Happy New Year

Red Ginger

Singapore Botanic Garden, November 2011

J & E are in the middle of travel preparations.  All is chaos!  But we wanted all of you to enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.  We will be providing the usual, sort of off-center view, of our forth coming cruise starting in January.  Stay tuned.  J&E

Watchin' Hawaii Five-0 at Changi

Note:  This post is being written over several days and is the last of the Singapore/Indonesia Trip.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA, 5 November 2011, at home.


South China Sea (30 October 2011).  A sea day en route to Singapore.  This sunset on the equator was too much of a cliche not to include.

South China Sea Sunset

Return to Singapore (31 October 2011).  Early this morning, we started our entry into the Singapore harbor and cruise terminal.  Shipping traffic in and out of Singapore gives perspective on how world commerce moves and on the size of our cruise ship.  For example:

Container Ship Departing Singapore

And there were literally a dozen or so of these big boys (lots of Christmas toys) on the move all around us.   We docked next to a Chinese cruise ship, false-flagged and registered in Fanafuti, Tuvalu, at the Cruise Terminal to disembark (no one would know that it was Tuvalu except J who collects stamps from there).

Early Morning Docking at the Cruise Terminal

After clearing immigration and collecting our luggage, we were off via private car to The Regent Hotel for a two-day stay.  The hotel is located at the west end of the Orchard Road shopping and hotel area and is very close to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  Although not a new hotel, The Regent is an extremely pleasant and well-run establishment, and we enjoyed our two days as guests.  That could be because we upgraded to the club floor, and they returned the favor by upgrading us to a two-room suite.  

After a second breakfast (watching the bags being moved made J a bit peckish), we took a taxi to the local equivalent of Borders to get a book for E to read on the return flights to Kona.  The book store was inside a Japanese department store, which was inside a shopping mall,  and the book store was huge!  Somebody must have forgotten to tell these people what happened to Borders!

Shopping can be a full-time occupation in Singapore.  Temptation was overcome, and we returned to the hotel for a nap.  Instead, we were treated to a Singaporean thunderstorm.  Very impressive sound and light show accompanied by torrential rain.  During this weather event, we went down to tea.  Very British and very proper it was, too.  There were those little sandwiches (Thank you Lord Sandwich), little pastries, and tea, many kinds of tea.  J got "The Look," when he ordered coffee.

National Orchid Garden - Yes, They Are ALL Orchids!

Singapore is not a place where mid-day activity should be attempted without air conditioning.  But, after the thunderstorm, about 5:00pm, we took a taxi to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  The Gardens, established in 1822 by Sir Stanford Raffles, cover ~155 acres and consist of plant specific gardens:  i.e; Palms, Rain Forests, Ginger, and Orchid.  It is much too large to view and appreciate in a single visit.  So, we decided to visit only the National Orchid Garden.  Here live all the orchids you will NEVER be able to grow!

For the next 2 hours, until nearly dark, J & E walked in the Orchid Garden.  It is very difficult to describe the orchids, so the following pictures will have to suffice!

High Altitude (Cooled) Orchid Environment Building

J & E at Orchard Garden Sans Feet

After two hours in the garden, we were walked-out and the staff were giving us looks.  (Probably a no overtime establishment.)  If you are interested in the Gardens, here is a link to the web site (www.sbg.org.sg).  So, we returned to the main visitors' center and caught a cab back to the hotel.  Ending another day in Singapore.

Singapore (1 November 2011).  After a leisurely breakfast at The Regent's club, we decided it was a museum day, so into a taxi and off to the east end of Orchard Road and the National Museum of Singapore (www.nationalmuseum.sg).  Founded in 1887 as the Raffles Museum and Library, the museum still is housed in the same facility which has been greatly upgraded and expanded.  It is much too large to view in a single visit,  and a decision was made to visit the travelling Musee D'Orsay Paris exhibition "Dreams & Reality."

