman-teman yang lain supaya ada yang tertarik untuk berkunjung ke Tambrauw. Di tulis oleh Charles Roring

Baca juga:

• Tambrauw Berpotensi Menjadi Destinasi Wisata Alam Kelas Dunia
• Pengamatan Burung Terbaik di Papua Barat

English:

• Birdwatching in Tambrauw Regency
• Rainforest Tours in Tambrauw Mountains

Slideshow of Bird Pictures from West Papua

The tropical rainforest of West Papua is very rich of birdlife. As a tourist guide, I often guide visitors to lowland and higher montane forests. We travel to various areas in this province to watch and take pictures of birds of paradise and other tropical birds. In the past, I used Nikon Coolpix P500 and Fujifilm HS50EXR. Now I use Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Red Bird of Paradise

Most of the pictures were published in my blogs and websites as well as my facebook naturelife page and personal accounts.

In this slideshow, I reused the photographs again and added them with my newest pictures. After adding transitional effects and instrumental music to the slideshow, I published it on youtube.

Birds play very important role in the ecosystem of rainforest. They disperse seed, they provide fertilizer through the poops that they release everyday and they do pest control by eating insects, small mammals and reptiles in the forest.

Birding or birdwatching tourism in West Papua grew well before the Covid-19 pandemic. It stopped suddenly when government did not allow foreign tourists to travel into Indonesia. Government plan to allow foreign tourists to visit this country again in 2021.

I hope that the above slideshow of Birding in West Papua will attract interest of anyone who watches it so that he or she will be interested in traveling to this beautiful island.

If you are interested in traveling to West Papua and want me to guide you and organize your tour, please, contact me Charles Roring by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Slideshow of Birds in Arfak Mountains of Manokwari

Here is a short slideshow of some of the birds that can be watched in Arfak mountains.

I used Canon 200D with 150-600mm Tamron G2 lens and Fujifilm HS50EXR to make the above bird photos.
For nature lovers and avid birders, Arfak mountains are very good destination not only for watching birds but also for seeing beautiful scenery and unique culture of the indigenous Papuan people.
There are two big lakes in the mountain range i.e. Anggi Giji and Anggi Gida. They are located at around 2,000 meters above sea levels. Colorful flowers can be seen growing around their slopes.

Anggi Gida Lake in Arfak mountains

According to the website of Papua Insects Foundation, Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid from Belgium used to visit the Arfak mountains and the lakes in 1929.

A Visit to Raimuti island in Manokwari Papua

Last January three Russian tourists visited Raimuti island. It was the smallest island in the Dorey bay of Manokwari Papua. These Russian tourists were Mikhail, Dima and Inga. They spent two weeks hiking around Table Mountain, the Mansinam island, and then they went snorkeling and fishing in the Raimuti island.

According to their opinion, Raimuti was a small but beautiful place. It was located near Arfai beach, only around two hundred meters from the main Papua land. There were some mangrove trees growing in the island. These vegetations helped prevent the island from erosion that could eliminate the whole island from Papua map.

Fortunately, not many people visits the island, that's why it still exists until now.
Raimuti has been used by fishermen as a resting place or as a place to find fish bait.

A friend of mine, an indigenous Papuan said that there is a sunken warplane wreck around the waters of the Raimuti island. Unfortunately, he did not mention the exact location of the planewreck. The island is also surrounded by coral reef which is an important habitat for fish and other marine creatures.

If you are interested in visiting the island, you can hire a boat that belongs to the fishermen at Arfai beach. Usually its cost is Rp. 100,000 per day. I suggest that you bargain to get the suitable price. Don't forget to bring your own gear if you want to scuba dive around Raimuti, Lemon, and Mansinam islands.

Russian tourist

Wooden Boats in the Dorey bay of Manokwari

Wooden boats, similar to modern seagoing steel ships, are used to transport goods and people from one port to another. In the Dorey bay of Manokwari city, I saw some traditional wooden boats in a small jetty in Anggrem area during my walking tour yesterday afternoon. The hull and superstructure of one of the boats are painted with white and yellow coatings. On the average, the boats are powered by 200 horse power marine diesel engine and conventional three or four blades propellers. I was able to climb its top deck and took some photos of other boats around the area. There was a steel ship belonged to the local government. I know that it has been used as ferry connecting small coastal villages in the northern region of Papua island. Although the boats were constructed using traditional tools, they are quite safe and stable to sail across the sea.

