Singapore, 1st day

The hotel offered several venues for breakfast. We mostly ate at Rise, the restaurant in the main atrium. Because Singapore gets visitors from all over the world, the buffet offerings covered a wide range. At breakfast they had one section with all the American favorites like bacon, (both pork and turkey), eggs and omelets to order, pastries, and fresh fruit. For their Asian guests they had congee, stir fries, and a range of dim sum. And for Indian guests there was a station serving Indian dishes. The food was very good; but the space is very noisy, being basically the lobby of the hotel.

For our first day back in Singapore we decided to take the “Hop On, Hop Off” double decker bus tour. We like to take these wherever they are offered, since they are a good way to see the city’s main sights while also getting your bearings. The two main lines stopped right in front of the hotel, so after breakfast we caught the first one that came by. Since it was early the bus wasn’t yet crowded and it was still (relatively) cool up top. We always sit on opposite sides, so that at least one of us will get a photo of everything, even those things that are on “the wrong side” of the bus.

The buses ran on two routes, with intersecting points that allowed transferring from one line to the other. One line covers all the historical areas and the main ethnic neighborhoods of the center city, while the other covers the newer parts of town. Some of it we had seen on our city tour the first time we were here; but this tour was longer and visited many places we had not seen yet.

One of the things that stuck me is what a green city Singapore is. One of our guides told us that everyone likes to have plants around them. Even if they only have a small balcony, they will have plants on it. No doubt this is also helped by its tropical climate. You can grow plants outdoors that would be houseplants in other climates. The city has set aside large areas for open spaces. There are the parks and lawns one would expect.

And a world renowned botanical garden.

There are also lovely tree-lined avenues in the residential areas.

The riverbanks have been left as a green belt through much of the city.

But what really impressed me are the “green” buildings, with lush plantings cascading down their fronts and growing from balconies all over the city.

As a result, Singapore feels much less crowded than many cities of its size. It’s a very livable city, except that I couldn’t take the stifling heat and humidity.

Singapore, Part 2

Despite it’s being a favorite tourist destination, Bali is kind of hard to get in and out of. After researching all our options we decided our best bet was to fly back to Singapore, where we could get a new flight that United just started offering direct from Singapore to San Francisco. We also felt that it was a place with lots to offer, and we only got a glimpse of it on the cruise. As it turns out, although we were originally going to spend 3 nights there the best price on the flight home required flying on Sunday. It turned out that the price difference was great enough to equal the cost of a couple more hotel nights. So we ended up staying 5 nights.

From the beginning it seemed like there was really only one place to stay in Singapore, the hotel which has become something of an icon for the city, the Marina Bay Sands. Its distinctive silhouette of three towers with a large deck spanning the top can be seen from most of the city.

The hotel’s most striking feature is the Sky Park, which bridges all three towers and juts out more than 200 feet off one end. There are gardens and restaurants and bars all along the deck. But the main attraction is the 500 foot long infinity pool, in which the water seems to just fall off into space and you have an uninterrupted panorama of the city skyline.

Once again we got lucky. There was a huge line at Check In. One of the staff saw me and noticed that I was not doing well standing in the long queue and pulled us out of that line and moved us over to the VIP check in line, where there weren’t many people waiting. The nice young lady who checked us in decided to upgrade us to a better room than what we had originally booked, so we wound up on a higher floor in a nicer room.

It was a very large room, with a huge bathroom. We didn’t know what to expect, having heard about Singapore’s strict laws and knowing it’s a Muslim country, so we booked two beds. As it turned out the girl checking us in didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

The view of the city was wonderful. We were on the side that faces Marina Bay and the City Center. And at night there were light shows lighting up most of the buildings we could see.

The Marina Bay Sands is more than just the hotel. There’s a whole complex with a convention center, restaurants, a shopping mall, and a casino all attached. It turned out to be a comfortable and convienent place to stay, and a good base from which to explore the city.

Denpasar, Bali

Denpasar, which is on the south side of Bali, was our last port. We overnighted there, so that we would have a day to see the town and then leave the ship and travel onward the next day.

Over the past few years this side of Bali has seen a lot of development, turning it into both the capital of the island, and a major tourist destination. Denpasar is now Bali’s largest city. There is a new cruise port complex, which is where our ship docked. When we took our city tour we were driven into the city on a new toll road and new bridge that got us there quickly.

The toll plaza on the new road was made to look like a temple gate.

Our first stop was the oldest Balinese Hindu temple, Pura Puseh Desa Batuan. Parts of it date to 922 A.D. Unlike other parts of Indonesia, which are predominantly Muslim, Bali is about 87% Hindu.

We had a somewhat comical moment before entering the temple. We were told that it’s considered improper to show one’s knees or bare legs, so both men and women visiting the temple are asked to wear a sarong. Even the statues have their legs wrapped in a black and white cloth symbolizing balance.

A covered pavilion across the street from the entrance to the temple serves as a dressing area, and there a group of ladies were waiting to outfit our group. Needless to say, the average Balinese is much smaller than we are, so the lady helping me had some trouble at first finding sarongs to fit me and the lady fitting Van had similar trouble. After trying on three that were too small, she finally found the “big boy” sizes at the bottom of a chest, and soon had us suitably dressed for the temple.