Exhibition Poster

Woman with Parasol by Claude Monet, 1886

The exhibition included works by most of the major and not so major artists of the period 1848 to 1914.  It was an introduction to the impressionists on a grand scale, and for us, the highlight was Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night.  It might seem unusual to visit a European collection in a major Asian museum, but we spent hours at the British Museum viewing the Sir Percival David Collection of Chinese porcelains.  Turn about is fair play!

We also viewed the William Farquhar Collection on Natural History Drawing.  Farquhar was the East India Company's first Governor of Singapore and his passion for natural history was boundless (he kept a tiger at his residence).  Over a period of years in the early 19th Century, he made sketches of much of the major Malaysian flora and fauna.  Then, he retained Chinese artists who had immigrated from South China to Singapore to refine and colorize those drawings.  The results are both important as natural history documentation and art.  Although the drawings are stiffer than J. J. Audubon's, they are amazing in their accurate rendering of the flora and fauna.  Regretfully, the museum has a No Photography rule, but the collection can be seen, in part, at the museum's web site above.

Lunch time at the Museum's Cafe gave a whole new meaning to "slow food,"  but it was well worth the wait.  Then, it was bad decision time.  We decided to walk back to the hotel, providing once again that the brain of the European turns to mush in the heat of the tropics.  After a few blocks, however, common sense (or exhaustion) set in, and we caught a taxi the rest of the way back to the hotel.  If we had the skill at this point, we would cut in a brief clip from Noel Coward's Mad Dogs and Englishmen....

After returning to the hotel, we were planning on napping in preparation for our red eye flight to Seoul, but another Singapore sound and light show put an end to that idea.   So after playing cards (J losing as usual.), it was off to a light supper and packing for an 11:00pm trip to Changi Airport.

For those of you who are accustomed to the US's cattle-prod approach to air travel, a description of check-in at Korean Air is in order --  On arrival at Changi's terminal 2, we were met at the Korean Air Check-in area by a minion who escorted us to a private room where we were seated, offered refreshment, and checked-in by the Korean Air ground staff.  (If you were ever escorted to a private room at a US airport, you would probably be thinking "It's TSA water boarding time."  Then, we were escorted through immigration and to security, after which, it was to the Business Class Lounge where an episode of the new Hawaii 50 was playing on a large screen TV - Book 'em Danno - with Chinese subtitles!

The flight to Seoul/Inchon on Korean Air was uneventful, but in many ways at variance from air travel we have come to except as the "new normal" in the U.S.  The aircraft, a Boeing 777, was immaculately cleaned and prepared for the 6 hour flight.  The cabin staff was courteous and attentive without being fauning.  Also, they were young and you didn't have the feeling that you would have to get the cabin crew's walkers out of the isle before going to the head!

On arrival in Seoul/Inchon, we were provided a day room at the airport Hyatt Regency, so we didn't see much except for the new Inchon airport and the hotel.  Then, it was back to the airport and onto the flight to Honolulu.  About 9 hours later, "Aloha, Honolulu,"  followed by "try wait" for our Hawaiian flight to Kona, the reunion with James and his ward, Cooper, and home.

Bound for Jakarta and Singapore

Note:  This post is being written over several sessions and days.

Anchored off Karimunjawa Archipelago, Java Sea, Indonesia, October 28, 2011, 9:00am, on board M/V Silver Shadow

A Day at Sea (October 27, 2011)  --  After the excitement of the Komodo Dragons, yesterday was a sea day.  This transit of the Flores and eastern Java seas was without much in the way of variation.  Just "water, water everywhere," and the occasional island in the hazy distance.  Lots of sunshine with temperatures at 90 DegF plus and humidity about 85% plus.  Your typical day on the equator.

Sea days are best understood as days of overindulgence in food and drink beginning with breakfast, followed by lunch.  Then there is tea, and finally dinner.  Too much food and drink!  J&E, being teetotalers, do not take the libations commonly associated with this feasting, so we avoid the "and drink" part of the day's activities and its consequences.