When we are talking about traditional wooden boats design and building in Papua, we cannot categorized them as cargo ships and passenger ships. The decks where cargoes are stored are also used to carry passengers. I am doubtful if the crews or operators of these boats provide life-jackets to all the passengers and crews on board.

Anggrem Harbor

I went there with a friend of mine. On the other side, I saw the former shipyard built by a Dutch shipbuilding company.  Formerly known as Manokwari Scheepswerf Konijnenburg. Now it is called Fasharkan (Fasilitas Pemeliharaan dan Perbaikan or the Facility for the Maintenance and Repair). I am sad to tell you that it not working anymore. The expensive slipway and the shipbuilding facilities left by the Dutch  are  not developed or operated by the Indonesian government anymore. 

Doreri Bay in Manokwari

We talked with the some of crews of the boats. I asked them how much does it cost to go from Manokwari to Wasior. They said the ticket is Rp. 100,000 or around 11.3 US dollars. I requested this information because I want to get the exact ticket price for Wasior. a small town which now becomes the capital of Wondama Bay Regency. This regency has a large sea area which has been preserved by the government as the National Marine Park of Cendrawasih bay, one of the best coral reefs and scuba diving sites in the world.

From Wasior, tourists or scuba divers can hire another boat or small outrigger boats to continue their trip to Auri islands where they can do snorkeling and scuba diving there.
Most of the big islands of Indonesian archipelago have their own techniques in building traditional wooden boats. In Maluku, a small village that is famous for building boats is Asilulu. In North Sulawesi, villagers of Tanawangko are expert in building big boats that can carry up to one hundred passengers and several tons of cargoes. In South Sulawesi, we know famous names of Bulukumba or Tanjung Bira. People there are world class boat builders. This was written by Charles Roring.

Traveling around the farmland of Minahasa

My travel story today is about going around the farmland of Minahasa. After arriving at Sam Ratulangie international airport and staying for one day in one of the hotels in Manado city, the next day, you will want to begin your tour around Minahasa highland. What place will you visit first? I will suggest that you go to Tomohon. It is not far from Manado, the capital of the Province of North Sulawesi.

Tomohon municipality is a small town located around 45 minutes drive from Manado. It is also called as Kota Pelajar or Town of Students. There are a lot of schools in this town. Here, tourists can enjoy the fresh cool air of the town and visit the traditional gardens the local farmers are working on. They grow vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, onion, cauliflower, and read beans. Many farmers also grow flowers. After taking pictures and talking with the farmers, you might become hungry. There are many restaurants along the Jalan Raya Tomohon serving local, Chinese and Western cuisines. Or you might want to go to all you can eat restaurants in Kasuang. It is not far from Tomohon. If you take bendi, you need around fifteen to twenty minutes to reach Kasuang. The price of food per one package of lunch is around 25,000 rupiahs. While you eat, local singers will sing songs. Sometimes they ask you to sing with together. For the drinks, there is a palm sap called saguer. When drunk cool, you will not only need one glass but at least three glasses.

Farmland in the slope of Mount Mahawu

After having lunch in Kasuang, you will have many options of places to visit. You can continue your trip to Tondano or travel to Sonder. In Tondano, you will be welcomed with vast area of paddy field scattered along the bank of Tondano lake. If you go to Sonder, you will be able to visit fish ponds along the river heading to Tincep village. Sonder is famous for its Terapung restaurant. The local farmers there grow clove, the raw material for Indonesian kretek cigarette. The clove blooms every one or two years depending on the occurrence of long dry season. Different from Tondano which is mostly of flat plain, Sonder lies on hilly region. There is a small inn in Sonder which you can stay for one or two nights before continuing your travel to other villages of Minahasa.

My recommendation to you will be Kawangkoan. It is located further south of Minahasa. Farmers here grow peanuts, corn and coffee. At the entrance gate of the village, you will be welcomed with a large statue of peanut.

If you continue your trip to Langowan, you will see farmers plowing their farmland with cow or buffalo. Many Langowanese migrate to the US. So, don't be surprised if you see American flag decorating many big houses there. Well, I think I should stop my story right now. I will continue it next time. 

