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This is the beginning
of my most epic voyage...
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..an exploration through the
world's greatest spice kingdoms.
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00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:12,540
It's fantastic.
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00:00:12,540 --> 00:00:17,060
The Spice Trail is more than
just a journey through the senses.
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00:00:17,060 --> 00:00:20,380
This is where I'm supposed to say,
"Don't try this at home."
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00:00:22,980 --> 00:00:24,860
It's a story of adventure...
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This is kind of Queen of Sheba
travelling, really.
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00:00:27,380 --> 00:00:30,020
..and of the human desire
to connect.
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00:00:30,020 --> 00:00:31,540
THEY SING
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00:00:34,700 --> 00:00:39,020
Starting in the remote
treasure islands of Indonesia,
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00:00:39,020 --> 00:00:42,340
I'll unearth the dark dealings
of the spice trade...
12
00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:45,100
History contains
some bloody secrets.
13
00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:48,660
..witness the vitality
of the people in southern India...
14
00:00:49,660 --> 00:00:51,540
Phew!
15
00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:53,900
..and meet the vanilla hustlers...
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00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:57,260
We sold it. Know when to hold 'em,
know when to fold 'em.
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00:00:57,260 --> 00:00:59,580
..of Madagascar,
18
00:00:59,580 --> 00:01:03,620
ending my journey in
the lost civilisations of Jordan...
19
00:01:03,620 --> 00:01:05,260
Petra!
20
00:01:05,260 --> 00:01:08,340
..via the fabled island
of Zanzibar.
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Look at this view!
22
00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:12,860
A trail so breath-taking...
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That makes me feel very weepy.
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..it literally changed the world.
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All right!
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Join me
on this Spice Trail adventure.
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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My adventure starts in Indonesia,
at the port of Ambon.
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I'm setting sail for one of
the most far-flung places on Earth.
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The birthplace of globalisation.
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Famed for a spice so precious...
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..it was once worth
more than its weight in gold.
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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I can't tell you how difficult
it's been just to get this far.
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Honestly, you'd think
in the 21st century
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00:02:20,980 --> 00:02:23,780
that you could reach anywhere
in the world when you wanted to.
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There'd be a timetable for things.
But not so...
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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00:02:31,300 --> 00:02:33,380
..not so here because...
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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00:02:41,020 --> 00:02:43,180
..the ferry we were going to catch
was cancelled.
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That was going to be
two days hence.
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Then we got this much larger ferry,
they said, "Quick, you can get it."
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00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:51,260
So we've been rushing to and fro,
flapping around like mad,
45
00:02:51,260 --> 00:02:53,340
desperate to get
onto this exciting journey.
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00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:55,580
And people
have been flocking along.
47
00:02:55,580 --> 00:02:58,540
When I was a child and travelled
to and from the Far East,
48
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we travelled on troopships,
49
00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:03,460
and I swear they must have been...
well, this size.
50
00:03:03,460 --> 00:03:04,740
Great troopships.
51
00:03:04,740 --> 00:03:06,740
The excitement
of getting down to the quay.
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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Time to embark.
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00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:20,420
My journey starts
in Indonesia's Maluku Province,
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a collection of 500 islands
on the far edge of the country.
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Across the Banda Sea,
there is a tiny archipelago
57
00:03:28,660 --> 00:03:33,420
that was once the most important
and powerful location in the world.
58
00:03:38,460 --> 00:03:40,820
Look how people have set up
their little homes already
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00:03:40,820 --> 00:03:42,580
all over the place.
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00:03:42,580 --> 00:03:45,540
'I'm going to be very grateful
for my tiny cabin,
61
00:03:45,540 --> 00:03:49,260
'as it's a good 11-hour crossing,
depending on the elements.'
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00:03:50,580 --> 00:03:55,860
Look at this - a little dear
little cabin with my own kettle.
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00:03:55,860 --> 00:03:59,220
I mean, I feel rather a rat,
actually, travelling like this,
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00:03:59,220 --> 00:04:01,460
when all those people
are camping down like that.
65
00:04:01,460 --> 00:04:03,700
But, hey, my bathroom.
66
00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:05,460
And it's kind of got
these nice buckets
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00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:08,340
where you wash your bottom
with a pipe
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00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:11,060
and a nice bucket of water,
and little shoes to wear.
69
00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:13,660
It's enchanting.
70
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Couldn't be better.
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00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:20,180
INDISTINCT
ON-BOARD ANNOUNCEMENT
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00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:32,300
It's half past one in the morning
and we're finally setting sail.
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:38,180
We're sailing a route
that is as old as time.
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00:04:39,220 --> 00:04:42,020
In the sixth century,
Asian and Arab merchants
76
00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:44,900
were the first
to make this treacherous crossing
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00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:47,820
in search of
an exotic spice so rare
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00:04:47,820 --> 00:04:50,820
that it only grew
in one place on Earth.
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Excuse me. May I sit here?
80
00:04:54,020 --> 00:04:57,540
These shrewd merchants
kept the origins of their bounty
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00:04:57,540 --> 00:04:59,420
a heavily guarded secret.
82
00:05:02,660 --> 00:05:05,060
Nobody knew exactly
83
00:05:05,060 --> 00:05:08,540
where the most precious
of the spices came from,
84
00:05:08,540 --> 00:05:11,860
which was nutmeg. Nobody knew.
85
00:05:13,820 --> 00:05:17,100
We know it today
as a sublime culinary spice.
86
00:05:17,100 --> 00:05:19,700
But back then,
it was a wonder drug,
87
00:05:19,700 --> 00:05:24,140
fabled to be a cure for the deadly
bubonic plague, the Black Death.
88
00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:29,900
By the time these spices
had reached Constantinople,
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00:05:29,900 --> 00:05:32,580
from there on into Europe,
90
00:05:32,580 --> 00:05:38,740
the traders had marked them up
by a hefty 60,000%.
91
00:05:38,740 --> 00:05:41,380
Now, the Europeans
were naturally very eager
92
00:05:41,380 --> 00:05:43,100
to have a piece of the action.
93
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And so began a frenzy that
became known as the spice race -
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00:05:48,980 --> 00:05:52,860
a struggle to be the first to find,
and to lay claim to,
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00:05:52,860 --> 00:05:56,020
one of the smallest groups
of islands in the world.
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00:05:57,340 --> 00:05:59,740
And as in all the best tall tales,
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00:05:59,740 --> 00:06:03,100
finding a treasure island
requires a map.
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00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:09,100
I mean, Indonesia,
it has 17,000 islands,
99
00:06:09,100 --> 00:06:12,100
and some of them are so small
they're not even named.
100
00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:17,140
We have just set sail from Ambon,
and we're sailing...
101
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Oh, God, where are they?
102
00:06:19,260 --> 00:06:21,780
I've literally lost them.
Come on, come on, come on.
103
00:06:21,780 --> 00:06:25,220
Yeah, there. That's them.
104
00:06:25,220 --> 00:06:29,380
These are the fabulous,
world-famous, glorious,
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00:06:29,380 --> 00:06:32,420
legendary Banda Islands.
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00:06:40,780 --> 00:06:42,860
THUNDER
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Think it was quite a good crossing.
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00:06:51,940 --> 00:06:55,460
We were lucky enough
to get about three hours' sleep.