In between this nearly continuous indulgence, there are "enrichment" lectures, which provide a wonderful darkroom to take a catnap, or if you are so disposed, there is the pool deck where you can nap in a deck chair and bake.  As you see, sea days have a pattern -- eat, drink, nap, eat, drink, nap, eat, drink, nap, ad nauseam.

South China Sea en route Singapore, October 30, 2011, 2:30pm, on board M/V Silver Shadow


A Day at the Beach, Silver Sea Style (October 28, 2011)  --  When Silversea has a luau, it is an event.  They took over Kura Kura Beach Resort on Karimunjawa Island, which is a destination resort occuping the entire island.  It is not clear how resort guests normally arrive, because there is no airport, and only small boats can be seen.  Then again, except for Silver Shadow's crew, the resort's staff, and the ship's passengers, there were no guests to be seen anywhere.

Karimunjawa Island -- That's All There IS!

After early morning showers, the Silversea Experience got underway, with the ship's crew tendering over to the island everything that was to be eaten, drunk or in any way used by the ship's passengers, including tables, chairs, table linens (no paper for this crowd), grills, even toilet paper and waste cans!  After any sign of non-Silversea objects were cleared from the beach area, the passengers were tendered ashore.

Interior of Tender

Upon arrival, passengers were faced with food fit for a raj, sultan or some other oriental potentate.  There was grill after grill, table after table, and more than one bar to meet the demands of the most fastidious palate.  

What's on the Barbi?-- EVERYTHING!

After you have dutifully filled your over-sized dinner plate with delicacies and proceeded to your Frette linen tablecloth picnic table, you overeat until waddling is as close to movement as you can possibly achieve.  Most guests do not attempt to even waddle, but collapse into a beach chair and make you worry about their vital signs.  (Bring the defibrillator over here,  This one slipping away.)

Except for eating and drinking, there is only sunbathing, swimming, and other beach-related activities on the island.  There were a few birds and a mangrove swamp, but the birds were not cooperative (for watching), and mangrove swamps have a limited ability to hold the non-botanist's attention for long periods of time.  After a short waddle, it was onto the tender and back to the Silver Shadow.  On board, you could lay on your soft bed and contemplate the ramifications of gluttony in the air-conditioned comfort of your suite.

Visiting Relatives, Jakarta, Indonesia (October 29, 2011)  --  We tied up at the Jakarta International Container Terminal 2 at 8:00am.  Silver Shadow looked like a white bone surrounded by mammoth container ships.  The greeting committee included Javanese dancers and the normal high number of government functionaries in various uniforms.

Javanese Dancers with Functionaries in Background

After clearance by local officials (Think "Three Cups of Tea"), we were off for our tour bus drive to visit the sites of Jakarta.  Jakarta is a mega-city with a population of greater than 10 million, and normally they are all on the street at anytime day or night.  The guide said the motor bike population increases at 500 per day and the automobile at 120 per day.  Isn't prosperity wonderful?  Luckily, we were touring on Saturday which is a non-work day, so our progress through the city streets was remarkable.  Maybe 20 mph on the freeways and 10 mph on the surface streets.

Our first stop was the old Dutch city (Batavia) square (Taman Ftahillah) and City Hall.

Batavia City Hall and Square

Here, we visited the Museum Wayang (Puppet Museum) which was formerly the Dutch Reformed Church.  Although shadow puppets were interesting, the gravestones of the former Dutch colonial masters from the 17th and 18th Century seemed more photogenic.  Here is a shadow puppet and a tomb stone for your perusal.

 Shadow Puppet

18th Century Dutch Tomb Stone

After this cross-cultural experience, we drove past the former headquarters of the Dutch East India Company to view the Presidential Palace, formerly the Dutch Governor-General's Residence and the National Monument.  The national monument was built to honor those who died fighting the Japanese and the Dutch, and in the vernacular, it is known as "Sukarno's Last ...."  You can fill in the dots!