Also read: North Sulawesi Tour Package

Wooden house of Minahasa an earthquake resistant construction

An earthquake resistant house designs have been a compulsory construction for home owners living in the ring of fire areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philipine and Japan. Just building a concrete houses will not be enough. Architects who design earthquake resistant houses must add steel frames inside the concrete beam and columns to reinforce them. A building information modeling software such as Archicad and Revit must equip themselves with structural analysis features. So far, only Revit from Autodesk that has got the structural features which can help architects design and analyze the structure of buildings.

A typical wooden house of Minahasa highland

For traditional wooden houses, the material which is mostly used is of course the wood. Wood if well preserved and dried is one of the best construction materials for houses.

In Minahasa of North Sulawesi, people build houses mainly from wood. Minahasa is a region in northern part of Sulawesi island. There are a number of active volcanoes which often erupt and cause earthquakes. So, the house construction there is mostly made from wood.

The kinds of wood which Minahasan people use are coconut, lingua, cempaka and sometimes besi or merbau. Old coconut tree which is not productive anymore in producing palm oil will then be cut and converted into home building material.

The wooden house of Minahasa looks beautiful in terms of their architecture. Architecture is the art and science of buildings. Although the traditional builders of Minahasan wooden houses have never taken any formal education, their designs are really environmentally friendly and united with the nature. Tourists who visit Minahasa often buy these wooden houses in Woloan village. This village has exported their knock down wooden houses to many countries around the world.

Wooden house can be one of the best home materials due to its earthquake resistant properties but it is not fire resistant. To minimize the risk of burning, architects must apply new design approach to their wooden house by applying fire resistant materials to some parts of the house. This can include fire resistant drapes and wall paper, as well as kitchen room made of ceramic materials.

When the new approach has been applied to the design of an earthquake resistant Minahasan house, it will be able to enter wider market of worldwide wooden house trade. I hope. by Charles Roring

Also read:

• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland of North Sulawesi
• Birding and Butterflywatching in Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding Vacation in North Sulawesi
• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland
• Sahul Sunbird in Minahasa Highland
• Minahasa Beach and Great-billed Kingfisher
• Birds in Minahasa
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Exploring the Natural Beauty of North Sulawesi
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Birding in Minahasa Peninsula
• Nature Tour in North Sulawesi 

Enjoying the natural beauty of Minahasa Mountainous Region Part 2

After visiting Tincep village, I continued my travel to another village named Leilem. It is where the locals make furniture. They have extraordinary craftsmanship in furniture production. Although they don't study product design, their furniture design is very good. Many travelers like to buy tables, chairs, bookshelves there. Unfortunately, the local government does not provide assistance for the shipment of the furniture abroad. This, of course, discourages the furniture maker to expand their business. In addition, wood as the primary raw material is getting scarce.

Sonder town in North Sulawesi of Indonesia

I think, it is important to have a sustainable furniture industry in the area by replanting the forest with woods that have high economic value. Farmers in North Sulawesi have planted Teakwood Trees since approximately 20 years ago. Leilem is located between Sonder and Tomohon. I went back to Sonder and at night was invited to have dinner with some of my relatives there. Sonder is famous for its mujair and mas fish. I enjoyed eating the fried mujair fish which was served with chili sauce. Its taste was very delicious.

The public transport in Sonder and other Minahasan villages, besides motorized vehicles, is bendi. It is a horse pulled cart. Bendi is a taxi for shorter distance. It does not consume gas but fresh green grass, a renewable energy which is good for the environment. It is sad to see that the number of bendi is getting lower.

Bendi, farmlands in Sonder, and the furniture of Leilem are some of many attractions which travelers should see when visiting North Sulawesi. I hope that I can visit the region someday in the future.

Also read: Traveling to Enjoy the Natural Beauty of Minahasa Mountainous Region

Traveling to Enjoy the Natural Beauty of Minahasa Mountainous Region

Have you ever traveled across the mountainous region of Minahasa? If you haven't then you can read this story as a preview for your next travel to this beautiful place.

