Untold Miles - Chapter 6 - Goodbye Manado... Hello Luwuk! A Journey That Felt Like Family
Every trip reaches a point where it's time to leave one place behind and look forward to the next.
For us, that morning had arrived.
Manado had given us waterfalls, beaches, endless greenery and memories that would stay with us for a lifetime.
Now it was time to head towards Central Sulawesi.
But before leaving, there were two places we absolutely wanted to visit.
A Peaceful Start
The alarm rang at 5:30 AM.
Normally, waking up this early on vacation feels like a punishment.
Not today.
Within minutes we were on our scooter, riding through the quiet streets of Manado while the city was still waking up.
Our first stop was the Gereja Katedral Paroki Hati Tersuci Maria.
As Catholics, we weren't visiting this cathedral simply because it appeared on Google Maps.
We came to pray.
The morning Mass had just finished, and the church was wrapped in complete silence.
It was one of those rare moments where you don't feel the need to say anything.
We sat quietly for a while, offered our prayers, and simply enjoyed the peace.
No cameras.
No selfies.
Some places are better remembered than photographed.
Before leaving, we took one picture outside the cathedral and continued our journey.
Jesus Blesses... But Needs a Little Help
Our second stop was God Bless Park, home to the famous Jesus Blesses monument overlooking Manado.
Since it was still early morning, we had the entire place to ourselves.
The view?
Absolutely beautiful.
The statue stands with its hands stretched towards the sea, as if blessing the city below.
It was peaceful, calm and incredibly photogenic.
But...
I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
The monument deserves better maintenance.
Several structures around the park were damaged, and the once-white angel statues had clearly seen better days.
After reading online that this is one of the best sunset viewpoints in Manado, I could only imagine how spectacular it must look when properly maintained.
I genuinely hope the local authorities restore this beautiful place because it deserves to shine.
Despite everything, we were happy we visited.
Sometimes beauty still manages to stand out despite its imperfections.
One Last Breakfast
Back at the hotel, we had one final breakfast before checking out.
By now, breakfast had become part of our daily routine—and honestly, we were going to miss it.
After finishing our meal, we packed our bags, handed the scooter keys to the reception (the rental company would collect it later), and booked a taxi using the Maxim app.
Within five minutes, our ride arrived.
One last drive through Manado.
One last look at the city.
There was just one unfinished mission.
Buying souvenirs.
Surprisingly, we hadn't bought a single souvenir during our stay.
So we made a deal.
"If we don't find anything at the airport... that's it."
Thankfully, the airport had a few souvenir shops, and after wandering around for a while, we finally found something to take home.
Mission accomplished.
Off to Luwuk
Today's plan looked simple on paper.
✈️ Fly from Manado to Luwuk.
🚗 Drive another 220 kilometres to Ampana.
🏝️ Stay there for two nights before heading to the Togean Islands, where our four-day adventure with a local guide would begin.
Easy to read.
Not quite so easy to do.
Still...
We were excited.
The Sleeping Champion
The flight departed on time.
It was a small aircraft with surprisingly few passengers.
The journey itself wasn't very long.
I decided to stay awake and enjoy the views.
My wife...
Well...
She has a superpower.
She can fall asleep almost anywhere.
Airplane.
Bus.
Car.
Waiting room.
Probably even while standing if someone lets her.
In fact, if her family is reading this...
They'll confirm I'm not exaggerating!
Before the aircraft had even climbed properly into the sky...
She was already asleep.
Some talents simply cannot be taught.
Welcome to Luwuk
Soon we landed at another tiny airport.
Luwuk Airport sits so close to the sea that I joked,
"If I throw a stone from the runway, it'll probably land in the water."
Now came the next challenge.
Finding our guide.
I had been chatting with Wati on WhatsApp for weeks while planning our Togean itinerary.
But she had never told me how we'd recognise each other.
I imagined someone holding a placard with my name.
Or maybe calling out,
"Mr. Don?"
Instead...
Something completely unexpected happened.
"Wati?"
As we walked out of the terminal, I noticed a lady enthusiastically waving towards me.
Naturally, I assumed she was greeting someone behind us.
I definitely wasn't going to embarrass myself by waving back to a stranger.
So I kept walking.
The closer we got...
The more she smiled.
Then it hit me.
Could this be...
"Wati?"
She nodded excitedly.
"Yes! Yes!"
Before I could even process what was happening, she warmly welcomed us.
Standing beside her was her husband, Agunk, happily recording the whole moment on his phone.
Apparently, they had decided to surprise us by picking us up personally instead of sending a driver.
Even more surprising...
We were their very first guests from India.
What a wonderful welcome.
Family... Not Tour Guides
Within minutes of meeting them, it no longer felt like we had hired tour guides.
It felt like we were travelling with relatives we hadn't met in years.
Conversations flowed naturally.
Laughter came easily.
There was no awkwardness.
No formalities.
Just four people enjoying each other's company.
Moments like these remind you that travel is really about people.
Not just places.
The Strongest Punch I've Ever Seen
The drive from Luwuk to Ampana is one of the most scenic roads we've travelled.
On one side...
Mountains.
On the other...
The sea.
Small fishing villages.
Thousands of coconut trees.
Endless blue skies.
We decided to skip lunch so we could reach our homestay before evening.
A little while later, Agunk stopped at an Alfamidi supermarket to buy some snacks.
As we pulled back onto the road...
A minivan suddenly appeared.
Both vehicles braked immediately.
No collision.
Everything stopped safely.
Or so we thought.
The van driver jumped out, walked straight towards our car...
...and punched the windshield.
One punch.
That's all it took.
The glass instantly cracked into a giant spiderweb.
We sat inside completely speechless.
My first thought?
"Did Thor just hit our car?"
The young driver looked equally shocked.
He clearly hadn't expected the windshield to shatter.
Fortunately, after a short discussion, both sides calmly settled the matter, and we continued our journey.
Agunk simply drove on with a beautifully decorated cracked windshield.
Travel certainly knows how to keep you entertained.
The Coconut Coast
The road to Ampana became more beautiful with every kilometre.
One side was lined with lush green mountains.
The other opened up to the sea.
Tiny villages appeared every now and then, surrounded by endless coconut plantations.
Curious, I asked Wati how most people earned their living here.
"Fishing," she replied.
"And coconut farming."
She also explained that many of the large coconut plantations were owned by Chinese companies, with local families managing and working on them.
The coconuts are exported mainly to Japan and Korea.
It's amazing how every destination teaches you something completely unexpected.
Welcome to Triple R Homestay
Around 6 PM, we finally reached Ampana.
Waiting for us was one of the warmest stays of our entire trip.
Triple R Homestay.
The owner, Dadang, greeted us with such warmth that it immediately felt like home.
Years ago, he had worked as a tour guide, and his knowledge about Sulawesi seemed endless.
Every room in the homestay was named after a country.
Ours?
Spain.
A small cottage.
Simple.
Comfortable.
Beautifully maintained.
Exactly what we needed after an entire day on the road.
After checking in, we had what you could call a combined lunch, dinner and celebration meal.
Travelling all day has a funny way of confusing your stomach.
One More Surprise
Just before going to bed, I casually asked Dadang,
"Do you know where I can rent a scooter tomorrow?"
He smiled.
"You can use mine."
Just like that.
No complicated discussions.
No hesitation.
Sometimes kindness arrives when you least expect it.
I looked at my wife and smiled.
Perfect.
Because while most travellers use Ampana only as a stopover before taking the ferry to the Togean Islands...
I had discovered something interesting during my research.
Something very few visitors make time for.
And tomorrow...
We were going to find out if it was worth it.
To be continued...