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Published: February 24th 2010
On a World Cruise you expect to see many different and interesting things, and Indonesia certainly didn’t disappoint! Indonesia is a country consisting of about 17,000 islands with a total population of about 232 million people and our journey consisted of stops at four very different islands.
We began our Indonesian journey on Thursday, February 18th at Komodo Island, home to the vicious and deadly Komodo Dragons. This island consists mainly of a large park, home to many species of wildlife in addition to the dragons. I think our guide said that several hundred people lived on the island, but I can’t imagine why! Although there have been a couple of tourist deaths in recent years, a visit to this island is relatively safe as long as you stay with the park guides and do exactly as they say. So off we went, in smallish groups of 25 or so, joined by a park guide and two “guards” carrying large forked sticks, one in front and one in back of us. The dragons are rather ugly and prehistoric looking, like dinosaurs, the larger ones around 13 feet long weighing in at 220+ pounds. We went on a short trek (about
a mile in total) to a “watering hole” where several dragons were hanging out in a large circle guarded by more natives carrying large sticks. We were allowed to take several pictures (QUIETLY!!) and then move on, back to our starting point where, of course, there were rows of vendors selling their wares.
One of the least pleasant activities in Indonesia is shopping, as the vendors are extremely aggressive. If you so much as make eye contact with one or smile, you are immediately surrounding by many who seemed determined to grab you, block your path and shove their wares in your face, literally begging you to buy. When someone acts like that to me, I absolutely refuse to buy anything or even look! So Mr. Friendly Bruce took the brunt (he can’t resist talking to anyone) and got surrounded while the rest us made our quick getaway. He actually bought a cheap tacky dragon to “decorate” (???) our cabin!
Our next stop on Friday, February 19th was Lombok, Indonesia, an island next to Bali with a population of about 3 million people, predominantly of Muslim faith, although not “extreme”. The women are not required to cover their
heads up to their eyes … it’s just too hot. The weather here (like all other stops in Indonesia) is extremely hot and humid. Because conditions are somewhat “dirty” compared to American life, we spend each day very hot, very sweaty and sticky and very anxious for a bath or shower at the end of each day!
In Lombok, we hired a private car with our friends Mike and Evy, complete with a driver and English speaking guide. Our guide took us to a weaving village where all women are required to learn to weave and make several sarongs before they are allowed to marry. They actually spend about 8 hours each day strapped into makeshift looms where they weave the day away to supplement their husband’s income. The husbands in this village are typically off working in the rice fields. There are deadly poisonous snakes in the rice fields but that doesn’t stop entire families from getting out there barefoot working the day away. They all carry anti-venom serum and when they get bit they just rub the wound to squeeze out the venom and apply the serum. Our guide asked if we wanted to wade through a
Local Dancer
Lombok, Indonesiarice field … NOT!
We then went to a typical family compound, which includes several buildings for families to sleep in, a place to keep animals (chickens, pigs, goats and such), a rice hut, a well, and a common kitchen … no windows and dirt floors where the women gather to cook over what looked like kerosene burners. Most (if not all???) homes don’t have running water so the family members bath in local muddy streams in groups! We took a lunch break at a local “resort” with an air conditioned restaurant, which we learned was an open air restaurant that had overhead fans. We were very disappointed to sit outside in the intense humidity but we sampled some local fare which was really quite good! We then wound our way through several other villages, through a huge open market and then back to our air conditioned (yeah) ship. All in all it was a very interesting day! The ship then hosted an evening Indonesian Feast up on the pool deck as we sailed off towards the island of Bali next door!
We spent two days on Bali (February 20th and 21st) , an Island unlike any other
Petrol
Roadside Stand in Indonesia. Unlike their Muslim neighbors, the Balinese people are Hindu, with a touch of Buddhist and ancient animalistic beliefs. Once again we hired a private car and guide with our friends and enjoyed a grand tour of the island, which is really quite lush and beautiful. We went up into the mountains to see the volcano and lakes, then took a tour of the interior stacked rice terraces, which are stacked one after another up the hillsides and are just beautiful, the “Jewel of Bali”. We again visited a typically family compound which is similar in organization to the compounds in Lombok, but with a different architecture unique to Bali. We then had a visit to the village of Ubud (or Boo Boo as Bruce called it), a famous art colony, and the village of Celuk known for its many silversmiths. More opportunities to shop! If only I liked shopping!
Our most interesting stop in Bali was to a local coffee farmer, home to one of the most expensive coffee in the world and truly unique in how it is made. There is a species of Mongoose that eats the coffee beans. The beans are then “processed” through
the animal’s digestive track (they say the enzymes are special) and then “excreted” back out of the animal … you get the picture. These “chunks” of beans are then left to ferment for several days before being roasted over a fire and then exported around the world. I’m not joking and this has apparently been on the Oprah show! So I ask you, which of you will be adventurous enough to try our special brew when we get back home?
It’s important to note too that while we were in Bali, we had a very special event on board our ship. One of the long time world cruisers, Dr. Lloyd Tinkle, celebrated his 100th birthday on February 20th! To kick off the evening, the ship’s officers and crew (and some passengers) organized a tribute show to Lloyd that was just incredibly done, complete with singing and dancing and an extremely clever multimedia presentation created by our key culture speaker! Then, a special birthday dessert was prepared by the head chef and presented to his table after dinner. He’s a very sweet man adored by all and is quite amazing for his age. He wakes early each morning, catches up
Evy
Learns to Weave on the news, goes to play the piano in the atrium at 7AM, and can be seen all throughout the day, on ship and off, with his walker, otherwise known as his “BMW”. He’s as sharp as a tack, memorizes his Masons book each day, and is an accomplished bridge player. Each evening, you can see Lloyd at dinner in one of his exotic costumes and/or hats from all around the world … a real character. We had dinner with him a couple of nights before his birthday and he was a real pleasure to get to know!
After a day at sea to cool off and sleep we arrived at our last stop in Indonesia, the port City of Semarang on the Island of Java, one of the larger islands and home to 50% of the Indonesian population! This was a crowded industrial port and city and looked totally different from the last three more exotic and scenic islands. We went on a tour to the town of Ambarawa (which means large swamp), home to an old steam locomotive that is more than 100 years old … I believe only 3 years older than Dr. Tinkle who was
Kitchen
Lombok Family Compound along for the ride. The train ride lasted about an hour through scenic rural villages and rice fields up alongside the volcano. All the kids came out of their houses all along the way to smile and wave at us, and of course, every time the train slowed down the dreaded vendors appeared to sell their wares! After the train ride we went to a local coffee plantation where they made … you guessed it … Mongoose coffee! Supposedly, the Mongoose digestive enzymes make this coffee really good to lower cholesterol and blood pressure! It’s much cheaper here than at home so we just had to buy a couple of bags.
So our journey through Indonesia has come to an end and we are now off to our next Asian port … Singapore!
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Dick Turbiville
non-member comment
doo-doo coffee
But, Kath, you didn't say how the doo-doo coffee tasted! I did see a program segment on it. Wondered who decided to brew the first cup -- we need to meet that guy....or maybe not. A concern: were the sticks going to protect you from a hard charging, hungry, carniverous Komodo? Not, they were trickin' you. Don't do that again. We need yours and Pooty's delicate white meat back here in Dallas eventually. Keep the news flowing. Dick T.