Traveling across North Sulawesi

Okay, now I will begin my travel story about it. Minahasa is a mountainous region located in the northern part of North Sulawesi. It is part of the province of North Sulawesi. Most of the people there work as farmers. They grow clove, vanilla, corn, rice and any agricultural commodity that is now the prime mover of the region's economy.

There are some active volcanoes which you can visit. They are Mahawu, Soputan, Lokon and Klabat. Another one which is not too high and now has been converted into an inter-faith tourism destination region is Mount Tanderukan. Now, people like to call it Bukit Kasih or Love Hill. Near the love hill, there is a traditional sacred place called Watu Pinabetengan. It was where the tribal leaders of Minahasan people met and vowed to be one as a nation. From here, we can continue our travel to Lake Toundano. Along the road around Lake Tondano, we can see hundreds of hectares of rice field. During the day, farmers ride cows plowing their field.

After visiting Toundano, I continued my trip to Tomohon. The temperature here is cold. There are many schools here from elementary schools to universities. That's why it is also called Kota Pendidikan or Educational Town. There are many Minahasan restaurants in Tomohon providing delicious Minahasan cuisines which is mostly hot and spicy. by Charles Roring in Indonesia

Wooden house and alleyway of Kyoto

Japanese have been famous for their house design for years. Whether you are an architect who designs a house by drawing it manually or drafting it with BIM software, when you design an earthquake resistant house, you need to learn more about Japanese wooden house. The style of the house is simple. Its construction does not have rounded wall. Most of the walls are straight ones with partitions from thick white paper. Temples have rounded or curved roofs. The floor is covered with special mat made of rice straw and dried woven grass called Tatami. When we walk on the Tatami, we will feel that these Tatamis are soft. The tatamis are aligned on an arrangement that forms T joints and not the Cross joints.

an alleyway in Kyoto

If you are interested in learning how Japanese build and arrange their houses, I recommend that you visit Kyoto. It is a traditional city of Japanese empire. NHK, a state owned TV station, frequently aired programs about that city, one of them is about the alleyway of Kyoto. There thousands of alleyways in Kyoto. They are narrow and bring neighbors closer. We cannot drive car through narrow alleyways. If we want to pass through them, we need to walk or ride bicycles.

People must respect their neighbors' privacy by not playing music too loud. They have sushi bars and café where neighbors sit together to share stories and experience. I think one day I have to go to Kyoto to see how the style and design of the Japanese wooden house. Besides the wooden house and the alleyway that fascinates me, the public bathroom is also something unique in my own perspective. It is where Japanese take a bath. The public bath is divided into two main rooms, one for men and the other for women.

So, if you plan to go abroad this spring, maybe you can put wooden house and alleyway of Kyoto as your next travel destination. You won't regret if it is your choice. by Charles Roring

Houses in Earthquake zone

Houses that are built in active earthquake zone must possess high modulus of elasticity to withstand the ground movement. Usually for traditional houses, people use wood as the framework of their houses. Wood although strong and elastic in nature is combustible. Therefore, for modern building, walls are built from concrete whereas the wood pillars are covered with concrete or other non-combustible materials to prevent them from getting burned during a fire accident.

Rumah Kaki Seribu (meaning A thousand leg house)

In tropical region, wood is one of the most favorite home building materials. Besides it is strong enough to support the dead and live loads of the building, wood can stabilize the indoor temperature of the house. Unfortunately, special design concept and wood treatment have to be applied to wooden houses to prevent them from being wholly consumed by the termite.

Earthquakes are mostly tectonic and volcanic. When a volcano erupts, it will release sulphur ash that is corrosive to metal roof. In Indonesia, villagers use earth roof tile, palm or special pandanus leaves as roofing materials. They are resistant to sulphur ash. Palm leaves are called daun atap or atap rumbia. They need to be replaced by new ones every three or five years. Sometimes during the rainy season, the owner of the house has to insert some new palm leaves to mend the leaks. Palm leaves as roofing material is very combustible. It is not recommended to be applied in big cities due to many electrical lines running near the roofs of the houses.

Houses that are constructed in earthquake zone are usually reinforced by the application of steel frames inside the concrete walls to prevent them from bending and fail during an earthquake.