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00:06:55,460 --> 00:06:57,500
Ah! This is my moment.
110
00:06:57,500 --> 00:06:59,580
Can you guess which film it is?
111
00:06:59,580 --> 00:07:01,420
Somebody's arms are around me.
112
00:07:01,420 --> 00:07:03,380
I kissed him once in another film.
113
00:07:03,380 --> 00:07:05,740
Guess what it is.
Here comes the rain!
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00:07:05,740 --> 00:07:10,820
MUSIC: 'My Heart Will Go On'
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00:07:17,820 --> 00:07:21,900
That was acting. It isn't as bad
as that, but it is pretty blowy.
116
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I think
I can just see on the horizon...
117
00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:27,260
..a thin line of land.
118
00:07:28,420 --> 00:07:30,900
This is thrilling.
Can you imagine what it was like?
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00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:32,620
Those explorers, those traders,
120
00:07:32,620 --> 00:07:35,220
coming across these seas
in those wooden boats
121
00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:39,380
with sort of scurvy, probably,
looking for your fortune.
122
00:07:39,380 --> 00:07:42,020
And suddenly, you'd see these
mountains. You'd go, "This is it!"
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00:07:42,020 --> 00:07:44,260
You'd see the hills
coming out of the sea and you'd go,
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00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:48,260
"This is it! We've got here."
The Banda Islands.
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00:07:52,140 --> 00:07:56,180
I can imagine the mariners going,
"Nutmeg!"
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00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:02,660
And gosh, those trees.
Everything's just densely wooded.
127
00:08:02,660 --> 00:08:04,380
Look how ravishing it is.
128
00:08:05,940 --> 00:08:09,060
Everything gradually taking shape.
Stunning.
129
00:08:09,060 --> 00:08:11,620
I don't know why
people go to the moon.
130
00:08:11,620 --> 00:08:14,140
It's sensationally boring,
I can tell you that now.
131
00:08:14,140 --> 00:08:16,220
It's a bore. Look at it.
132
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More fascination in ten rocks
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00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:20,100
than you'll find
in the whole of the moon.
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SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
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00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:33,980
The Europeans had been at sea
for several years
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00:08:33,980 --> 00:08:37,020
by the time
they were welcomed by this sight.
137
00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:41,420
The Spanish, Portuguese and English
were all competing to get here.
138
00:08:41,420 --> 00:08:44,460
But it was the Dutch
who made the biggest inroad.
139
00:08:45,940 --> 00:08:49,820
Rising out of the mist
is a haunting reminder of the past.
140
00:08:51,940 --> 00:08:56,580
It's extraordinary to think
that in the 17th century,
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00:08:56,580 --> 00:09:00,580
the world revolved
around these tiny islands.
142
00:09:00,580 --> 00:09:02,740
The riches of the world,
the focus of the world
143
00:09:02,740 --> 00:09:05,660
was how to get there,
how to claim bits of it.
144
00:09:07,300 --> 00:09:09,460
There are 11 Banda Islands
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00:09:09,460 --> 00:09:12,140
rising out of one of
the deepest seas on the planet.
146
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We've docked on the island
of Banda Neira, the capital.
147
00:09:21,380 --> 00:09:25,860
The ferry only comes in twice
a month, so you can imagine it's...
148
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it's busy,
it's important, it's exciting.
149
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The island is
home to 7,000 Bandanese,
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00:09:37,420 --> 00:09:38,740
who speak their own language,
151
00:09:38,740 --> 00:09:41,820
distinct for
its lovely sing-song note.
152
00:09:43,180 --> 00:09:46,020
Selamat siang. Selamat siang.
153
00:09:46,020 --> 00:09:50,460
This looks beautiful. Bits of
banana, lots of fish on skewers,
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cooked plants and bits and pieces.
155
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It's the equivalent of fast food.
156
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Beyond this bustling
fish and food market,
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clues to Banda's past
can be found on every corner.
158
00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:09,860
The town's faded houses
date back to the 17th century
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and once belonged to officials
of the Dutch East India Company,
160
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the most successful and powerful
coloniser in Banda's history.
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But it's on the neighbouring island
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where the business
of nutmeg farming takes place.
163
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Thank you. Terima kasih.
164
00:10:26,860 --> 00:10:30,620
And as I'm desperate to get my
first sighting of this super-spice,
165
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I'm already island-hopping.
166
00:10:33,780 --> 00:10:36,700
Leaving Banda Neira
to go to Banda Besar,
167
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a larger island
just a tiny bit across the water.
168
00:10:40,260 --> 00:10:42,620
It's got far fewer people
than Banda Neira,
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but masses of nutmeg plantations.
170
00:10:45,580 --> 00:10:48,540
This is literally the local bus
or your local tube.
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Alongside Banda Neira and Besar
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is a feature
that dominates the landscape.
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This is Gunung Api,
the Fire Mountain,
174
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an active volcano that holds
the secret to Banda's success.
175
00:11:03,020 --> 00:11:06,100
All the volcanic eruptions
over the millennia
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has made this black earth rich
and fertile for cloves and nutmeg.
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And actually, bananas
and mangoes and coconuts -
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anything you can think of.
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Beautiful, rich black soil.
180
00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:20,100
Put your finger in it,
stick in a seed -
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00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:22,020
tomorrow, you'll have a tree.
182
00:11:23,380 --> 00:11:27,220
Well, not tomorrow, obviously.
I'm just condensing time.
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00:11:29,300 --> 00:11:32,780
Getting around Banda Besar
is not the easiest.
184
00:11:32,780 --> 00:11:35,660
There are
only four cars on the island,
185
00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:37,460
so to get to the plantation,
186
00:11:37,460 --> 00:11:40,220
I'm hitching a pillion ride
with a local.
187
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Hidden beneath the island's canopy
of giant native kenari trees
188
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are thousands upon thousands
of golden globes.
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Nutmegs everywhere.
190
00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:57,860
Oh, look. And I can see it's got...
That's good.
191
00:11:57,860 --> 00:12:02,220
It's got red. So when it's split,
I can see red inside.
192
00:12:02,220 --> 00:12:04,940
So that's what we call mace.
Mace.
193
00:12:04,940 --> 00:12:07,540
And then when you open
like that...
194
00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:11,740
Look at that! It peels off.
It looks like something from Alien.
195
00:12:11,740 --> 00:12:12,940
Look at that!
196
00:12:12,940 --> 00:12:14,380
Wow! Fantastic.
197
00:12:14,380 --> 00:12:18,260
And there's a little nutmeg.
But, Agil, these trees are tall.
198
00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:20,100
How are you going to get
the fruit up there?
199
00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:21,180
Look, look, look.
200
00:12:21,180 --> 00:12:24,060
We use that one,
and we pick up the nutmeg.
201
00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:27,940
Uh-huh. This is so immense.
Because... that's one you...
202
00:12:27,940 --> 00:12:29,300
A pole for fruit picking!
203
00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:30,660
This is as good as it gets.
204
00:12:32,220 --> 00:12:33,700
Hang on, I've got it.
205
00:12:33,700 --> 00:12:37,500
There we are. And now pull?
And now pull a little bit slowly.
206
00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:39,980
Yes!
It's fallen in.
207
00:12:39,980 --> 00:12:42,700
Look at that.
And it's split open already.
