"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report # 55 Sailing Towards Semarang, Java, Indonesia February 24, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees 25 Pictures

Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 2:55:59 PM
Subject: Report # 55 Sailing Towards Semarang, Java, Indonesia February 24, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees 25 Pictures

Report # 55 Sailing Towards Semarang, Java, Indonesia February 24, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees

The seas have remained calm, almost smooth, as we head in a westerly direction towards our next stop in Indonesia……the island of Java, and the city of Semarang. Located on the northern coast of Java, Semarang is not the largest city on the island, but still houses millions of people. The first settlers here were the Chinese in the 15^th century. And being that this island was on the major trade route, the Dutch East India Company arrived in the 18^th century. They built roads, railways, and a working infrastructure. Many of the remains of the buildings are still intact, a reminder of the old colonial days.

There is also much history involving World War 2, when the Japanese military occupied Semarang in 1942. Eventually, independence was achieved after a five day battle between the Japanese and Indonesian freedom fighters in 1945.

Their biggest claim to fame has to be the largest Buddhist temple in the world………Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has the distinction of being the largest single monument in the Southern Hemisphere. The exact age of this complex is not known, except that it had been buried under dense jungle growth for over 1000 years, when Sir Stamford Raffles re-discovered it in 1814. It took the following 100 years for the restoration of two million pieces of andesite stone to be re-assembled. There are 10 massive stone terraces, each having reliefs in stone depicting different stages of enlightenment, according to Buddhist history. The Great Stupa is on the top, and resembles an upside down bell. If you are able to reach the top, then you have reached Nirvana, the purest state of existence. Lesser stupas surround the top level, and are even more famous. Such as the sitting Buddha, whose hand is touched from the outside. If you can reach it (not easy), then you are assured of good luck and the possibility of returning here someday. We have done it, and look…..we were back to this sight twice after that. A trip to Borobudur is the most visited religious place in all of Indonesia.

On our stop in Semarang last year, we visited the Sam Po Kung Chinese Temple. It was built in 1401 to honor a Chinese emissary, and remains a working temple for the locals today. The next stop was at a place called Jamu Nyonya Meneer, a factory that produced Javanese herbal medicine, with a small museum that depicted very different approaches to healing men and women. Then we stopped at a local batik factory with a shop, where we witnessed cloth weaving, and the several steps needed to create the intricate designs on the fabric. This is the real thing, where tedious detail goes into the designs and hand work. The two meter pieces of fabrics that we buy from the local vendors are understandably factory made, where the real batik will cost an arm and a leg. It was the most fascinating process to watch as young students practiced the ancient art of using wax and dyes to create the Indonesian designs. This was not done in air-conditioned buildings either, but in shaded patios in the humid heat of the day. Have to respect the discipline that it takes to work in those conditions.

Well, back to our day at sea. We noticed many happy faces of our waiters this morning at breakfast. Particularly head waiter Pande, who had a visit with his wife and kids yesterday in Bali. He told us this morning that his wife was able to stay onboard with him all the way to Jakarta. So he was really happy. Between Semarang tomorrow and Jakarta the following day, there will be about 1800 more family and friends visiting the crew. Many more happy faces, but also sad when they have to bid farewell.

There were few folks relaxing on the lower promenade deck while we walked. The temperature outside has continued to be hot and muggy, with a slight breeze. When we got Cambodian immigration and customs forms to fill out today, we completed them, and took them to the front desk. There was a long line with folks getting foreign money, going over their stateroom accounts, or turning in the forms. While we waited to have the forms checked for correctness, we heard a crowd down on deck three cheering. This is where a lot of people were…..playing baggo for grand dollars. Or they were attending a jewelry presentation on diamonds and tanzanite in the Queens Lounge. A cooking demo was also in progress in the Wajang Theater dealing with flavors of Indonesia with host Donna and Barbara H. Barbara is an admitted "foodie", and has shared many of her favorite recipes with all of us. Anyway, now we know what the folks do to avoid going outside in the heat.