In addition, the height of the walls which are normally 3.5 meters will be reduced to between 2.8 and 3.0 meters to minimize the risk of failure during the earthquake. Reducing the height of the walls will create an impression of hot in tropical houses. As a solution, many homes in quake zones have many windows that are reinforced with wood to support the dead loads of the wall and roof structure.

If I have to choose between wood and steel as reinforcing materials for home, I will choose wood. 

Also read: 

Archicad and Revit for House Design

The taste of a chocolate bar

I just ate a bar of chocolate tonight. I liked it a lot. It was sweet and little bitter. Dewi bought it this morning for twelve thousand rupiahs or around 1 US dollar. I know that a lot of people like chocolate. It is a favorite past time snack for young and old. I don't eat chocolate everyday. Maybe you do it every week.

The price of a bar of Silver Queen chunky bar is getting more and more expensive but people keep on buying it. Silver Queen is a famous brand in chocolate business in Indonesia. I used to read in a blog that Malaysian conglomerate bought it. So, it is not an Indonesian company anymore. It's OK for me. In today's open economy anyone can have a company that is running overseas. That's the way the capitalism works.

Well, talking about chocolate and its rising price, I wonder if the farmers who grow the cocoa beans, the raw material for making chocolate bar, live a prosperous life from their cocoa farming. The price of cocoa beans in the world market has now been the highest one since two years ago. The soaring price of chocolate is caused by the inability of Gold Coast, an African state, to deliver the chocolate beans to the world market. Power struggle in the country creates political and economic instability. It seems that the situation in that country is not improving soon.

But Gold Coast is not the only country on earth that produces cocoa beans. Latin American states and South East Asian countries also produce significant amount of cocoa beans every year. With the soaring price of cocoa at the moment, the living condition of the cocoa farmers should be better. In fact, their condition remains the same.

I visited a village in Pami region of Manokwari West Papua. Farmers there did not harvest their cocoa. I tried to find the reason. Why they did not harvest the cocoa when the price of the beans is a record high for the past two or three years. Finally, I found out three reasons. The first was that their plants have been attacked by plant diseases; second the farmers did not have trucks to deliver their harvest to buyers in the nearest town; and the third was the price which the buyers gave to them was low.

There has to be a fair trade mechanism for cocoa beans in West Papua and other cocoa producer regions that ensure the cocoa farmers get a better price for the commodity they produce. We, as the customers, should tell the chocolate factory maker to apply a fair trade mechanism in every route of cocoa trading.

This is only my personal opinion. It is sad to see that the taste of a bar of chocolate which was delicious in my mouth was strongly bitter for cocoa farmers living in the mountainous region of Asia, Africa and South America.

Also read: 

Coral Reef and Beach Clean Up Activity

Expressing Love with Flowers

I love growing flowers at the back of my house. I like many kinds of flowers such as rose, orchid, and canna. People said that growing flowers is women's hobby not men. For me, I don't care. I just love flowers, the colors, the fragrant of the petals, and the shape of them. They are so beautiful. Sometimes, I draw them on paper and upload them on the interned.

I often watch in Western movies about how a man expresses his love to a woman with flowers, usually a bunch of roses. After receiving the flowers, the woman will smell it, smile and give a romantic kiss to her man if she also falls in love with him. It is not common to see such thing in this country.

Flowers are traded across countries. The business of flowers is now an international business. People do not only see flowers as media for expressing love but also for creating a beautiful and relaxing environment both at indoor and outdoor spaces.

Drawing of purple flowers using AutodeskbAutodesk Sketchup Charles Roring

Is it still relevant to express someone's love with flowers? I personally agree even though I never do that when I fall in love. When I fall in love, I will say it to the one whom I am falling in love with. It's that simple. I don't want to be a complicated person.

Water lily (locally called Bunga Teratai)

So, in today's internet age, how can we still express our love to our loved ones using flower. In Bahasa Indonesia language, the terminology for flower is bunga. The terminology for the interest a bank gives to someone's savings account is also bunga. So, bunga does not only mean flower but also interest. Modern women in this country might be willing to receive the bunga in the latter meaning rather than the real flower in the former term. by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia

Super-tanker and the risk of oil spill at sea

Super tankers have been part of oil trading since 1960s. They are responsible for delivering oil and gas from refineries or producing facilities to other ports around the world. The competition among companies and the increasing demand for oil and gas has been the driving force for the increasing size of the oil carriers.