208
00:12:42,700 --> 00:12:44,540
I'd just like to tell
the people at home,
209
00:12:44,540 --> 00:12:46,180
in case they go nutmeg picking.
210
00:12:46,180 --> 00:12:49,420
Inside, you've still got
the beautiful little nutmeg.
211
00:12:49,420 --> 00:12:52,300
Dry that for three days,
crack it open...
212
00:12:52,300 --> 00:12:55,260
and frankly,
grate it over your green beans
213
00:12:55,260 --> 00:12:56,860
with some butter and black pepper.
214
00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:00,180
Nutmegs! I can't believe it.
215
00:13:00,180 --> 00:13:04,860
In its heyday, this tiny spice
had an almighty reach.
216
00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:09,540
Elizabethans bejewelled nutmeg
in fancy pomanders.
217
00:13:09,540 --> 00:13:13,820
And it was hailed as an aphrodisiac
and a mild hallucinogenic.
218
00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:18,020
No wonder the Dutch were so keen
to get their hands on it.
219
00:13:18,020 --> 00:13:21,100
And they did, for over 300 years,
220
00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:24,020
until independence in 1945,
221
00:13:24,020 --> 00:13:27,820
when the people of Banda were
eventually given their trees back.
222
00:13:27,820 --> 00:13:31,340
I'm looking for Samsul,
but I can't see him anywhere.
223
00:13:31,340 --> 00:13:33,660
Oh, my Lord! He's up a tree.
224
00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:38,900
Look at that.
225
00:13:38,900 --> 00:13:45,340
Samsul, I'm Joanna.
Now, are these your trees? Yeah.
226
00:13:50,260 --> 00:13:52,340
No!
227
00:14:04,660 --> 00:14:06,340
I think it's wonderful.
228
00:14:11,580 --> 00:14:13,780
I'd love that. Thank you.
229
00:14:13,780 --> 00:14:16,100
Meet the family? Yes, please.
230
00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:24,580
Hello, Nona. Hello, Nona.
231
00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,500
Mitha. Hello, Mitha.
232
00:14:30,740 --> 00:14:32,180
Rosmita.
233
00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:35,580
Oh! And look at this mace.
234
00:14:35,580 --> 00:14:37,940
Do you cook with this?
Yeah.
235
00:14:58,740 --> 00:15:03,420
Oh, look. So under here,
there's a fire. Yeah.
236
00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:15,900
How do I know when they're ready?
237
00:15:17,820 --> 00:15:20,660
RATTLING
238
00:15:22,100 --> 00:15:23,300
Smash it?
239
00:15:29,740 --> 00:15:30,780
There!
240
00:15:32,060 --> 00:15:33,700
That is the nutmeg -
241
00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:35,380
this tiny little thing.
242
00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:39,300
But here they are,
eaten fresh out of the shell.
243
00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:40,460
Mmm!
Mmm.
244
00:15:42,260 --> 00:15:44,020
Honestly, it's divine.
245
00:15:44,020 --> 00:15:45,940
And it's most extraordinary.
246
00:15:45,940 --> 00:15:50,100
It's a refined taste.
It's a sort of sophisticated taste.
247
00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:54,060
And here, possibly, with Rosmita,
the best nutmegs in the world.
248
00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:57,860
'With a pocket
full of nutmeg and mace...'
249
00:15:57,860 --> 00:16:01,700
Look at that. Thank you. Thank you.
Terima kasih. Ooh, ooh, ooh!
250
00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,420
'..I'm catching the ferry back.
251
00:16:04,420 --> 00:16:07,820
'And I'm in for some company.'
252
00:16:07,820 --> 00:16:11,460
THEY CHANT
253
00:16:11,460 --> 00:16:14,780
These guys are in
Banda's under-19 football division
254
00:16:14,780 --> 00:16:17,860
and are celebrating
an inter-island win.
255
00:16:19,940 --> 00:16:22,180
Have you been playing football
today?
256
00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:26,220
4-0!
4-0? Oh!
257
00:16:26,220 --> 00:16:27,900
CHEERING
258
00:16:29,660 --> 00:16:32,740
Is there any rivalry
between these two teams,
259
00:16:32,740 --> 00:16:34,540
between Banda Besar, Banda Neira?
260
00:16:34,540 --> 00:16:36,860
ALL: Banda Neira!
261
00:16:36,860 --> 00:16:40,260
Banda Neira always the best.
This is the premier team.
262
00:16:40,260 --> 00:16:41,980
Premier team.
Premier team? Yeah.
263
00:16:41,980 --> 00:16:44,620
This is very exciting.
I feel privileged to have met you.
264
00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:47,420
I'll have autographs. You must
sign my autograph. And I'll go,
265
00:16:47,420 --> 00:16:50,780
"Look, I've got the captain
of the Banda Neira team."
266
00:16:50,780 --> 00:16:53,100
THEY CHANT
267
00:16:54,220 --> 00:16:57,300
# Ole, ole, ole, ole
268
00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,940
# Ole, ole... #
269
00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:18,260
Nowadays, the only battles for
supremacy in the Banda Islands
270
00:17:18,260 --> 00:17:20,900
are those played out
on the football pitch.
271
00:17:21,940 --> 00:17:25,140
But turn back the clock to 1621,
272
00:17:25,140 --> 00:17:27,620
and the islanders found themselves
on the receiving end
273
00:17:27,620 --> 00:17:30,020
of an almighty attack.
274
00:17:33,940 --> 00:17:37,260
An event immortalised
in Banda's House of Culture.
275
00:17:41,180 --> 00:17:42,460
This painting...
276
00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:47,340
..depicts
one of the most ghastly events
277
00:17:47,340 --> 00:17:49,300
that happened
here on the Banda Islands.
278
00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:53,940
It's called the Banda Massacre.
279
00:17:56,460 --> 00:17:59,100
And here is a painting of the man
280
00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:01,660
who rained the terror down on
the Banda people in those days -
281
00:18:01,660 --> 00:18:03,660
Jan Pieterszoon Coen.
282
00:18:03,660 --> 00:18:06,740
He was with
the Dutch East India Company.
283
00:18:06,740 --> 00:18:09,940
The Dutch East India Company,
apart from trading,
284
00:18:09,940 --> 00:18:12,780
which they'd been doing fairly
peacefully with the Banda people,
285
00:18:12,780 --> 00:18:16,980
decided that they wanted
to come onshore and build forts.
286
00:18:16,980 --> 00:18:20,380
And the Banda people,
of course, resisted.
287
00:18:21,460 --> 00:18:24,140
He brought 13 huge ships
288
00:18:24,140 --> 00:18:29,060
with 1,600 men
and 80 Japanese mercenaries.
289
00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:34,900
The terror that must have come
into the islanders' hearts.
290
00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:37,100
It's so ghastly.
291
00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:39,700
They'd got cannons,
they'd got fire.
292
00:18:40,980 --> 00:18:43,340
These were just
simple Banda people.
293
00:18:43,340 --> 00:18:47,260
90% of their population
was massacred. 90%!
294
00:18:51,180 --> 00:18:54,580
The assault was orchestrated
to wipe out the Bandanese
295
00:18:54,580 --> 00:18:57,860
and take control of their nutmeg
once and for all.
296
00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:04,420
It was genocide,
and all in the name of greed.
297
00:19:06,340 --> 00:19:08,180
There was now no-one left
298
00:19:08,180 --> 00:19:11,020
to contest
the island's fortifications.