We forgot to mention that yesterday was another Presidents Club gift day, which occurs every two weeks. We had ordered sodas and flowers this time. However, while we were on the outside decks watching the dancing Balinese girls and listening to the orchestra, the large flower arrangement was delivered to our room. We still cannot figure out why someone had placed the heavy vase on the couch. Yes can guess what happened when the vase tilted and leaked all of the water into the couch. It had spread up the back, into the arm pillow, and onto the floor by the time we got back. We have to say that after our call to the front desk, they sent someone quickly to extract the water from the couch. Using bath towels, we soaked up what we could. Just hope that there were no chemicals in that vase to keep the water from turning skunky. Time will tell. At least the flowers were not damaged.

Also yesterday, we met a very nice lady from Scotland, who joined the ship in Sydney. She asked Henk M to point us out, since she has been a reader of our blog for many years. She finally located us at the sail away on the aft deck, and introduced herself. It sure was nice to meet someone in person that admitted she has enjoyed sailing with us "online", but finally being able to do it for real this time. Too bad she is only on until Hong Kong, as she and her friend had tried to stay on until Singapore, but were unable to book it that way for some unknown reason.

We also have some answers to questions you have asked. The narrow outside deck on six forward is open all the time. However, since we are accessing it by passing passenger staterooms, we try to do it quietly. The two doors going outside were not adjusted to close slowly at first, but they have been fixed to close better now.

During the Indonesian days that people have excused their room stewards from service, the laundry bags are still picked up. And the bathrooms are still completely cleaned, a health rule we think.

We believe that Darwin has been the hottest place we have ever experienced so far. Even the deserts of the Middle East or Egypt were not that hot. A close second had to be a trip to Kakadu National Park out of Darwin. A stop at ancient caves put us in extreme heat with flies that went for the eyes, nose, and our mouths in seconds. Hundreds of little flies. No wonder few of us got off the bus for that part of the tour.

Lunch was nice as we joined Barb once again in the dining room. We ordered the chicken salad wrap with pesto….really tasty. All of us agreed that the small slice of lemon meringue pie was the best. Will have to do the jello route at dinner tonight.

Clouds took over the rest of the afternoon, looking like it could rain at any minute. As far as we know, it never did, but we could see it on the horizon. We have arrived to the area of the Java Sea where there are oil rigs and gas platforms. Sure is odd to see huge stacks with flames coming out of the tops in what appears to be in the middle of the ocean.

Around 5pm, we went to the outside deck on the veranda deck to see if there was going to be a sunset like we saw last night. Nope. It was completely opposite. Heavy, dark clouds hung over the horizon, with rain blocking any sign of a sunset. What we did discover was the presence of the ship's LRADS on either side of this deck. These are the long range acoustical devices used to deter anyone attempting to board this vessel illegally. Like pirates for instance. This is the first sign that we are sailing in dangerous waters now. At some point, we expect that razor wire will be added to the lower promenade deck as well. Whatever security measures that are implemented, the better it is for all of us.

We discussed the port of Bali yesterday, and the upcoming port of Semarang tomorrow at dinner tonight. As these are new to Bonnie and Paul, we all shared stories of what we have all seen and done in this part of the world. We could only recommend what we had seen on previous tours, since we have never done anything independently in Semarang before. We shall find out tomorrow when we take the shuttle to the center of town. We do remember there was a lot of traffic in Semarang, but not that much to keep us on the ship all day. With most of the tour lectures, Barbara H has stressed the problems with traffic and not getting back to the ship on time. Certainly that is true in most large cities around the world, but we also keep in mind that they are selling tours. The ones offered tomorrow range from $100 for 5 ½ hours to $260 for 9 hours. There is also an offer of private cars, minivans, and mini buses starting from $800 to $1400. Of course that is divided between 2 to 20 guests sharing the vehicles.

Dinner tonight had an Indonesian theme, with the waiters dressing in batik long-sleeve shirts, all different colors and designs. The tables were set with batik runners with napkins to match. The entrances to the dining room were decorated with Indonesian statues and masks. The menu had many Indonesian entrees, although we chose the whiskey glazed pork ribs. They were tasty, but mostly bones. Pretty hard to match the meal we had last night in the Pinnacle Grill.

Bill & Mary Ann

Clouds on the horizon