Tanker accident in South Korean Waters

Frequently these supertankers besides having to cross large oceans such as the Pacific and the Atlantic, they have to pass by narrow yet busy straits and ports. The availability of modern navigational equipment does not guarantee that the supertankers will be free from any risk of collision with other smaller ships or boats. It is the ships' crews who have to safely guard their ships to the unloading ports. Several years ago, there was a tanker accident in South Korea. Oil spill from this tanker caused huge environmental damage to the marine life, and the larger ocean environment, the beach as well as the fisherman villages near the area of the accident. Earlier than that, a cargo vessel loaded with Portland cements, and full with fuel oil in its tanks, collided with a tug boat in Jakarta bay of Indonesia. The vessel sank and spill fuel oil into the sea. Some crews lost their lives. While beach clean up can be done immediately, the destruction in the coral reef environment takes tens or even hundreds of years to recover.

Naval architects, when designing, oil tanker are guided with rules from classification societies, marpol and state regulations. They usually design tankers that have several sections or cargo holds. Collision bulkhead is also drawn at the forward end of the ship. In addition, they also provide double bottom to ensure that the tankers are still safe in case of experiencing grounding. Double bottom, collision bulkhead and double hull are not fully safe in protecting the supertankers during incidents of collision or grounding. When a supertanker experiences severe damage on its collision bulkhead, cofferdam, and double bottom, it will definitely spill oil into the sea.

Another way that we can do to reduce the negative impact of oil spill at sea is to limit the size of supertanker. It is not wise to just follow the request of ship owner by designing 500,000 tons supertanker. Size restriction is needed to ensure that the tankers that we design will not cause massive pollution in busy ports or straights. 

by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia
Also read:

• Threats to Coral Reefs in Indonesia
• Marine Life in Sansapor

Scuba diving industry and the value of coral reef

Scuba diving and coral reef are two terms that always have close relation. Most of the dive centers are located near coral reef. We can see them in Sinai of Egypt, Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Bali and Lombok islands, Raja Ampat and Cendrawasih Bay of Indonesia and many marine tourist destinations around the world.

Scuba Divers in Raja Ampat

Although coral reef is important for marine tourism, its value is more. It plays a very important role in marine ecosystem. Coral reefs are home to millions of fish. They provide food for both the marine animal and human being. They do the photosynthesis thus absorbing carbon dioxide. Coral reef, with its abundant marine life is the tropical rainforest of the sea. So, it is similar to Amazon or other rainforest regions in Africa or Indonesia.

Therefore, the development of marine tourism must not jeopardize the existence of coral reef along the coastal region and its supported environment such as mangrove forest. Beach hotels must treat their wastes before discharging them. Fishermen, most importantly the modern ones, must be trained to practice sustainable fishing techniques. The use of poison, explosive and bottom net has to be banned by the government.

Coral Reef in Raja Ampat

Every year, the number of scuba divers grows well. This is seen as market opportunities by owners of beach hotels and dive centers. Running a dive center needs expensive investment. Dive operators tend to invite as many divers as possible to reach their selling target. It is important for the marine park management board to limit the number of dives in certain coral reef that has been saturated. This is needed to minimize unnecessary pressures on marine ecosystem so that it can thrive and develop well.

As the source of food for human being, coral reef is important not only for the divers but also for the fishermen. When more diving centers are opened in certain location of coral reef region, they will have to respect the traditional fishing communities living in the region. Efforts on marine conservation should provide rooms for fishermen to continue fishing sustainably. It means that not all the area of the coral reef will be categorized as "No Take Zone" area.

If properly and professionally managed, scuba diving industry can get maximum benefit from the existence of coral reef without jeopardizing the interest of local fishing communities. by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia

Also read: 

Snorkeling and Coral Reef Preservation

How to be friendly with your surrounding environment

What is your resolution for the coming months or years? Everyone of course needs a better life. More income. If you haven't find a soulmate, you hope to meet a nice prince or princess for your heart. Listen all your dreams or hopes are closely related to how you interact with other people, God and Nature. The followings are my tips to live a friendly life with nature.