299
00:19:12,340 --> 00:19:16,820
While today, Fort Belgica makes
a good playground for local kids...
300
00:19:16,820 --> 00:19:21,140
THEY SING
301
00:19:21,140 --> 00:19:24,980
..at the time,
it sent out a very clear message.
302
00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:29,820
"Do not mess with the Dutch."
303
00:19:34,580 --> 00:19:35,620
Wow!
304
00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:40,700
Built in 1611,
this fort is a testament
305
00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:43,420
to the value of nutmeg
to the outside world.
306
00:19:43,420 --> 00:19:48,220
It was a commodity well worth
fighting for and dying for.
307
00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:52,900
There was a time
when the riches that were plundered
308
00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:55,540
by the Dutch East India Company
from the Spice Islands
309
00:19:55,540 --> 00:19:59,780
amounted to half of the
Netherlands' entire annual income.
310
00:19:59,780 --> 00:20:01,740
Imagine that.
311
00:20:03,460 --> 00:20:06,140
The Dutch East India Company.
312
00:20:06,140 --> 00:20:10,660
Well, it was rather like companies
like Apple or Amazon are today -
313
00:20:10,660 --> 00:20:13,700
immensely important
and far-reaching.
314
00:20:15,220 --> 00:20:16,740
And rich.
315
00:20:24,380 --> 00:20:27,740
One of the most important people
on the island of Banda Neira
316
00:20:27,740 --> 00:20:29,740
is a woman whose grandfather
317
00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:32,500
was affectionately known
as the King of Banda.
318
00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:34,580
THEY GREET EACH OTHER
319
00:20:34,580 --> 00:20:36,620
Oh, this is thrilling for me, Mita,
320
00:20:36,620 --> 00:20:39,300
because this is
your own family hotel, isn't it?
321
00:20:39,300 --> 00:20:41,900
Yes. I've been running it
since 2016 now.
322
00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:44,180
And how long has it been
in your family?
323
00:20:44,180 --> 00:20:49,220
Well, this whole area was a port
for my great-great-grandfather.
324
00:20:49,220 --> 00:20:52,020
Yes. My grandfather,
he then turned it into hotel.
325
00:20:52,020 --> 00:20:57,020
Mita is the granddaughter
of the late, great Des Alwi,
326
00:20:57,020 --> 00:20:58,700
a force of nature
327
00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:02,100
who was passionate about improving
the lives of the Bandanese
328
00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,980
and a key figure in the fight
for Indonesia's independence.
329
00:21:05,980 --> 00:21:08,060
Growing up in his shadow,
330
00:21:08,060 --> 00:21:10,380
Mita eventually
went off to see the world,
331
00:21:10,380 --> 00:21:13,020
before returning to island life.
332
00:21:13,020 --> 00:21:17,780
When the phone call came, saying,
"Come back, it's your turn now,"
333
00:21:17,780 --> 00:21:20,820
were you thrilled?
Um...
334
00:21:20,820 --> 00:21:23,500
Yeah. I mean, I'm like,
"Oh, already?"
335
00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:26,460
So I sort of always knew one day
336
00:21:26,460 --> 00:21:28,220
that I will come back here
337
00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,940
because my grandpa
ingrained the love of Banda
338
00:21:31,940 --> 00:21:35,260
since I was basically a tiny baby.
339
00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:38,780
Mita is in the process
of restoring the family hotel.
340
00:21:39,980 --> 00:21:42,420
In its heyday,
its charming grandeur
341
00:21:42,420 --> 00:21:46,900
and to-die-for waterside location
attracted big names.
342
00:21:46,900 --> 00:21:49,420
We had Mick Jagger.
Mick Jagger?
343
00:21:49,420 --> 00:21:52,500
Yes. Of the Rolling Stones.
Yeah, he came here.
344
00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:55,020
My mum was hosting him then,
345
00:21:55,020 --> 00:21:57,860
and so my mum asked him,
"So you're a singer?"
346
00:21:57,860 --> 00:21:59,140
And he said, "Yeah."
347
00:21:59,140 --> 00:22:02,260
And then my mum said,
"Oh, could you sing us a song?"
348
00:22:02,260 --> 00:22:04,380
So he did.
349
00:22:04,380 --> 00:22:07,380
Unfortunately, when I asked my mum
what song he sang...
350
00:22:07,380 --> 00:22:09,180
She can't remember?
She can't remember.
351
00:22:09,180 --> 00:22:11,860
A private concert,
and she can't remember the song!
352
00:22:11,860 --> 00:22:14,340
Mick, if you're watching this,
just call us in
353
00:22:14,340 --> 00:22:16,620
and let us know what the song was.
354
00:22:25,820 --> 00:22:28,300
Mita wears many hats.
355
00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:30,460
As well as
running the splendid hotel,
356
00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:34,420
she oversees Banda's Foundation
of Heritage and Culture.
357
00:22:38,380 --> 00:22:41,260
The organisation
was founded by her grandfather
358
00:22:41,260 --> 00:22:44,340
to help restore
the island's historic buildings.
359
00:22:47,860 --> 00:22:49,700
So, Mita, look at this!
360
00:22:50,860 --> 00:22:53,500
This is called the Istana Mini.
361
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:57,340
This was once
the governor's house.
362
00:22:57,340 --> 00:23:01,420
So, Dutch East India Company,
this was its headquarters?
363
00:23:01,420 --> 00:23:05,380
Yeah. With this huge spread,
grand building.
364
00:23:05,380 --> 00:23:08,940
They will have parties here,
ballroom dances here.
365
00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:12,540
While the governors lived in luxury,
366
00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:15,260
in the plantations,
slaves were toiling away
367
00:23:15,260 --> 00:23:16,900
in miserable conditions.
368
00:23:18,060 --> 00:23:19,700
This palace and all it stood for
369
00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:22,620
was built
on the back of slave labour,
370
00:23:22,620 --> 00:23:26,100
and for Mita, it's an uncomfortable
but important truth.
371
00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:30,940
We have to know our history.
Yeah.
372
00:23:30,940 --> 00:23:32,500
Don't let this disappear.
Exactly.
373
00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:34,540
Once it's gone, it's gone forever.
Exactly.
374
00:23:34,540 --> 00:23:38,500
History is there for us to learn,
to be better, to make more peace.
375
00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:40,980
What we say in Banda is,
376
00:23:40,980 --> 00:23:44,580
"The bad things are in our heads
but not in our heart."
377
00:23:44,580 --> 00:23:47,180
So there's great forgiveness
on these islands, isn't there?
378
00:23:47,180 --> 00:23:48,620
There's a lot to forgive.
379
00:23:50,100 --> 00:23:54,900
Here we are in the courtyard
garden of this palace.
380
00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:58,900
Oh!
Beautiful settings.
381
00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:02,420
Very ugly past.
Yes.
382
00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:06,900
This was the offices for the VOC.
All along here.
383
00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:11,180
Dutch East India Company
operated from here in Banda.
384
00:24:11,180 --> 00:24:12,860
Mita, nutmeg at this time
385
00:24:12,860 --> 00:24:15,380
was the most important commodity
in the world.
386
00:24:15,380 --> 00:24:18,140
What does nutmeg mean to you?
387
00:24:18,140 --> 00:24:21,180
Oh, it means so many things.
