The Zuiderdam arrived to Benoa Bay after breakfast early this morning. We began seeing fishing boats, outrigger houseboats, and some commercial vessels while in the Pinnacle Grill. The best spot for viewing the arrival at 9am was right from our veranda, although there was no doubt, it was going to be a very hot and humid day. It just goes with the territory. Even at this time of day, the closer we got to Benoa, the more activity we saw with numerous jet-ski riders, parachute rides, and what appeared to be dive or snorkel boats. As we entered the opening to the bay, we saw many casual resorts with beaches and lots of people, including fishermen beginning their day.
Here are some quick facts about Bali. Once again we were not able to get the port talk on our TV, so we turned to Google. The population of Bali is 4.4 million people with the capital located at Denpasar, about 7 miles from where we were docked today. This particular island is famous for travelers mostly for their white sand beaches, high end resorts, and a culture that is filled with sacred water temples and spectacular rice terraces. Bali is as exotic as it gets in this part of the world.
There were some tours today ranging in times from 6 hours to 9 hours and costing from $110 to $210. All but one offered lunch. Some of the sites included the Tanah Lot Temple, Mt. Batur and Agung, the artist's cities of Ubud and Mas, and various temples, some of which had macaque monkeys. The views of the rice terraces in the mountains can be stunning if there was no rain. Many times we have been caught in sudden torrential downpours while in the mountains, but it remained dry on the coastline.
We planned on spending the day onboard since we have done all of the tours numerous times. Over the years, we have developed an "allergy" to bus rides, and except for shuttles, we avoid them as much as possible. And today was a different type of visit, because so many of our crew members are from here. Many family members and officials would be visiting the ship during the day. A note was printed in the Daily newsletter explaining that most of the gatherings would take place away from the public areas, although we may see visitors on tour of the ship. Out of respect for the passengers, they have tried to do this with the greatest discretion. Then we were thanked for our understanding. It was our pleasure seeing the many family members coming onboard during the day. Many of our waiters and room stewards met family and friends in town as well. They all looked quite happy.
The ship wasn't docked or cleared until well after 10am. By then three gangways had been set up. One was for the tour groups, one for the handicap folks, and another for the visitors. Knowing there is always a barong dance on the pier, we went down to the promenade deck to watch the show. A large tent had been put up to cover the gamelan orchestra along with four young Balinese dancers.
The tour groups began trickling off then ran through the terminal to get the best seats on the bus. The girls began their dance along with the music. Usually there was a larger group, but this was fine. Lots of folks stopped and posed with the dancers as they always do. Shortly after the stampede erupted, an injured elderly lady was being brought back to the ship in a medical wheelchair. She must have fallen we assume. We stayed on the railing until 11am talking to some fellow passengers who were staying onboard like us as well.
We headed back to our cool room, which was facing the bay today. We worked on and off line most of the morning and early afternoon.
The day had begun mostly sunny when we arrived. But as the day advanced, many clouds began to pass overhead. We were sure that rain was on the way, but when, who knew? So we took the time to go off of the ship at 12:30pm. Once off the ship, we went into what we thought was the old terminal building. It was here that our QR codes were scanned, the ones that Michelle, our go-to girl, had produced for us. It was all that the local officials needed, since it had all of our visa info on it. Without that QR code, we would not be allowed to leave the ship.
Anyway, this terminal had been completely remodeled since we were here in 2019. All of the souvenir tables except for one were gone, and it was turned into a proper terminal for boarding passengers on cruise ships. Sterile would be a better word to describe the interior. Once out the door, we were faced with dozens of taxi drivers offering us tours or a ride to a mall. They were all polite and were not aggressive at all. We looked for the parking lot souvenir tents, but they were gone. Instead, there was a beautiful outdoor pagoda with tiled floors and Bali decorations. This is where the main market was located with everything from clothing to crafts and jewelry. These folks were a bit more aggressive because we were about the only ones there. Many of the passengers were still on their excursions, and would arrive later. We were not intending to buy anything in the way of clothing, but we did end up with a pair of silver and abalone earrings and a crocheted purse for great prices. In addition, the vendors were happy to take Australian dollars, not just US dollars.
Some of the old tents were still there beyond the pagoda, and these folks were high-pressure. It was so hot outside, we were the only ones there looking. It was about then that we recalled their trick of putting things on your arms or in your hands, then they will not take it back. Even if you did not want to buy it, they bargained deeply. We couldn't get out there fast enough. We did not attempt going outside the gates, since there was a warning in the newsletter about being careful with wallets and money in high traffic areas. The warning included taking extra care with handbags, cameras, and other valuables like watches and jewelry. If we had wanted to go to the closest mall, for instance, it was a 20 to 30 minute taxi ride away from the pier. Many people we know did just that.
By the time we went for our Lido lunch, it began to rain outside. A light shower turned into a heavy storm that lasted most all afternoon. Our timing had been just right by accident. We had expected the Lido to be full of visitors, but there were only a few families with little kids. They were the cutest ones and well-behaved. We spent the remainder of the afternoon working online and watching the most airplanes we have ever seen landing all day long. Sometimes they were only 5 minutes apart, and the airport was located pretty close to the cruise terminal. These planes came down and right over the ship to land in Denpasar. The activity in the bay was busy with water sports such as jet skies, parachute rides, and tour boats large and small. In between this traffic were commercial vessels arriving to their docks too. We had a police boat that appeared to keep some of the outrigger boats away from the ship. At least we did not hear any begging kids like we did yesterday in Komodo. By the way, we forgot to mention that in Komodo, some passengers were putting money in empty aluminum water bottles and tossing them to the kids in those boats. It surprised us that no one came on the speakers to stop the guests from doing that.
Another indication that we were not in "Kansas" anymore, was hearing the area's mosques sounding their chanting at least four times from sunrise to sunset. Then the party vessels began their evening trips around 5:30pm. There was singing and dancing, drinking and dining for two hours on one sailing ship that was lit up like a Christmas tree. Looked like fun.
All aboard was 8pm, but by 8:20, there was a call for a missing passenger. The ship did not leave the pier until 8:45pm. Dinner for us was good with sesame chicken starters and Caesar salads. Mains were one chicken dinner and a pork belly plate. Ample servings, we had the small scoops of sherbet and ice cream once again.
Back in our room, we watched as the Zuiderdam left Benoa Bay in the dark of night. It was still warm and not a breeze was blowing. We will have two days at sea on the way to Singapore. We will need to rest up for that marathon day for sure.
There was no live entertainment tonight. Only a movie, Fly Me To The Moon, a new one dated 2024. Doubt a whole lot of folks attended after a long hot day in Bali.
Bill & Mary Ann