The release of hatchlings (baby turtles) in West Papua

1. Don't litter. A simple example, every time we go to a supermarket, we receive plastic bags where we put our goods in. When arrived at home, we throw these plastic bags into the garbage bin. More often these plastic bags fall on to the front yard and blown away. They then end up on the ditch and block the flow of water. When water cannot flow it will spill over the road. Later these plastic bags gathered at a river and run off to the sea. They cover to coral reef and block the sun light which is needed by the corals to carry out photosynthesis. When this happens the coral reef will die and the fish will leave the area. Your plastic bags have caused the death of corals and the fish. My solution, when you go shopping at a supermarket, bring your own basket so you do not have to bring plastic bags which would later become additional burden to our nature or universe.

2. Don't kill animals even though they are only insects at home. One day, your kitchen floor is covered with a lot of ants. Many of you will kill these ants. It is wrong. You are the ones who has to be blamed. Why you dropped food leftovers on the floor. The leftover attract ants. If you clean your kitchen or isolate your table by putting water in small containers at all four feet of the table, then the ants will not gather or occupy your kitchen. They will live on a tree outside your home or in little holes under ground. When a squad of termite come to eat wooden beams and pillar of your home thus bringing down the entire construction, then the ants will eat them. Ants as insects are natural predators for the termite. This is similar to lizard which is the natural predator for mosquito.

3. Buy products that are environmently friendly. Environmentally friendly products are products that can unite with nature when they are returned or thrown away to the nature. For example: wooden spatula, cotton cloths and wooden chair. When you don't use or want them anymore, you can burry them into the ground and then they will decay and unite with the nature. Don't buy too many plastic things.

4. When you have a picnic, don't litter. This point No 4 is similar to point No. 1. More often when we have an outdoor picnic, we bring food and drinks that are kept in plastic or metal packaging. After drinking softdrink we just throw away the cans, or plastic bottles. Don't do that. Bring the plastic packaging and the metal cans back home. Put them in the garbage bins where they can be recycled. By doing that you have lived in a friendly life with the environment.

5. Don't just cut the trees or bush around your home. If there is a tree in front of or next to your house, consider it as a blessing from the nature. If it blocks sunlight into your house, just prun one or two of its branches. The green leaves emits positive energy into your house. Sometimes in the mornings or in the afternoons, birds stop by at the tree branches for a short brake before flying again to their homes. It is a natural blessing for you.

There are still many ways which you can do to live a friendly life with nature. You can do it. when you have done it, believe me, all your plans, works and efforts in your daily life will totally be supported by the whole universe. by Charles Roring in Manokwari, Indonesia

Cycling Can Increase Productivity

Cycling is a fun activity. If it is done regularly, it can improve our health. Our body will be fitter through riding a bicycle. The health improvement, we get, is shown in reduced obesity, improved blood pressure and circulation. Most of us know well that obesity has become a major weight related problem in modern society. Obesity is found among 25 percent of adults and 10% of children. Unfortunately, many people still think that cycling is only for children going to school or playing round their neighborhood. Exercise will shape our body. But most people are reluctant to allocate a specific time for exercising because they are too busy working or finishing their office assignments.

A Office Worker with his bike

Around 41% of our daily trips are less than two miles. This is considered as short distance which can be reached through cycling in less than 15 minutes. As a way out of promoting cycling in the communities, cycling has to become an integral part of our daily life. Governments must spend more money in providing adequate infrastructures for cyclists such as parkings, and cycle network. The investment government spend in supporting cycling will immediately bring results in the communities.
More people cycling on the road mean fewer cars on the road, and less air polution. Cities and towns will be calm and less noisy. Our plan to implement 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 can be achieved by cycling. Riding bicycle is a clean low-carbon mode of travel. Healthier bodies and reduced street congestion improve the productivity of a community. The Netherlands is one of the European countries that has been seriously integrating cycling in its transport system. Bike to work or cycle to work should be introduced to companies. Tax exemption imposed by the state will allow employers to loan cycles and cyclist safety equipment to their employees. In addition, cycle manufacturers can implement a special credit scheme to businesses so that they will be able to offer bicycles to their staff. This sheme will encourage more workers to ride bicycles to work. if properly implemented, more people cycling will help workers staff more money, create healthier bodies and increase productivity as well as improve living condition and the surrounding environment. by Charles Roring
Also read:
Mountain Biking in the Table Mountain
Dirt Jump Mountain Bike
Mountain Bike for Ladies

Preservation of Dutch buildings urgently needed

Two or three days ago I walked around my neighborhood. I was accompanied by a four year old and beautiful niece, Grace. I brought with me a small but very good digital camera. It was a Sony Cyber-shot 6.0 mega pixels. I took some interesting pictures as I was slowly walking with Grace.