388
00:24:21,180 --> 00:24:23,740
It has such a dark history.
389
00:24:23,740 --> 00:24:27,860
What I feel here is like
I feel like... it's...
390
00:24:29,340 --> 00:24:31,620
It's, like, heavy on me.
The oppression.
391
00:24:31,620 --> 00:24:38,220
Yes. Um... But for now, as of now,
it's also our pride.
392
00:24:38,220 --> 00:24:40,140
Mm.
Yeah.
393
00:24:40,140 --> 00:24:42,020
I think it should be
a World Heritage Site.
394
00:24:42,020 --> 00:24:43,900
I'll go back and write a letter.
395
00:24:46,940 --> 00:24:50,380
Banda's pride and joy,
the mighty nutmeg seed,
396
00:24:50,380 --> 00:24:52,420
is not only a delicious spice.
397
00:24:54,420 --> 00:24:58,420
It has other properties that
you might not be so familiar with.
398
00:24:58,420 --> 00:25:02,380
And Ponky van den Broecke
is the man who's harnessing them.
399
00:25:05,700 --> 00:25:07,260
How good to meet you, Ponky.
400
00:25:07,260 --> 00:25:10,820
Van den Broecke is a very unusual
name for an Indonesian man.
401
00:25:10,820 --> 00:25:12,860
Yeah.
How did you get it?
402
00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:31,860
Oh, I see.
Yeah.
403
00:25:31,860 --> 00:25:35,660
Ponky still farms a plantation
that has been passed down
404
00:25:35,660 --> 00:25:39,980
13 generations from his ancestor,
Peter van den Broecke,
405
00:25:39,980 --> 00:25:42,700
a governor from
the Dutch East India Company.
406
00:25:43,940 --> 00:25:47,100
I wonder what he might think
of Ponky's latest venture -
407
00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:51,380
an ingenious way
of extracting valuable nutmeg oil.
408
00:25:51,380 --> 00:25:54,300
Oh, a machine. I love this.
Yeah.
409
00:25:54,300 --> 00:25:56,060
This looks fantastic.
410
00:25:56,060 --> 00:25:59,020
Amazingly handmade,
beautifully assembled.
411
00:25:59,020 --> 00:26:00,500
I can't...
MACHINE WHIRRS
412
00:26:00,500 --> 00:26:05,620
'Getting oil out of a nut
is a complicated business...
413
00:26:05,620 --> 00:26:08,660
'..and starts with
this Willy Wonka contraption...
414
00:26:11,860 --> 00:26:16,180
'..that miraculously spits out
ground nutmeg.'
415
00:26:16,180 --> 00:26:18,940
Good!
HE CHUCKLES
416
00:26:18,940 --> 00:26:22,020
Smells beautiful.
And what happens now?
417
00:26:22,020 --> 00:26:23,620
Will you show me?
Yeah.
418
00:26:23,620 --> 00:26:25,940
Come, come.
You'll never see this again.
419
00:26:25,940 --> 00:26:27,820
You literally will never see this
again.
420
00:26:27,820 --> 00:26:30,900
HE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS
421
00:26:30,900 --> 00:26:32,060
Put that into there.
422
00:26:32,060 --> 00:26:36,660
Basically, this clever little bit
of kit works like a nutmeg sauna.
423
00:26:36,660 --> 00:26:40,900
With a combination of
heat, pressure and steam...
424
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,620
out comes a little miracle.
425
00:26:43,620 --> 00:26:47,900
Oh!
Oh! Look at that!
426
00:26:47,900 --> 00:26:50,780
Oil.
Essential oil.
427
00:26:50,780 --> 00:26:52,620
Essential, indeed.
Essential oil.
428
00:26:52,620 --> 00:26:54,700
Isn't that gorgeous?
429
00:26:54,700 --> 00:26:56,460
I mean,
it looks a bit Heath Robinson
430
00:26:56,460 --> 00:26:59,660
and a bit primitive,
but, by golly, it works.
431
00:26:59,660 --> 00:27:04,540
Water, stuff,
thing, cooling down - oil.
432
00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:06,180
Magic!
433
00:27:07,460 --> 00:27:09,100
Yeah.
434
00:27:10,220 --> 00:27:13,300
Oh, it's... it's intoxicating!
435
00:27:14,380 --> 00:27:16,100
That's sensational.
436
00:27:18,620 --> 00:27:21,340
Look at that. I love it.
437
00:27:21,340 --> 00:27:24,900
I'm going to put this on
just for two or three days,
438
00:27:24,900 --> 00:27:27,060
and I'll look like a teenager
at the end of it.
439
00:27:27,060 --> 00:27:30,180
I have a feeling
this is the elixir of youth.
440
00:27:30,180 --> 00:27:32,660
Terima kasih, Ponky.
Thank you so much.
441
00:27:33,940 --> 00:27:35,860
When the eyes
and coffers of the world
442
00:27:35,860 --> 00:27:38,260
were focused on these tiny islands,
443
00:27:38,260 --> 00:27:42,980
the magnetism of nutmeg drove
ambitious men to extreme lengths.
444
00:27:43,980 --> 00:27:46,140
And I'm following in their wake.
445
00:27:53,660 --> 00:27:57,060
My destination is
one of the outlying Banda Islands,
446
00:27:57,060 --> 00:27:59,420
a small plot of land that was once
447
00:27:59,420 --> 00:28:03,540
one of the most desired pieces
of real estate in the world.
448
00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,700
Of this area, somebody once wrote,
449
00:28:10,700 --> 00:28:13,660
"Here be dragons and leviathans."
450
00:28:18,180 --> 00:28:21,820
This is extremely exciting,
finding Run.
451
00:28:23,980 --> 00:28:25,300
Because this little island
452
00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:29,060
played the most colossal part
in world history -
453
00:28:29,060 --> 00:28:31,100
this little island of Run.
454
00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:36,220
In 1616... King James I of England
455
00:28:36,220 --> 00:28:39,820
dispatched
a Captain Nathaniel Courthope
456
00:28:39,820 --> 00:28:43,420
to lay claim to the nutmeg on Run.
457
00:28:43,420 --> 00:28:48,020
Now, when the islanders saw this
peaceful ship docking and coming in
458
00:28:48,020 --> 00:28:51,820
and people not firing guns, they
were so grateful and so relieved.
459
00:28:51,820 --> 00:28:53,420
And they said, "Please help us
460
00:28:53,420 --> 00:28:56,500
"because we're battling
our mortal foe, the Dutch."
461
00:28:56,500 --> 00:28:58,060
So the chiefs of the island
462
00:28:58,060 --> 00:29:05,060
decided to hand Run over
to the English Crown... forever.
463
00:29:07,780 --> 00:29:11,340
Well, King James
was so absolutely taken aback
464
00:29:11,340 --> 00:29:15,580
that thereafter,
he titled himself King James I
465
00:29:15,580 --> 00:29:20,020
of England, Scotland,
Wales... and Run.
466
00:29:22,820 --> 00:29:26,900
Thus are the seeds
of the British Empire sown...
467
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:31,140
..here... on Run.
468
00:29:38,140 --> 00:29:42,540
Look at this.
That's a coracora boat.
469
00:29:42,540 --> 00:29:45,940
It looks as though
it's out of a history book.