National Monument -- Sukarno's Last

Next stop was the National Museum.  It is worth the cost of a trip to Jakarata to visit this museum.  Begun in the 1860s by the Dutch and supported by the Indonesian government, the US parallel institution is the Smithsonian.  Of course, as half-day, city-tour types, we viewed only a small portion of the collections. These included the anthropological finds of Java Man and Flores Man (our early relatives), worked gold of the Hindu states, and Chinese export-ware porcelains.  Exhibits are first class with descriptive materials well worth time.  Regretfully, photography is not allowed in the Museum, but if the opportunity ever arises, we would visit Jakarta for several days just for its museums (some not seen or mentioned on the tour).

This exterior photo, of the original museum building and the bronze elephant statue presented (by King Chulalunghorn of Siam - Thailand) to the museum in 1875, gives you a sample of what is on exhibit inside.

National Museum & Elephant Statue

The museum was the high point of the trip.  One doesn't often get to visit relatives who lived so far away in time and space as the Java Man and the Flores Man.  The next stop was the Sarinah Department Store for "shopping."  The tourist and his money are soon parted!  Sarinah is a government department store built by the Sukarno regime in the 1960s.  It failed to separate J&E from any money, and J failed to even photograph the building!  We would rather have spent another hour at the National Museum, but the shopping gods must  be propitiated.  After another hour of riding the tour bus in "light" traffic and on the ring road, we arrived back at the container port and the ship.  

Here There Be Dragons

Flores Sea, October 27, 2011, 9:45am local time, on board M/V Silver Shadow

Komodo, Indonesia, October 26, 2011


The big day has finally arrived.  The most anticipated and talked over event of the cruise:  a visit to Komodo National Park and a game walk to view the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis).  We suspect that a large contingent of the ship's passengers came on this cruise primarily to see the dragons!

There is not a pier on Komodo Island where even a small cruise ship like Silver Shadow can dock.  So, it is down to the disembarkation hatch (hole in side of ship) and all aboard  one of the ship's tenders (life boats) for the transfer to the island.  Arrival on shore is greeted by an amazing number of Indonesian functionaries.  All are in uniform and seem to have no immediate purpose, except to wander about and stare officiously into space.  We are escorted up the pier and divided into groups of about 25.  The theory is that the dragons (who are scent hunters and have very poor eyesight) will think a group of 25 (large blob)  smells wonderful but is too large to attack.

Our first impression of Komodo Island is: What happened to the lush tropical forest dripping water and fetid life?  Komodo Island, at least the touristed part, is a semi-arid scrub land of open woods (mixed palms and deciduous trees).

Welcome to Komodo National Park

Please Pay Camera Fee BEFORE Being Eaten

We must pay the "camera fee" in cash (US $7.00/camera & US$20/video) before we can proceed on the about 1 mi. dragon walk.  The fee is collected by another local functionary and his minions in uniform.  More attention is paid to the collection of the camera fee and the counting of the money than any other aspect of visiting Komodo National Park.  After the camera fee is all in order, our group is turned over to a park ranger and his two assistants.

The park ranger and his two assistants explain that we are to stay on the stone-edged path, walk in single file, and stay quiet.  The ranger and his assistants each carry a 6 foot long forked stick of mango wood as a defense against dragon attack.  One of our group, no doubt American, wanted to know who was carrying the shotgun?  No shotgun, just forked mango sticks.

Park Ranger and Protection Stick

Off our group goes along the path into the woods.  The park ranger and one assistant in front pointing out flora and fauna, and one assistant at the rear along with the Silver Shadow minder.  We had hardly walked ten minutes from the pier when who should appear but Mr. Komodo himself.  He was walking purposely down the path in the opposite direction.

Komodo on the Path

We moved off the path, the Komodo crossed a small wooden bridge, and he proceeded on his way down the path.   All of our group had politely stepped aside so he could take the morning air undisturbed.

Komodo Crosses the Bridge

At this point, one had to wonder if this was the "ringer" lizard, freed from his enclosure nearby so that there was a photo opportunity for the camera-fee paying visitors.  It was highly suspicious!  

