25th OCTOBER 2019 ~ Belitung Island has a museum, in the centre of Tanjung Pandan. I must thank the host Mr. Hadi who had suggested the place and took me there even though it seemed I was the only one who was overly excited. The place comprised of two sections: the building housing the exhibits of historical items and a small animal park at the back.
The major items on display included:
1. Satam stone: a huge black stone was believed to fall from outer space, something like a meteorite that crashed onto the island and then smashed into small pieces. They were then found on the island when people mined for tins. Satam Stone has become an icon of the island. Some people use the mineral to adorn their rings while at the same time it is believed to have the power to heal and to chase away demons.
1. Satam stone: a huge black stone was believed to fall from outer space, something like a meteorite that crashed onto the island and then smashed into small pieces. They were then found on the island when people mined for tins. Satam Stone has become an icon of the island. Some people use the mineral to adorn their rings while at the same time it is believed to have the power to heal and to chase away demons.
2. Embalmed dead animals: there were preserved crocodile and alligator fish in the glass display in the museum. I concluded these creatures should be abundant in the wild here.
3. Porcelains from sunk Chinese vessels: There were pieces of broken ceramics and porcelains from Chinese ships than sank deep in the ocean surrounding the island. It meant that this place was a strategic passage for sailing ships or the ocean was not being kind to the sailors of the past.
4. And more stones: there was a collection of minerals found on the island. The place for geologist wannabes.
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| crocodiles |
At the back part of the museum, you could find a small number of animals kept in captivity . The star attractions would be the live crocodiles - which could be the one seen in the movie "Laskar Pelangi". Others were mostly birds.
No, this was not one of the animals for people to see. The kitten was roaming around freely - my second encounter of a Belitung cat.
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| spot the tortoises |
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| spot the alligator fish |
If I am not mistaken the entrance ticket cost only 9 000 Rupiah - which should be the cheapest museum ticket ever for me. I just realized all my friends were not eager to take photos or selfies here.
If you are in Tanjung Pandan, why not have a short stop here and learn something about the island.
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