The City of Manado and the Epicurean Experience

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The city of Manado - Sulawesi Island
October 5, 2009

Manado inherited much of the Dutch influence since their occupation in the early 1600's. (Indonesia became independent on August 17th, 1945). Unlike most part of Indonesia, the majority of the Manado population is Christian. Everyone I met has a western first name, such as Ben, Albert, Rudy, Henry, Hendrik, Melisa, Suzie. When I asked the local guide "When the Manado people started to adopt western names", he said "Since I can remember, all my great grandparents have western names"..... not the family names, of course.

The twenty cents public transportation

On our first day in the city, we did some exploration on foot as well as on the public transport which is a mini van, it costs about USD $.20 (twenty cents) per person each way, any destination within the city. It can seat up to 10 little people or 7 medium size people bending over a little bit. We were on the hunt for best seafood restaurant by the sea. After everyone got off the little mini van, the driver asked us where we wanted to get off. I told him the name of the restaurant by the sea. He said: "That's outside the city limit. I can take you there for Rp 20,000 (USD $2) more." I agreed. So now we are a charter. From the point where everyone got off to the restaurant it took 20 minutes.