November 2017
Passed by in Pontianak to visit some family members of our captain. This fishing community consist of about 70 families homes – around 200 community members – a mosque, a primary and junior high school and a small clinic. It’s an isolated village – not accessible by road, but that will soon change. The new road connecting Labuan Bajo along the North Coast towards the East will directly pass the Pontianak, probably by 2018. Most houses are on stilts, made of wood with a roof of Alang Alang and walls made from dried banana leaves. Some new houses are being constructed with bricks and tin roofs. Received a tour round the village up the hill to the school and back down again towards the clinic.
That hill has a story. Long ago, when only two or three families established Pontianak they saw ghosts up there at night, animal figures with lights. These ghosts seem to have disappeared once the community expanded, they were probably disturbed.
With community talked about their waste management and shared information about connecting to waste collection centre in Labuan Bajo – transporting recyclables on their regular trips to town.
Pontianak by boat – about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs by boat from Labuan Bajo – depending on the type of boat. We slept on the boat in a nearby bay. I’m sure you are welcome to sleep over in the village. There is someone developing accommodation for tourists. Not finished yet.
For the love of an island 