As well as it’s many magnificent churches, Manado is home to Asia’s second tallest and the world’s fourth tallest statue of Christ, and perhaps the world’s first statue in the flying posture. Now there is a claim to fame!
I spend the day walking around the city. From a tourist’s point of view, Manado doesn’t have much to offer. It’s a busy sea port in a beautiful location but the city planners clearly don’t see it that way. Maybe that is changing with construction of some big hotels on the water front happening now. I haven’t seen any other travellers around and I’m obviously a curiosity to the locals. “Hello mister, how are you” is called out from all angles. That is probably all the English they know. It’s far better than the Indonesian I know. If there are tourists here, their main aim is to visit Banaken Island for diving and snorkelling. The locals do the same.
It’s hot here. The wet season is about to start as I have read but to make conversation I would ask “The wet season is starting soon?” and the common reply is interestingly “We don’t know. We have global warming here”. I laugh and explain that we have global warming too. Any interaction here is priceless for me. I sat on the roadside for a break and people came up to me for a chat. I got invited to eat at this small stall and pointed at a container of mixed fruit. The lady chopped up some fruits that I hadn’t seen before and covered them with a mysterious black sauce and some nuts. It was nice. Much of my eating here is point and hope for the best. I don’t know what I am eating and so far – no problems!
I’m hot and tired so I call into a hotel to use their pool. Sitting there after a swim I’m approached buy some guys who are here on a 2-week training course. They are from all over Indonesia and explain they work for a bank. This is their last day so they fly back to their homes tomorrow. They get their photo taken with me. Shakira and Kia arrive with their mother. They are here for swimming lessons. Well… Shikira is. Kia is four but he doesn’t take instructions very well so he is allowed to do what he wants. Despite his age he is very capable in the pool, when he’s not trying to distract his sister. Their mother and the very cute swimming instructor are very helpful in providing me with advice on what to do around Manado.
angusmccoll 
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