470
00:29:45,940 --> 00:29:49,380
These boats hold
a small battalion of men...
471
00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:53,900
Hello!
CREW: Hello!
472
00:29:53,900 --> 00:29:55,740
..and were historically dispatched
473
00:29:55,740 --> 00:29:58,660
to meet incoming foreigners,
like us.
474
00:29:58,660 --> 00:30:00,580
Good, good. There we are.
475
00:30:00,580 --> 00:30:04,300
That's it. Jalan!
OK, jalan.
476
00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:08,900
CREW SINGS
477
00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:20,900
This is kind of Queen of Sheba
travelling, really. Pretty gorgeous.
478
00:30:24,660 --> 00:30:29,100
ALL SING
479
00:30:40,860 --> 00:30:44,540
Lovely! Bracing. Soaking!
480
00:30:48,260 --> 00:30:50,060
It's over 400 years
481
00:30:50,060 --> 00:30:52,740
since the English
claimed this island as their own.
482
00:30:52,740 --> 00:30:55,380
And a lot has happened since then.
483
00:30:57,300 --> 00:31:01,420
Not that you'd know, as nowadays,
Run is a haven of tranquillity.
484
00:31:01,420 --> 00:31:04,620
HE SINGS
485
00:31:05,820 --> 00:31:09,140
Islanders make a living
from salted fish and spices.
486
00:31:09,140 --> 00:31:13,180
It's a simple life,
but its history is anything but.
487
00:31:14,860 --> 00:31:18,940
In 1667,
Run's fate took a remarkable turn,
488
00:31:18,940 --> 00:31:21,700
where an extraordinary deal
was struck.
489
00:31:21,700 --> 00:31:23,180
After decades of rivalry,
490
00:31:23,180 --> 00:31:26,180
finally, the English and the Dutch
came to an agreement
491
00:31:26,180 --> 00:31:29,420
about what to do with
this beautiful little island of Run.
492
00:31:29,420 --> 00:31:31,420
The English, who, after all,
493
00:31:31,420 --> 00:31:36,540
owned this little piece of paradise
with money growing off the trees,
494
00:31:36,540 --> 00:31:39,700
swapped it with the Dutch
495
00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:45,620
in exchange for a small, swampy,
uninhabited river island
496
00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:47,300
far away
in the northern hemisphere,
497
00:31:47,300 --> 00:31:49,900
the cold northern hemisphere,
9,000 miles away,
498
00:31:49,900 --> 00:31:51,020
called New Amsterdam.
499
00:31:51,020 --> 00:31:53,140
It sounds like
the English got a pretty raw deal,
500
00:31:53,140 --> 00:31:56,300
except that
New Amsterdam was to become
501
00:31:56,300 --> 00:31:58,980
the city so good,
they named it twice.
502
00:31:58,980 --> 00:32:03,860
# New York, New York... #
503
00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:05,420
HORNS TOOT
504
00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:10,220
Oh! Oh, look.
505
00:32:11,940 --> 00:32:14,180
This incredible deal
went down in history
506
00:32:14,180 --> 00:32:16,460
as the Manhattan Transfer.
507
00:32:19,180 --> 00:32:21,780
The Dutch set about harvesting
the island's nutmeg
508
00:32:21,780 --> 00:32:24,340
on an industrial scale.
509
00:32:27,540 --> 00:32:29,780
This vast smokehouse was built
510
00:32:29,780 --> 00:32:33,140
to dry nutmeg kernels
in their thousands.
511
00:32:38,740 --> 00:32:41,620
I had no idea of the scale of it.
512
00:32:43,060 --> 00:32:46,420
Huge fires
were placed all along here.
513
00:32:46,420 --> 00:32:50,020
At this level, where
those triangles are sticking out,
514
00:32:50,020 --> 00:32:51,820
there was another floor constructed,
515
00:32:51,820 --> 00:32:54,420
and it was like
a bamboo shelf with gaps in it
516
00:32:54,420 --> 00:32:56,020
so that the smoke could go through.
517
00:32:56,020 --> 00:32:57,820
And on that were all the nutmegs.
518
00:32:57,820 --> 00:33:00,300
Down the middle of it, up there,
there was a walkway,
519
00:33:00,300 --> 00:33:04,140
and every six hours, workers would
go out with rakes and turn them.
520
00:33:04,140 --> 00:33:06,740
Can you imagine the heat up there?
521
00:33:06,740 --> 00:33:09,780
Absolutely back-breaking.
522
00:33:09,780 --> 00:33:15,420
They'd be dry in three days...
all put back into... massive sacks.
523
00:33:15,420 --> 00:33:18,620
And one man
with a 50kg sack on his back
524
00:33:18,620 --> 00:33:21,500
would make his way
down to the harbour.
525
00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:23,420
The Dutch occupied this land
526
00:33:23,420 --> 00:33:26,780
right up until independence
in 1945.
527
00:33:26,780 --> 00:33:28,820
But this old iron house
528
00:33:28,820 --> 00:33:32,060
feels like it hasn't quite
shaken off its ghosts.
529
00:33:33,220 --> 00:33:35,860
Something about
the great stillness here...
530
00:33:35,860 --> 00:33:37,460
it really feels haunted.
531
00:33:37,460 --> 00:33:41,140
It's odd.
It's holding old memories.
532
00:33:47,460 --> 00:33:50,260
I'm leaving
the Banda Islands behind.
533
00:33:50,260 --> 00:33:52,740
SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
534
00:33:52,740 --> 00:33:58,020
My Spice Route adventure
is taking me 4,000km west...
535
00:33:59,740 --> 00:34:03,660
..to the province of Java
and the capital of Indonesia...
536
00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:06,460
..Jakarta.
537
00:34:07,580 --> 00:34:12,100
This megacity swells
to 12 million people every day.
538
00:34:13,980 --> 00:34:17,340
When the Dutch founded it,
they named it Batavia,
539
00:34:17,340 --> 00:34:19,220
establishing
their headquarters here
540
00:34:19,220 --> 00:34:21,740
and modelling the city
on Amsterdam.
541
00:34:22,780 --> 00:34:25,220
The city's natural harbour
was ideal
542
00:34:25,220 --> 00:34:27,620
to store large quantities of spice
543
00:34:27,620 --> 00:34:30,900
brought in
from the Banda Islands and Maluku.
544
00:34:30,900 --> 00:34:32,500
A fortune's worth of spice
545
00:34:32,500 --> 00:34:36,740
was stored in these vast warehouses
that still line the streets.
546
00:34:36,740 --> 00:34:41,380
But I'm looking for something
that was backstage, if you like.
547
00:34:41,380 --> 00:34:47,700
I wonder, can I look through here
to see the building?
548
00:34:47,700 --> 00:34:50,100
Ah, yeah.
Yeah? Thank you so much.
549
00:34:50,100 --> 00:34:53,300
Thank you. Thank you so much.
550
00:34:53,300 --> 00:34:54,860
If I'm in the right place,
551
00:34:54,860 --> 00:34:58,460
there should be something explosive
hidden behind this lady's house.
552
00:35:01,100 --> 00:35:04,900
These are
the huge gunpowder warehouses.
553
00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:07,980
They were built at the end
of the 18th century by the Dutch,
554
00:35:07,980 --> 00:35:09,500
and it was to keep gunpowder
for them
555
00:35:09,500 --> 00:35:12,340
because they had to protect their
newly found colonies down here.
