kamaro island

we boat rode our way to kamaro island, a very tiny piece of land in the musi river. 

oh it's so cute!  what is it?

here's where they burn fake paper money to give to the dead.  

it is covered in these very colorful painted relief carvings.

haha.

so the legend of kamaro island goes like this:  in the 14th century, a chinese prince came to palembang to study.  he fell in love with princess siti fatimah and asked her parents for her hand in marriage.  they agreed so long as he presented a gift.  he sent word back to china and asked his dad to send over jars, gold and ceramics.  he was livid when all he got were pots of preserved fruits and vegetables and in a totally irrational act of rage, he threw the cargo overboard not knowing they contained bars of gold inside.  panicking, he jumped into the musi river to try and save the gifts and drowned.  distraught, the princess decided to drown herself too but first she left a note saying that if a tree grew where she drowned, it would be the tree of their true love.  magically, kamaro (which means "the island will always remain dry despite the musi's high tides) island appeared where she drowned and a tree grew there.  here is the famous tree.  it has very unique branches and is covered with so and so plus so and so equals love and hearts.  so sweet.