Aisa Here We Come

 Wednesday, March 6

Today was a sea day as we traveled northwest to Indonesia. On deck, it was hot, even in the shade, but inside the ship, it was deliciously cool, so we turned inward to the usual sea day routine: marine lecture, choir practice for Merry, Art after lunch, and Trivia.

At 5.45pm, the passenger choir with Merry front and center performed in the main theater, performing local favorite songs, led by the social hostess couple Caroline and Paul.  An excellent program.

At dinner time, we met up with old friend Ila, whom we know from the 2022 cruise and who now has a new companion, Fred.

 

Thursday, March 7

We finally arrived in Komodo Island, Indonesia. We took a tour via tender to the pier. The island is a state park dedicated to wild animals, and the star attraction is the Komodo Dragons, which can grow up to ten feet long and be deadly dangerous. We were greeted by the park ranger, and only organized tours can land on the island.

We were given a stern briefing as to the dangers involved.  A guide was stationed at the front and rear of our group of twenty.  The guides were only equipped with long sticks with a fork at the end; we were assured that if we stayed on the path and stayed quiet, we would be safe.

We were guided along a trail about one mile long. There were no fences, so if we were encountered by a dragon, our safety was not guaranteed. We were soon rewarded by a small Komodo dragon, and after a short walk, two large dragons were found at the watering hole. The guides were happy to take photos of each couple with the dragon in the shot. We were told the two had full stomachs and would not be aggressive for several weeks unless provoked.

 

The guide pointed out various flora and fauna as we proceeded, including a cockatoo high in a tree.

We completed the trail pleased with what we heard and saw. The most dangerous part of the trip was navigating the local merchants begging to sell their handmade souvenirs.

The weather was swelteringly hot and humid, just six degrees south of the equator.  We were provided water breaks in the shade, and only one passenger needed treatment for heat exhaustion and quickly recovered back at the ship.

We had time to refresh in the shower before trivia, 

Then, we had dinner in the grand dining room, where we met more wonderful guests.

 

Friday, March 8

Today, we landed at Celukan, Bawang, on Bali, Indonesia.  Indonesia has 17,000 Islands, but most of the population is based on the five main islands.  Our tour started with a visit to a large Bundist Temple.  What a fascinating place and location. 

Yes, that us us at the Temple

After the temple, we visited a sacred hot springs. I soaked for two hours in the warm water, after which we were supposed to be released of all our sins. What a deal! Now, it was time to work on some new ones. It was hard to dry off in the 90% humidity, so we were hot and sticky for the rest of the tour.

The final stop was a visit to a beachfront resort.  A buffet dinner allowed us to sample all the traditional Indonesian dishes here. It was only 5pm and a bit early but I never say no to food.  It was very similar to a buffet at home but more spicy.  One beer each was included, but we were so hot that I asked to purchase a second beer and treated another couple at our table to one each.  The total cost for the three beers was $1.29.  The best deal ever.  I was tempted to buy a case and return it to the ship.  After the feast, we traveled for one hour back to the ship.

Twice during the day, heavy rain descended out of nowhere, but luckily, while we were traveling in the bus. Our tour guide reminded us that this is the rainy season, something that should have been mentioned in the advertising brochure. That's no problem. We always carry two folding umbrellas, just in case.

We had a reservation at the Italian restaurant back on the ship that evening.  Merry wanted to keep the reservation, so we were seated at a large glass window at the stern on the ship [back].  We ordered each course, one at a time, asking for very small portions while the ship departed the port into the sunset.  I ordered a beer with dinner that cost $9.00, contrasting with the $1.29 for three beers earlier.  It was an excellent end to a wonderful day.

Saturday, March 9

This marks the end of the first segment, and many passengers are departing, and new ones will arrive.  We will stay onboard for the next segment to Tokyo, allowing me to tell the same stories and jokes to new people [to Merry’s frustration]. 

Today is the tenth and final day of the Bali religious holiday equivalent to Christmas, which is based on the moon's phase in March. So, there were a lot of celebrations going on. Tomorrow is the start of the New Year and another Holiday. The traffic was hectic, including thousands of small motorcycles, some carrying the whole family.

We had an excursion to Balinese Arts and Crafts. 

We started with a jewelry maker who demonstrated the art of working with Silver.  Of course, after the demonstration, we had plenty of time to look at the items for sale and barter for a good price.  A necklace I liked they wanted $550 but quickly came down to $450, then $350.  I offered $150 but they acted insulted.  As we walked out of the door, they agreed to my price, but it was still more than I would ever pay, so no purchase.

The next stop was silk printing. They demonstrated the lost wax system, stamping, and weaving. All were very time-consuming, and the items for sale reflected this.

The next stop was paintings. A father and son [about 10] demonstrated oil painting. Since we have zero room for purchases in our luggage, this was extremely interesting but no deal for us.

The next stop was wood carvings. This interested me as I am a carpenter and have made many carvings, but there was nothing very small, and we came out with nothing.

 

The last stop was bamboo furniture.  Because of the holiday, they were all closed, but our tour guide did give a very interesting history of bamboo, which can grow up to six inches per day.  He showed us furniture in the process of manufacture and even modular hose framing ready to be shipped to China.

As we headed back to the ship for the forty-five-minute ride, it started to rain, but luckily, it dried just as quickly as it started before our arrival.

We later ate at the ship's buffet and took a well-deserved nap.

 Sunday, March 10

This is our second day in Benoa, Bali. The ship will sail at 2 p.m. Due to the holiday, many things are closed, and there is nothing to walk to, so we stayed on board.

 

Monday, March 11

We arrived in Surabaya, on Java, one of the four main islands of Indonesia. 

For a developing world, this port has a state-of-the-art cruise terminal, similar to an airport. It is very nice, and we were greeted by singing and local dancers.

Our tour started at 10:30, and a police vehicle with lights and sirens escorted our bus to the Ayola Hotel for a grand buffet lunch of Indonesian foods.  They said the police escort was to help the convoy of three busses navigate through the traffic.  The police helped clear a fast path.  After lunch, we had a little time to walk through the connected modern shopping mall.

Her Hum, Not the ladies favorite.

The next stop was Bajang Ratu, the remains of the Palace Hamlet gateway, followed by a drive to Candi Tikus, the remains of a Hindu temple. 

Just as we arrived, the heavens opened, and because we could see most of it from the bus, we elected to stay on the air-conditioned bus for this stop.  The last stop was the Sleeping Buddha Statue.  The rain had stopped by now, and we enjoyed the larger-than-life statue and history. 

 A one-hour escorted drive back to the port.

Dinner was served in the theater, buffet style, as we watched a taped delay show of the Oscars.  A fun evening.  After the show, we attended Brain Teasers, similar to Trivia.  We joined up with a British couple and got on well, having much in common [I am also British].  We won the quiz.

Tonight is another time change.  One hour forward this time as we head off to Brunei, a small country on the island of Borneo.  It's known for its beaches and biodiverse rainforest, which are protected within reserves. 

In the next post of this blog, we will continue our exploration of Asia to Tokyo.  To be notified of upcoming blogs, please enter your email on the left panel and press subscribe.  If you are viewing on a smartphone, select the three horizontal lines.