Salem, American Town Known For 'Witchcraft'

By Nor Baizura Basri SALEM (Massachusets), Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Television buffs are sure to remember the sitcom series 'Sabrina, The Teenage Witch'. The show was about an American girl who, on her 16th birthday, discovered that she had magical powers. The girl lived with her two witch aunts and a magical talking cat called 'Salem'. Salem is also a town in Massachusetts, New England. It is best known for the 'Salem Witch trials'. With that in mind, this writer decided to travel to Salem in order to see for herself the town made famous by the talk of witchcraft. JOURNEY TO SALEM Salem is a town in Essex County, Massachusets with a population of 41,340. For public transport to Salem, visitors have the choice of using either the ferry or the train service for an eventful journey. This writer opted for the train which is cheaper and faster where travelling time is 30 minutes from Boston as compared to the ferry journey, which lasts for 45 minutes to one hour. The train starts in North Station, located one building away from the home of famous basketball team Boston Celtics, before heading for Newburyport. Salem is the third stop and the fare is US$11 (RM33.78) for a return trip. The train coaches are provided with the Internet wireless facility. ATTRACTIONS From the train station it takes five to 10 minutes to walk to the town. Many buildings in Salem town dated back to more than 100 years ago but still stand majestically. Some were adorned with 'flying broomsticks' and 'black cats' which are the symbols of witchcraft. As this writer only had some five hours to explore the town, the best choice of transport was the tram. It took two hours on the tram which passed 10 tourist locations in Salem. The writer's first destination was the Witch Museum that tells the real story behind Salem's infamous witch trial where several people were hanged after being accused of practicing witchcraft. WITCH MUSEUM The opening hours of the museum are from 10 am until 5 pm daily while the admission fee is US$9 (about RM27) for an adult and US$6 (about RM18) for children aged 6-14 years old. Tourists are assisted by a tour guide and the visit begins in a room filled with mannequins which relate to the town's history on witchcraft. In the room, the lights are blacked out and visitors are made to hear an audio recording about witchcraft that lasts for 45 minutes. Each mannequin represents a chapter of the story. During this while, the visitors are treated to music with scary tunes that cause goose pimples. The visitors are then given a short briefing on the history of witchcraft, not only in Salem but also that in the United States as well. WITCHES, PIRATES The life of witches during the early history of United States is not as pleasant as that of the teenage witch Sabrina. Between 1692 and 1693, more than 200 people suspected of practicing witchcraft were put on trial in Salem, resulting in 19 hangings. However as time progressed, the story and image of evil witches dissipated and finally, disappeared. Today, Salem's people simply smile and shrug their shoulders when asked about witches and witchcraft. Salem was also known as a haven for 17th century pirates. At the new England Pirate museum in Salem (above), by paying a fee of US$8 (about RM25), tourists have the opportunity to learn fresh stories behind these pirates. The group that this writer was in was guided by tour guide named Ozan who was wearing a pirate's attire. He gave a 30-minute briefing on more than 60 pirates whose activities dated back to the 17th century. Among the exhibits in the pirate museum are replicas of ships and other artifacts. Figurines of some famous pirates like Kidd, Blackbeard, Bellamy and Quelch, who committed piracy on the Boston North Shore, also known as the Gold Coast, are also available. -- BERNAMA