As our merry group proceeded again down the path to our next stop at the waterhole, we saw the lizards' main food source:  the Timor deer in large numbers.  The deer did not seem to fear humans, even noisy ones.  Well, we are small potatoes compared to the real predators in the neighborhood (there are over 1,000 Komodo lizards on the island).

Timor Deer - Lizard Lunch

On arriving at the waterhole, who is basking in the shade of a nearby tree not one but TWO Komodos.  At first, they paid almost no attention to us; however, as time went on, they became more agitated, and the larger male began making a low hissing sound.  It didn't take him long to make the point that he was not entertaining visitors today.

Komodos at Leisure

I Told You "No Visitors"

We proceed along the path away from the waterhole for another half-mile back to the pier area.  It is fortunate that the entire nature walk was about a mile.  If it had been any longer, a number or our group would have been left on the path for the lizards (bright sun/95 degF/95% humidity). Considering the mostly bland colors of the lizards and landscape, and the camera fee, we thought you might enjoy something colorful from Komodo Island.  There were two choices -- snakes or snails -- we went with a snail.

Colorful Land Snail

Back at the pier, there was the usual selection of handicrafts, t-shirts, etc.  But, J had to have his Komodo dragon t-shirt, so after hard bargaining, he only paid twice the cheap ABC Store t-shirt price for his prize.  He thinks Cooper will like it for the morning walks.  However, no photo is included, because by the time the bargaining had ended, the camera fee had expired.  Then, it was all aboard the tender for return to the Silver Shadow and a long, cool shower.

See Lombok Before the Tourists Come

Off Komoto Island, Indonesia, October 26, 2011, 3:15pm local time - aboard M/V Silver Shadow

Lembar, Lombok Island, Indonesia, October 25, 2011


We anchored off Lembar, the port for Lombok Island, early this morning and were transferred ashore by tender.  Lombok Island is on the eastern side of the Lombok Strait from Bali Island, and Lombok is a want-to-be Bali.

For you of a scientific bent, the Lombok Strait is where the Wallace Line passes north to south through the Indonesian archipelago dividing Eurasian flora and fauna from the Austral pacific.  Politically, the strait also separates the more developed western Indonesia of Java and Bali from the less developed, long-neglected eastern Indonesia.

On reaching the pier, we were herded back on the tourist buses for what was called the Historical Lombok Tour.  Lombak's history from the 17th Century seems to largely consist of a three-party war, conducted by the Sasak (Lombak's native peoples), the Balinese, and the Dutch.  Although these wars continued into the 20th Century, the killing did not stop Lombak's current population from reaching 3.1 million mostly impoverished souls.  FYI, this island is about one-half the size of Hawaii (The Big Island) where J&E live.

Our local guide was a Sasak who had never left the island and was locally educated.  He spoke excellent English and was candid in the extreme.  "I had two wives, but it didn't work out."  His knowledge of local history, culture and folktales was extensive.  Also, he was a local singer and TV commentator, so the tour was very entertaining.

Gamalon Orchestra Welcome to Lombok

Our first attraction was the Narmada Royal Palace, which is now a park.  It was built as a royal retreat by one of the 17th Century Balinese kings and consists of his quarters, a terrace temple representing the nearby active volcano (Mt. Rinjani), and a tank (water feature) which collects spring water thought to have fountain-of-youth properties.  The tank is also a surrogate for the crater lake of the volcano (Segara Anak).

Telaga Padmawangi Tank and Temple, Narmada Palace

We visited the sacred spring of eternal youth.  The waters are supposed to reduce signs of aging.  This is accomplished by washing your face in the sacred waters.  J&E washed, but there are, to date, no visible positive changes.  However, it didn't cost $200.00 like the facial in the ship's spa (which doesn't seem to have any marked effect either).

Our next stop was the Lingsar Temple, the most holy site in the Sasak religion.  Sasak beliefs are largely Muslim, but also include animist and Hindu practices.  They reflect the inclusive approach to religion often seen in Hinduism and Buddism.  Lingsar Temple embodies this in its architecture and rituals.