556
00:35:12,340 --> 00:35:15,660
Enormous warehouses.
Can you imagine?
557
00:35:15,660 --> 00:35:19,580
Packed to the roof with gunpowder.
558
00:35:22,700 --> 00:35:25,820
I'd walk over, except
there's a bit of a swamp in between.
559
00:35:28,620 --> 00:35:32,220
In my excitement,
I've gate-crashed someone's home,
560
00:35:32,220 --> 00:35:36,100
and I can't help noticing
a strong smell of spice in the air.
561
00:35:38,100 --> 00:35:39,860
Indonesians have a reputation
562
00:35:39,860 --> 00:35:42,540
for being some of the
friendliest people on the planet,
563
00:35:42,540 --> 00:35:46,380
and I've been welcomed in
like a long-lost friend.
564
00:35:46,380 --> 00:35:48,500
And what's going on here?
Cigarettes?
565
00:35:53,780 --> 00:35:57,500
With kretek? So this is cloves?
Oh! May I smell? OK.
566
00:36:04,580 --> 00:36:07,380
For me? Oh, I don't know
whether I'll try one.
567
00:36:07,380 --> 00:36:10,700
You try. You do it, Ooki.
You do it.
568
00:36:10,700 --> 00:36:13,260
I'm going to do this.
569
00:36:13,260 --> 00:36:15,420
'I'm only doing this
in the name of research.
570
00:36:15,420 --> 00:36:18,260
'It's not big, and it's not clever.'
571
00:36:18,260 --> 00:36:20,340
These are clove-scented.
572
00:36:20,340 --> 00:36:24,540
Cheaper? Cheaper.
573
00:36:24,540 --> 00:36:27,740
And do they make you feel calm?
574
00:36:27,740 --> 00:36:31,820
Begin to... relax.
Relax.
575
00:36:31,820 --> 00:36:34,580
Clove cigarettes are so popular,
576
00:36:34,580 --> 00:36:39,420
223 billion of the things
are smoked every day in Indonesia.
577
00:36:41,060 --> 00:36:43,180
And they get their name, "kretek",
578
00:36:43,180 --> 00:36:45,340
from the sound
the cigarettes make when lit.
579
00:36:45,340 --> 00:36:47,700
Little bits of clove crackling.
580
00:36:49,820 --> 00:36:52,380
And there we are.
There's a little clove cigarette.
581
00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:55,060
You saw it here.
You don't do it at home, ever.
582
00:36:55,060 --> 00:36:56,900
Also you can't buy them.
So, bad luck.
583
00:36:56,900 --> 00:36:59,780
You have to have them... You have
to come out here to Jakarta
584
00:36:59,780 --> 00:37:01,620
and have them made for you
privately.
585
00:37:01,620 --> 00:37:03,860
JOANNA CHUCKLES
You don't smoke, Leah?
586
00:37:03,860 --> 00:37:05,820
No, Leah doesn't smoke.
Leah's good.
587
00:37:05,820 --> 00:37:09,140
Leah is good.
Thank you. Ooki and I...
588
00:37:25,380 --> 00:37:29,660
Every day, 20 million vehicles
fill the streets of Jakarta.
589
00:37:29,660 --> 00:37:31,380
The city's motorists
590
00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:34,540
spend more than half their
daylight hours stuck in traffic.
591
00:37:34,540 --> 00:37:37,260
So imagine
being a truck driver here...
592
00:37:37,260 --> 00:37:39,100
or a truck driver's buddy.
593
00:37:41,820 --> 00:37:43,940
I've don't think
I've ever been on a delivery before.
594
00:37:43,940 --> 00:37:48,180
It's exciting, but it's tough,
facing up to all this traffic
595
00:37:48,180 --> 00:37:53,020
and more scooters than you
can shake a stick at in the city.
596
00:37:54,220 --> 00:37:55,500
This is Cenot,
597
00:37:55,500 --> 00:37:58,220
one of Jakarta's thousands
of delivery drivers,
598
00:37:58,220 --> 00:38:01,780
and he seems to be a big fan
of the little island I live on.
599
00:38:12,620 --> 00:38:15,340
Cenot,
this beautiful snake gear lever!
600
00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:22,940
Yeah, it's really cool.
601
00:38:24,740 --> 00:38:28,620
I know what you're wondering -
what am I up to?
602
00:38:31,580 --> 00:38:34,860
But there is
a method to my madness.
603
00:38:35,980 --> 00:38:38,460
We have a precious cargo on board,
604
00:38:38,460 --> 00:38:41,580
instantly recognised
the world over.
605
00:38:41,580 --> 00:38:46,140
A delivery of Coca-Cola,
which I think
606
00:38:46,140 --> 00:38:47,700
has got nutmeg in it.
607
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:49,140
I mean, I'm just saying,
608
00:38:49,140 --> 00:38:52,580
all the signs lead to
nutmeg being in Coca-Cola.
609
00:38:52,580 --> 00:38:55,660
So it's starting on its journey
to 200 countries.
610
00:38:55,660 --> 00:38:58,620
1.9 billion cans a day being drunk,
611
00:38:58,620 --> 00:39:02,100
nutmeg spreading around the world.
Thrilling!
612
00:39:03,940 --> 00:39:05,580
Coca-Cola's recipe
is still a secret,
613
00:39:05,580 --> 00:39:10,300
but its inventor, John Pemberton,
sold nutmeg to the US government.
614
00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:12,980
So he definitely
had the spice on his radar.
615
00:39:12,980 --> 00:39:15,340
And it's listed in an old notebook
616
00:39:15,340 --> 00:39:19,660
that could or could not
have been connected to him. So...
617
00:39:21,460 --> 00:39:23,180
There is, however, one local drink
618
00:39:23,180 --> 00:39:27,540
that I can confirm definitely has
spices in it.
619
00:39:27,540 --> 00:39:32,340
Come with me to the swanky upmarket
Jakartan district of Senopati,
620
00:39:32,340 --> 00:39:35,980
where there's a little speakeasy
bar called the Cocktail Club...
621
00:39:35,980 --> 00:39:37,020
Kiki?
622
00:39:37,020 --> 00:39:40,900
'..famed for mixing up a local drink
that's all about the spice.'
623
00:39:40,900 --> 00:39:46,220
What a beautiful bar!
And how lovely to meet you.
624
00:39:46,220 --> 00:39:49,740
Kiki Moka has been dubbed the
rock star of Jakarta's bar scene
625
00:39:49,740 --> 00:39:53,820
and is an authority on
Indonesia's adopted national drink.
626
00:39:53,820 --> 00:39:57,660
This drink called pletok.
Pletok.
627
00:39:57,660 --> 00:40:00,820
The local people invented
the drinks from the spices.
628
00:40:00,820 --> 00:40:05,420
That's colonial era.
Because they are Muslim,
629
00:40:05,420 --> 00:40:08,180
they don't want to drink
the alcohol.
630
00:40:08,180 --> 00:40:10,500
So they invented this drink...
Yeah.
631
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,660
..to enjoy with the Dutch people.
Yes.
632
00:40:13,660 --> 00:40:17,460
They saw Dutch people
using the shaker, probably.
633
00:40:17,460 --> 00:40:20,500
And it goes, "Pletok, pletok,
pletok, pletok." Oh, I see!
