Maju terus!
Walking on!
It was a fine and enjoyable Four Days Marches this year. The 106th edition had a bit of everything. Scorching weather, but also a few heavy downpours. Music, food and plenty of enthusiastic spectators along the route to cheer the walkers on. Among the 47,000 walkers there were again many Moluccans taking part this year. A great many, in fact.
The start This year I am walking for my 8th cross, again with my walking companions Isaac Pattikawa from Zutphen and Johnny Gaspersz from Nijmegen. Isaac is going for his 16th and Johnny for his 27th (!). Museum colleague Olivia Wardenaar had to pull out at the last moment. Because we are walking the 30 kilometres, we start between 7.00 and 8.00. The walkers doing 50 and 40 kilometres started at 4.00 and 6.00 respectively. Very relaxed, we gather at the Wedren by the start. Hans Ririhena from Elst, Eddy Lesimanuaja from Hoogeveen, Anies Huwae from Tiel, Frans from Deventer and last but not least Tommy from Nieuwegein report in too. As the queues at the start grow shorter we join them to have our wristbands scanned. Once scanned we can go. Jalan bae samua! A good Four Days. Enjoy the walk!
Photo: Huib Akihary
Elst day The group of 30-kilometre walkers is large this year. It is so busy that we walk almost at a shuffle, in single file, across the bridge over the Waal. Turning left onto the dyke towards Oosterhout, the queue clears. Further along the route we come to Elst, which has been an important point on the route since the beginning of the Four Days Marches. Many Moluccans live in Elst. On 11 May 1951 the first 13 Moluccan families came to live in camp Snoodenhoek. The camp had 10 wooden barracks. Later another 11 families would be added, along with 27 single people. Camp Snoodenhoek was originally a work camp and in the years after the war was also used to house Indo repatriates. In 1963 the first Moluccan families moved from the camp to the new Moluccan neighbourhood. "Elst now has close to 1,000 residents with a Moluccan background," says council member Agoes Peilouw, "at least according to the municipality of Elst's estimate."
FPP 0114. Arrival in Elst for a short break. 17 July 1972. Pasanea-Platenkamp collection.
Noes Peilouw Noes Peilouw, Agoes's brother, is walking for the 39th time this year. Yes, you read that correctly. The 39th time! "Next year my jubilee with 40 Four Days crosses!" Noes calls out enthusiastically when I catch him in the crowd of walkers. He reminds me of our conversation a year earlier about making an exhibition on the Moluccan contribution from Elst to the Four Days Marches. "We have a great deal of material, stories and photographs," Noes says. And that is certainly true, because for years many people from Elst have taken part. The museum also has photographic material from 1952 and 1972 in the Pasanea-Platenkamp collection.
FPP 0106. Four Days walkers pass the 'Snoodenhoek' camp. 17 July 1972. Pasanea-Platenkamp collection.
Bemmel After Elst we come to Bemmel. And when we say Bemmel, that means a break and soto ajam (chicken soup) at the Moluccan rest stop. And that is what we do, at length. It is needed too, because we have been soaked by a sudden cloudburst. The rest stop is busy with familiar faces. The soto tastes very good and goes down well. It is convivial and we linger. Pelan2 saja… Take it easy, all the time in the world. One acquaintance leaves, another comes in. "Five more minutes!" Johnny raises his hand with five fingers outstretched.
Photo: Huib Akihary
Boss Johnny We walk together to Lent. Fortunately all three of us have the same pace, averaging 5.5 kilometres an hour, which is pleasant. There is always one who sets the pace. Johnny is the most experienced Four Days walker (26 times) and knows the route like no other. He always notes down what time we set off, knows the best places to stop and keeps track of how long we rest. Meanwhile he also keeps track of where friends are walking. Very relaxed, this. On the first day we finish in good time at the Wedren in Nijmegen. My feet are a bit sore, but that is no surprise, because – in good Moluccan fashion – I have barely trained.
Photo: Huib Akihary
Heat It was very hot on the third day walking in Groesbeek and the Zevenheuvelen. So hot and close that the Four Days organisers decided to shorten all the routes by 10 kilometres on Friday. So on the last day we walked only 20 kilometres and a shortened route through shady woods to rejoin the old route at Malden towards the Via Gladiola in Nijmegen. It felt like a training round. On the narrow forest path we lost sight of one another in the crowd. But no matter – I could happily join Hans Ririhena and Eddy Lesimanuaja.
Photo: Hans Ririhena
Our court photographer The entry into Nijmegen is magnificent every year. What a mass of people along the roadside. Supplied with gladioli and some sopi offered along the way, we approach the finish. Past the main stands with the bigwigs, then right onto the Oranjesingel. There, every year, halfway along on the left, stands Ating Manuputty from Vught, who photographs all the Moluccan walkers. This year a great many finish, more than a hundred. Quite a job to track down all the names… time to think seriously about an exhibition on walking by Moluccans, and the Four Days Marches in particular.
Hans Ririhena from Elst, Eddy Lesimanuaja from Hoogeveen, Huib Akihary from Rotterdam. Photo: Ating Manuputty
Finish After the finish you collect your medal or a pin with a number showing how many crosses you have. Mine is my 8th, Isaac's his 17th, Johnny's his 27th, Hans's his 31st and Noes's his 39th!
Again next year!
Curator Huib Akihary has also written Now on view: the new exhibition Uitgepakt, From -20 to one floor up, Cold turkey in the depot, Bongso at the Four Days Marches, Tobelo North Moluccas in images, Three remarkable donations and From relocation to prospects.