Lingsar Temple, Main Gate

At Lingsar, there are a number of spring-fed pools which also have special properties.  One is the Indonesian version of "Thee Coins in a Fountain," or the wishing well.  The pools are somewhat unique in that they are inhabited by eels whose appearance insures your good fortune.  Sadly, the eels would not appear for the benefit of our tourists no matter how many soft-boiled eggs were offered by the guides.  Eels, it appears, are very fond of soft-boiled eggs.

The Sasak's flavor of Islam represented by Lingsar Temple is in decline and not the "official" version of Islam in Indonesia.  There are many new, "official version" mosques under construction.  Our guide called it a "mosque race," with each village building a new and bigger mosque, but the attendance is often "less than 16" for Friday prayers, according to our guide.

Our next stop on the half-day tour was at Sayang Sayang Art Market (Tourist Trap).  These "Art Markets" seem to always consist of about two dozen stalls all selling the same stuff.  Well, they did offer us a free soft drink.

Our last stop was at Mayura Court in Mataram, the current capital of West Nusa Tenggara Barat province.  Mayura Court started existence as the Balinese raja's palace complex and a Hindu temple.  It was the site of negotiations between the Balinese and Sasak over cooperation in fighting the Dutch during the 1890s, and the site of a battle between the Balinese and Dutch in which a Dutch general was killed.  He is buried here.

Mayura Court, Pavilion -- Site of Sasak/Balinese Meetings

Balinese Hindu Shrine, Mayura Court

Mayura Court was also used as a prison by the Dutch and Japanese.  It has a long history of involvement in the political events of Lombok.

One quaint and colorful aspect of the local Lombok scene is the pony cart used as taxis around the island.  The Lombok pony is a little larger than a Shetland Pony, but smaller than a Quarter Horse; however, he is one strong animal.  The pony can pull a horse cart made from a mini-pickup truck bed that has been modified with a sun shade roof and painted in bright colors.  Then, add to this the weight of a driver and 4 to 6 passengers -  one strong, little horse.

Lombok Pony Cart

(Image by Ms. Dorothy Thompson, used with permission.)

A 30-minute bus trip (nothing for experienced tour bus riders) back to Lembar Harbor, and we were put on tenders for a short trip to the Silver Shadow.  In many ways, our Lombok visit was a better tour experience than those in Java and Bali.  Java's congestion and Bali's over development made both of them less appealing than Lombok.  Although Lombok may have less to offer, it may provide a better insight into Indonesia, so, "visit Lombok before the tourists come."

East Java and Bali: The Tour Bus as an Instrument of Torture

Benoa, Bali, Indonesia, 24 October 2011, 5:00pm local time on board M/V Silver Shadow

We are starting the post, but may not finish it until tomorrow.  Having spent four plus hours today on a tourist bus, we are not sure of our intellectual ability to compose even Dick and Jane sentences.  In the last three days, we have spent a total of approximately 14 hours on tour buses.  Which amounts to self-imposed cruel and unusual punishment by almost any standards.  Tour buses come in all sizes, but the one  to be dreaded most in Indonesia is this monster.

45 Passenger Mitsubishi Tour Bus

It is approximately 60 feet long and always 1.5 times the width of the average road lane in Indonesia.  Its height makes it top-heavy and prone to sway.  On seeing the three-diamond logo on the nose, one is reminded of the kamikazes that Mitsubishi built.  The driver is a fearless individual who is firmly convinced that he is safe from any harm by the small sacrifice of flowers in a tin dish on the dash.  The last three days, J&E have fearlessly clamored aboard one of these devices to tour parts of eastern Java and the island of Bali.

Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia (October 22, 2011)

Our first encounter with the tour bus was to visit a tea plantation and factory about 30 miles inland from Probolinggo.  After being herded onto the bus and issued our bottle of water, we went forth in three buses with a police escort.  Because the roads are narrow and the container trucks, cars and motor cycles are very numerous, the police escort is intended to carve a third lane in the middle of the road for the exclusive use of the tourist buses.  The police car, about ten feet in front of the lead bus, drives as fast as it can (siren blaring) with the policemen hand motioning out  the window for everything to move over.  It actually works most of the time. To the bus passenger, however, it looks like an imminent, catastrophic multi-vehicle crash is about to occur!  Regretfully, no photos exist of this experience.  It is very difficult to take photos while cowering in the back of the bus.

After two hours of this heart-stopping travel along congested highways and then one-lane cart paths up the side of a mountain, we arrived at the tea plantation and factory.  The greeting consisted of a cup of tea and local pastries.  The tour of the tea factory was your basic look at tea drying;  look at big machines; and look at tea "going to Lipton."

Fresh-Picked Tea Drying

Tea factory finished.  Next, we are loaded into a tram-like affair and taken to the tea fields.  This plantation was begun by the Dutch in 1910 and now covers 7,000 acres with tea bushes.  The first bushes planted are still in production ,and the tea plantation itself is a sea of green.

Tea Bushes

After the tour of the tea fields, it was back on the dreaded tour bus for a return to Probolinggo, but with an added stop at a Buddhist (Chinese) temple that had seen better days.  It is too depressing a sight to include an image.  Three hours of ever-increasing darkness in the third lane of a two-lane road - siren, police red wand, and bus horn - were between us and the hereafter.

Tanah Ampo, Bali, Indonesia (October 23, 2011)

After an overnight sail, we arrived at Tana Ampo, Bali, which is a small port on the Lompoc Strait.  It was into the tender (an experience about which we will enlighten you in the future), and back on the bus.  This time, the tour claimed that we were to visit a Balinese village which maintains the "Ancient Hindu Traditions" of the island.  We began to wonder if this was really the case when we arrived in the tourist bus parking lot (Bali has a highly-developed tourist infrastructure) and were attacked by hawkers!  Boy, could we have had a deal on a Rolex.

Tenganan village was indeed a walled village of traditional structures, but J&E were a little surprised to learn that every ancient Balinese home sold handicrafts!  What a strange economy!

Balinese Practicing Ancient Art of Selling Handicrafts

After leaving the ancient village, we went to visit the palace of a Balinese royal family at Amlapura.  The family had fallen on hard times when independence came and the Dutch no longer paid them off, and apparently on occasion the British.  Isn't foreign affairs wonderful.  So they now live in a small portion of the palace grounds and allow tourist to run amok in the rest.

Amlapura Royal Palace Water Pavilion

The palace consisted of a number of pavilions, the most interesting was the water pavilion which contained all the instruments of a gamalon orchestra.  We guessed that if the royals were not amused with your playing or dancing, it was into the royal pond for you.  From the looks of the pond, that would have been a very harsh punishment.

At Padangbai on the way back to the pier, we were given drinks and treats.  J recommends the fried banana fritters.  There were also Balinese dancers, and they were exceptional.  Still photos do not do them justice, but we have included one just to show the beauty of the costume and the dancer.

Balinese Dancer

This ended our tour of Ancient Bali, and after communing with Mr. Tour Bus for another hour or so,  we returned to the pier and the Silver Shadow.

Benoa Port, Bali, Indonesia (October 24, 2011)

Another day, another tour bus. J&E established a new family "best" with over 4 hours on the tour bus.  We left Benoa and drove for 3 hours to the village of Tantok.  There was, of course, the de rigueur stop en route for handicrafts.  The purpose of this tour, however, was to visit and ride the elephants at something called "Elephant Safari Park."  

Elephants are not native to Bali, but they are native to Sumatra where they are being systematically eradicated for the sake of palm oil plantations.  So, some expats and local Indonesians started moving the elephants and their mahouts to Bali to save them.  To pay for their keep, the elephants do circus-show tricks and give rides to tourists.  Well, it is better than the alternative on Sumatra!  