634
00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:22,460
Yeah. So that's why they...
Lovely.
635
00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:24,860
..they name it.
The sound of it. Yeah.
636
00:40:24,860 --> 00:40:27,020
Kiki is so rock and roll,
637
00:40:27,020 --> 00:40:29,980
he's invented a version
with a bit of a kick.
638
00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:33,180
And can you make that, Kiki?
Yes. Classic cocktail.
639
00:40:33,180 --> 00:40:35,980
The alcoholic version
of bir pletok.
640
00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:41,740
We've got ginger, we've got water,
we've got lemon juice, lime juice.
641
00:40:41,740 --> 00:40:44,900
This is a very healthy drink,
isn't it? Yes.
642
00:40:44,900 --> 00:40:47,020
You won't get scurvy.
643
00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:51,660
Cinnamon.
One stick broken, snapped up.
644
00:40:51,660 --> 00:40:53,140
This is something we haven't got.
645
00:40:53,140 --> 00:40:56,180
Oh, my gosh. Kind of curry. Pandan?
646
00:40:56,180 --> 00:40:58,940
Yes. And now for the nutmeg.
647
00:40:58,940 --> 00:41:01,540
Sugar... boil.
648
00:41:01,540 --> 00:41:05,220
60ml of plantation rum.
649
00:41:05,220 --> 00:41:07,260
The fire.
Orange liquor.
650
00:41:07,260 --> 00:41:10,860
Already that's
a pretty good drink. Yeah.
651
00:41:13,060 --> 00:41:15,740
Maybe we can put some mace
as a decoration.
652
00:41:15,740 --> 00:41:19,140
Yes.
I brought this from Banda Besar.
653
00:41:19,140 --> 00:41:22,740
Oh, wow. Mace for the history.
654
00:41:22,740 --> 00:41:24,420
And a little bit of mint.
655
00:41:24,420 --> 00:41:27,420
Mmm-mmm-mmm!
656
00:41:27,420 --> 00:41:30,460
Enjoy.
Thank you so much.
657
00:41:36,180 --> 00:41:37,660
That's fabulous.
658
00:41:37,660 --> 00:41:40,820
Oh, you are so clever!
Thank you.
659
00:41:40,820 --> 00:41:43,740
Chin-chin. Thank you, Kiki.
Thank you so much.
660
00:41:43,740 --> 00:41:44,980
Thank you for coming.
661
00:41:48,820 --> 00:41:50,940
As night breaks across Jakarta,
662
00:41:50,940 --> 00:41:54,900
hundreds of food stalls on wheels
appear out of nowhere.
663
00:41:54,900 --> 00:41:58,660
They are an Indonesian tradition
called warungs.
664
00:41:58,660 --> 00:41:59,980
And if you're really lucky,
665
00:41:59,980 --> 00:42:02,500
you can also catch
some entertainment.
666
00:42:03,540 --> 00:42:07,260
Devi and Diah and
their Dangdut Orchestra on Wheels
667
00:42:07,260 --> 00:42:10,460
are a regular fixture
in this part of town.
668
00:42:10,460 --> 00:42:12,460
South Korea has K-pop,
669
00:42:12,460 --> 00:42:14,940
the US has rhythm & blues
and rock & roll,
670
00:42:14,940 --> 00:42:18,140
and Indonesia has dangdut.
671
00:42:18,140 --> 00:42:19,980
Devi!
Yeah.
672
00:42:19,980 --> 00:42:22,380
Devi. And Diah. Diah. Tell me,
673
00:42:22,380 --> 00:42:25,380
dangdut - what does it mean?
674
00:42:25,380 --> 00:42:27,660
Dang-dut.
Dang... Drums?
675
00:42:28,700 --> 00:42:31,860
Dang-dut, dang-dut...
Ah, that's it!
676
00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:41,900
Dangdut is the best.
677
00:42:41,900 --> 00:42:43,300
The best?
The best.
678
00:42:43,300 --> 00:42:46,100
How long
have you been singing dangdut?
679
00:43:01,340 --> 00:43:04,980
Will you sing me dangdut song?
Yes!
680
00:43:06,780 --> 00:43:09,100
RHYTHMIC POP PLAYS
681
00:43:14,540 --> 00:43:15,860
Dangdut is a mash-up
682
00:43:15,860 --> 00:43:18,580
of just about every genre of music
you can think of.
683
00:43:18,580 --> 00:43:20,260
There's a bit of Bollywood,
684
00:43:20,260 --> 00:43:23,300
Arabic, western pop
and Malay folk music.
685
00:43:24,420 --> 00:43:27,100
SONG: 'Rindu Semalam'
686
00:43:33,220 --> 00:43:35,660
'This song is Rindu Semalam,
687
00:43:35,660 --> 00:43:38,340
'by the singer-songwriter
Titi Kamal.
688
00:43:43,060 --> 00:43:46,540
'It's a catchy love song
about an absent lover.
689
00:43:48,860 --> 00:43:51,660
'And it's a fitting way
to end my trip.
690
00:43:54,580 --> 00:43:59,620
'The music is as warm and eclectic
as this intoxicating country.'
691
00:43:59,620 --> 00:44:02,540
I've come to the end of my time
in Indonesia,
692
00:44:02,540 --> 00:44:06,060
and I'm leaving
with a pocket full of nutmeg.
693
00:44:06,060 --> 00:44:07,500
And the next time I use
694
00:44:07,500 --> 00:44:09,860
this beautiful little nutmeg
in London...
695
00:44:11,220 --> 00:44:13,140
..I shall treat it
with a different respect
696
00:44:13,140 --> 00:44:17,100
because this little thing
changed the history of the world.
697
00:44:17,100 --> 00:44:18,740
And there's something else.
698
00:44:18,740 --> 00:44:20,260
I couldn't resist it.
699
00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:25,580
This... is a nutmeg picker.
700
00:44:25,580 --> 00:44:27,740
When I've fixed it
onto a long pole,
701
00:44:27,740 --> 00:44:30,300
taken it back to London,
I'll be able to reach
702
00:44:30,300 --> 00:44:32,860
the highest apples and pears
on my tree.
703
00:44:32,860 --> 00:44:34,500
And every time I use it,
704
00:44:34,500 --> 00:44:37,780
I shall be reminded
of my maiden voyage
705
00:44:37,780 --> 00:44:41,420
to the most remote spice islands
in the whole world.
706
00:44:44,220 --> 00:44:49,260
The next leg of my spice odyssey
adventure gets a little heated...
707
00:44:49,260 --> 00:44:51,140
Phew!
708
00:44:51,140 --> 00:44:54,700
..when it takes me to the country
I was born in... India.
709
00:44:54,700 --> 00:44:58,780
Crossing continents, I venture
into Madagascar's vanilla heartlands
710
00:44:58,780 --> 00:45:01,660
to spar with the locals...
711
00:45:03,420 --> 00:45:07,500
..and onwards to
the exotic island of Zanzibar,
712
00:45:07,500 --> 00:45:10,980
before a trek across
the crossroads of Asia and Europe
713
00:45:10,980 --> 00:45:14,540
takes me
to the ancient city of Petra.
714
00:45:14,540 --> 00:45:18,020
Join me
on this Spice Trail adventure.
715
00:45:18,020 --> 00:45:21,380
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