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.
Will and I are GIGGLING! We love your posts! (On to the next ones - we're catching up...)
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