E has always wanted to ride an elephant, and J promised that the next time it was possible, she would have the opportunity.  So Elephant Safari Park was it.  After a buffet lunch, and an elephant show, we were queued up to ride.  The elephant was brought alongside the stand and on we got.

Tally Ho, All Aboard the Elephant

The elephant's name was Eva, and she was 32 years old.  The ride lasted about 30 minutes along an elephant trail through a park.  J kept a sharp lookout for tigers (being in full Walter Middy mode), and E just hung on for dear life.  All ended well back at the boarding/unloading stand.   We departed for another two-hour-plus bus ride back to the ship.  This entailed a small revolt when the majority voted not to stop to view handicrafts.  The Arab Spring is spreading.

Semarang, Indonesia -- Looking for Air Conditioning

Semarang (Java), Indonesia, October 21, 2011 (Friday) 10:30am Local Time -- On board M/V Silver Shadow

After sailing from Singapore about 2:00pm on October 18, we had an uneventful crossing of the Java Sea with no eruptions of Krakatoa or visits from the ghosts of the USS Houston.  We arrived in Semarang, Indonesia in Central Java about 6:00am on 20 October to be greeted by a gamalon orchestra, Javanese dancers, and two dancing tigers.

Tiger Dancers

E&J had decided that another 9 hour trip to Bora Badur was not worth the 2 hours on site and the seven hours of acquiring bus butt.  Also, we had been there a few years ago, so we had another excuse to avoid the bus.  Instead, we did a city tour of Semarang, only 2 1/2 hours on the bus.

Since Semarang is at 2 degrees South, it has only two climates which usually occur daily -- very hot and very humid and exceptionally hot and exceptionally humid.  So sightseeing is a bit of a challenge.  We did visit the Dutch colonial part of the city (Oudstad/Kota Lama).  It is, mainly, in an advancing state of decay, judging by buildings along the old main street, Jalan Pemunda.

The one building that was in good repair and which we visited was the Gereja Blenduk (Domed Church).  It was originally constructed by the Dutch in 1753 and is still an active Christian church, containing one of only two pipe organs in Indonesia.

Pipe Organ, Domed Church, Semarang

On entering, the church offers one great advantage -- it is air conditioned.  It is an excellent example of Dutch colonial architecture, and one of the few in Semarang in good condition.  Did I say it was air conditioned?

Domed Church

After busing past too-numerous-to-mention government office buildings (Semarang is the capitol of Central Java Provence) and state-owned corporations, we arrived at the Sam Po Kong Temple.  The temple commemorates the landing of Chinese Admiral/Explorer Cheng Ho in Semarang in 1405.  It was totally rebuilt and remodeled in 2005 on the 600th anniversary of his landing here.  This is a large temple complex consisting of about 10 major structures, including a massive statue of Cheng Ho.

Sam Po Kong Temple (Part)

Cheng Ho Statue

Cheng Ho is revered as a father figure by the Chinese communities throughout Insular and Peninsular Southeast Asia, because many of today's Chinese (especially in Malaysia) are descendants of his crew.  This is especially intriguing because Cheng was both Muslim and a eunuch. In recognition of Cheng's Islamic heritage, there is a Muslim mosque among the Chinese Buddhist pavilions at the Temple.

The final attraction of the temple is a 150 yard long bas relief  depicting Cheng's voyages.  A small section is included below to give you a flavor of the art and to point out that some of Cheng's voyages took him all the way to the Swahili coast (Lamu, Kenya).

Bas Relief of Cheng Ho's Voyages (Africa)

The bas relief was a gift of the People's Republic of China to Indonesia on the 600th Anniversary of Cheng Ho's landing at Semarang.

As if you have not guessed, there was NO air conditioning here, and we nearly croaked.  Since Cheng Ho is one of J's favorite Chinese historical figures, the suffering had to be endured!

After the Sam Po Kong Temple, the tour went shopping.  In other words, no useful or entertaining information will be forthcoming.  However, the shopping mall (conventionally boring) and the government handicrafts building were air conditioned!