Thick clouds were seen rolling over the top of Gamalama as the plane carrying the Time Capsule Expeditionary team began to lower its altitude. On the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the team finally arrived at the 31st province: North Maluku.
The sky was blue and the heat was intense when the team managed to land with a small jet at Sultan Babullah Airport. The airport seems to be cleaning up. The old building was abandoned and replaced by a new modern airport building next to it. Although the cement from the sand was still scattered when we passed the garbarata to the arrival gate.
Before heading to the ceremonial venue for the time capsule expedition at Nukila Park — a favorite beachside place for Ternate residents to enjoy the afternoon — the team headed to Tolukko Fort. The fort, a legacy of the Portuguese era, when fighting for spices with other Europeans, still stands firmly in the city of Ternate.
This fort looks very sturdy. Seen a mixture of river stone, rock, which is glued with sand to form this fort. From the Tolukko fort, you can see the proud mosque of Ternate, the Al Munawar Grand Mosque with the background of Mount Tidore which is almost a perfect triangle. The mountain that can be seen on the previous version of the thousand rupiah banknote.
Around the Al Munawar Mosque, residents were seen enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Because it is located right on the edge of the sea, many children are playing by running and jumping into the sea, laughing.
Still wearing wet clothes, they immediately met a baso skewer vendor whose sauce was redder than lipstick. Some divers complete with their equipment appear to have finished their dives and are ready to go home. There was even an amateur boxing competition in front of the mosque. The mosque is the center of activity. However, everything immediately stopped when the Maghrib call to prayer sounded.
It was getting dark, the road in front of the mosque to the Nukila park was closed. For a party stage, the people of Ternate welcomed the time capsule expedition team that kept their hopes for the next 70 years.
Various entertainments managed to attract the attention of the audience on the Ternate time capsule stage at Nukila Park. The main entertainment is traditional dances, poetry, traditional songs, and parodies which are mostly filled by students of IAIN ternate and UNKHAIR ternate.
The soya soya side dance and the tide-tide dance managed to make us dance with a thick Malay rhythm. Poems about Indonesia that were sung by students with great appreciation made the audience pause and reflect.
It was already 10 o’clock at night, but the audience was getting busier.
“Indeed, at 10 o’clock at night the people of Ternate came out, especially since it’s a weekend night,” said one of the local committee members.
The last presentation is a parody of FKIP majoring in Indonesian. They tell about anyone who deserves to call himself Indonesian. About how we should fill this independence. The night was closed with a song from Sabang to Merauke.
Oh yes, I had a chance to meet mb artist instagram @devanosa. True backpacker, ex admin instagram @Notebackpacker. Single, 20-something, brave, and diligent in saving. Maybe someone is interested. #apartment
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The sun is not yet high, but Nukila Park is already surrounded by residents who will take a healthy walk with the time capsule expedition team. In this 31st province, the team has an honorable guest who has a car with the Indonesian police number 31: Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia!
The walk starts from Nukila Park, through the market, car Free Day, and of course always accompanied by a stunning view of Mount Gamalama. This walking around the city of Ternate is said to be only “two kilometers”. But already half an hour went a bit fast, we didn’t make it to the finish line.
“Two kilos of Ternate people, yes,” said the head of the time capsule expedition area executive committee, laughing.
After the sweat dripped and returned to the finish line, the procession began to enter the seven North Maluku dreams into the capsule. But before that, apart from scrambling to take the green bean porridge and hot chocolate provided by the committee, residents also scrambled to take pictures with the Minister of Manpower Hanif Dhakiri.
Seven dreams were read by seven elementary school children in Ternate. They read aloud the dreams with serious expressions. One of their dreams is to restore Ternate to the spice center of the world as it was in ancient times. Maybe they realize, these dreams are their responsibility to break them into pieces of real work, which one by one will be completed. So that in 2085, they can smile with our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The C212 aircraft belonging to the Indonesian Air Force was already waiting to transport the big time capsule to the next province: Maluku.
Sweet Ambon!
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