A Dutch building that is now the clergy house of Roman Catholic church in Manokwari

Today I have time to write about them. One of the pictures is a Dutch house built on top of a hill. An old Papuan named, Jan Manusawai, told me that the house had been around since before the World War II. It had been used as hospital before becoming the residence for Catholic priests. Now it belongs to the Catholic church of the diocese of Manokwari – Sorong. There are a lot of beautiful buildings, houses, and shops that were built by the Dutch in this town. Unfortunately, they are being demolished one by one and replaced with new ones. It seems that today’s rapid growth of population or development does not pay particular attention to the preservation of old buildings. Dutch houses are seen as old fashioned constructions that have to be replaced by bigger multi-story buildings. People might think that they are “more suitable” for a modern city.

Such perspective is misleading in terms of historical preservation. The development of a city or town has to be in line with its own historical background and nature. Current civilization is built upon the previous civilization. It means that there has to be a continuation between the past and the present civilizations. European cities like Praque, London, and Madrid are good examples for this matter. Old buildings exist side by side with new ones. We should not destroy all the old ones that are still good. But it doesn’t mean that we always live in the past.

The Nusantara archipelago, which is now called Indonesia, used to be a Dutch colony. Western civilization grew in these beautiful islands. Although the Dutch had returned to Europe, they left behind many beautiful buildings which we should preserve as part of our history. Many of them can still be used as offices, houses and even as hospitals. Therefore, there are no excuses that we can use to demolish them.

Dutch houses in Japan

Japan, one of the most modern state in Asia, knows well how to preserve old buildings for future generation. There is a park in Nagasaki. Its name is Huis ten Bosch park which is also known as Holland village. Tourists like to visit it as they considered it as a unique cultural heritage. The existence of this park strengthens the relation between Japan and the Netherlands.

We can learn from Japanese experience who knows how to maintain past heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. By preserving Dutch buildings in Indonesia, we can maintain and increase the relation between the two countries in such aspects as economy, trade, culture and education and etc.

I hope that one day, people will appreciate old Dutch buildings, restore and preserve them as part of their history for the sake of present and future generation. by Charles Roring

Underwater Pictures from Bakaro Beach

Bakaro is the name of a beach near Manokwari city. I often visit it on Sundays or when I guide tourists who like snorkeling.

White Sandy Beach in West Papua

It has got a beautiful white sandy beach. From the beach, I can enter the water to see its marine life. Beautiful coral reef teeming with various species of fish, and other marine animals can be seen from reef flat  to its buttress and fore reef zones. Coral reef is like tropical rainforest. It is the Amazon of the sea. We will not see trees and birds in the sea but we can find sea cucumber, sea star, christmas tree Worm, lobster, sea turtle, sea snake, sea crabs and ornamental fish and a lot more
I used to guide snorkeling tourists to this place and they liked the experience of swimming over the reef in crystal clear seawater of West Papua.

Table Coral at Bakaro Beach

From those trips to the beach, I took hundreds of underwater photographs. I used Nikon W300 or Fujifilm X2.
Visitors who are interested in traveling to Manokwari or other regencies in West Papua such as Sorong, Raja Ampat, Tambrauw or Wondama and Kaimana can combine their trips with tours to rainforest to see birds, butterflies, bats, fireflies and a lot of tropical vegetations that are unique and beautiful.

Marine Life in Manokwari regency 

Soon the access to West Papua province for foreign tourists will be opened by government. Everyone who is traveling across Indonesia has to follow a safe health protocol under New Normal that is stipulated by government.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and it is the main gate to this tropical state. After flying to this city, visitors can continue their trip by flying to Manokwari city.
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180  if you are interested in taking your holiday here.