Nutmeg and Dragons

Still sailing through the Timor Sea and into the Indian Ocean. Our botanist discussed the role of spices in the history of Indonesia. (Guess why Indonesia has been called the Spice Islands?) Nutmeg, mace, cloves and pepper were especially valuable (worth more than gold). The Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and English all vied to control the trade using brutal tactics. Eventually Indonesia achieved independence but has struggled to establish a stable government. A few interesting facts: Nutmeg has hallucinogenic properties but can also kill if you take enough (about 30 nutmegs). However if you are thinking it is the perfect murder poison be aware that it can be detected by gas chromatography.

In the presentation on dragons we learned that the Eastern world depicts dragons as good, water loving creatures without wings whereas the Western world imagines flying, fire breathing, destructive monsters. This is in preparation for our visit to see Komodo lizards tomorrow.Read more