Sunda Kelapa

I think there must be a long tradition of old sea dogs in my ancestry, especially on my Dad's side. Both my brother and I (and most of my cousins) are obsessed with the sea, whether that obsession takes the form of  lighthouses, sailing or surfing.

It seems that whenever I visit somewhere new one of the first places I head for is the harbour. Today I made my way to Sunda Kelapa, the old port to Jakarta when it was still known as Batavia.  Many of the surrounding warehouses date back to the mid 1600's and the time of the Dutch East Indies company or VOC.

There is something especially magical about old ships. These are Makassar schooners, and they are being loaded and worked on just as they would have been centuries ago. I found myself humming Old Man River on my return trip.

You and me we sweat and strain 

Bodies all achin' and racked with pain

Tote that barge and lift that bale

Ya get a little drunk and you land in jail.

These guys were keen on taking me for a row. I swear, if you fell into this water, the flesh would dissolve from your bones, so I graciously declined.