The complex sits on a raised platform, and consists of many intricately carved shrines and some roofed pavilions used for gatherings. All around, on the ground and in front of the shrines there were offerings. There were many of the small daily offerings called Canang sari, which are little trays made of folded palm leaf in which food, fruit, and flowers are placed. Every part has a meaning, including what direction the flowers are placed. These little offerings are made every day, and the act of assembling them is considered an act of devotion.

The shrines were built of brick, decorated with blocks of carved stone and stone statues. Some of them had thatched roofs. The details of the carvings were very interesting.

After leaving the temple we visited a traditional-style Balinese home. Inside an enclosing wall were several buildings around a central courtyard. They all sat on platforms a foot or so above the ground, had brick walls, and roofs of timber and thatch. Some had solid walls and some were open on the sides.

Our guide explained what each of the buildings was for. One was for cooking and eating and storing food. One was were the family slept, and one was for the grandparents to sleep in. There were several shrines around the courtyard. We learned that after a deceased family member is cremated the ashes are brought back to the family shrine. Offerings are made on specific days to honor the ancestors. One of our group asked what happens if someone moves. Our guide didn’t seem to understand the question at first. He said that people come back to their family’s home on important days to make the offerings. Someone else said no, what happens if someone sells their home and moves away. The guide didn’t seem to have an answer for that. I guess in Bali homes stay in the family, so someone is always around to look after the ancestor’s shrines.

After the tour we returned to the ship to rest a bit and get ready for the evening’s festivities. A special party had been arranged for the end of the Inaugural cruise. As it was being held at a resort hotel some distance from the port, an early dinner had been arranged so that we could get to the buses by 7:30.

When we arrived at the hotel we found out that some last-minute changes had been made. Because it had been raining all evening, they decided to move the celebration under a covered patio. As we arrived we were given flower leis and a choice of beer, wine, or tropical drinks, and serenaded by a different type of band. These players were all standing and carrying their instruments, including a very large gong hanging from a bamboo pole carried by two men.

We were shown to where rows of chairs had been set up and we all sat down to watch the show. Here was the sort of gamelan band we had grown used to seeing, made up of seated men playing xylophones and gongs and cymbals. Several sets of dancers performed for us, including a group of schoolgirls. The dancers performed a number of dances for us, and then came out into the audience to pull volunteers up to dance with them. (We politely declined).

Handre was the MC for the evening, and he explained to us that Seabourn had wanted to have fireworks at the Naming Ceremony, but that the Singaporean officials wouldn’t allow it. So they had arranged to have a fireworks show after the dancing. By then the rain had let up, and we all went out into the garden to watch the show. In the flashes, we could see the beautiful stage the hotel had set up. It really was a shame they didn’t get to use it, but we did get a look at it. The fireworks were quite nice and the show went on for some time.

When it was over we all returned to the front of the hotel and got our buses back to the ship.

Because dinner had been early, the restaurant staff had prepared a late meal for us in the Colonnade. We got a chance to say goodby to Chef Jes and Bela and some of the other waiters, since we probably wouldn’t see them in the morning.

When we got back to our cabin our bags had been taken, so we went to sleep to be ready for the morning.

Komodo Island, Indonesia

Komodo Island was a bit out of our way, taking a whole day to sail to and another day to sail back from; but it was well worth the detour. It would have been a shame to come so close and not stop there.

Of course, the thing to see on Komodo Island is the famous Komodo Dragon. Well, they’re not really dragons. No gold-hording, fire-breathing, maiden-munching terror-on-the-wing magnificent beasts here. These animals are really just monitor lizards with good PR. Mind you, at 5 to 6 feet long, they still aren’t something you’d want to find in your bathroom. But the stuff of fairy tales they’re not. They are still pretty cool, though.

The island we visited is pretty much all a nature reserve. There are no port facilities, just a small pier and a visitor center/ranger station. Passengers were only allowed ashore if they were taking part in one of the tours. There were three offered, all walks with a park ranger on trails around the island. The only difference was the time and distance covered. There was a 6-hour, a 4-hour, and a 2-hour walk. Park rangers took groups of 6 to 10 people and set out to find the dragons and other wildlife. They don’t feed the dragons, so they don’t know exactly where they will be on a given day, so they walk to the spots where the dragons usually visit. It’s kind of “hit or miss”; but that’s nature.

We got very lucky. When we got off the tender and made our way up the pier, Ben, the Excursions Director was waiting for us. Clipboard in hand, he sorted all the guests into groups based on which length of walk they had signed up for, and had them wait to be handed off to their park ranger. When he saw us he called us aside and said “I’ve got something in mind for you guys. Wait over there.” So, we waited in the shade of a tree while he sorted the rest of the tender load. Because I’m still having some trouble walking he surmised that I wouldn’t want to walk even two hours on rough, unimproved trails. So he had a plan. Once all the groups had headed off to the right on the various trails he took us off to the left and introduced us to one of the park rangers. Ben explained that not far from there were a couple of ranger’s cabins, and that there are usually dragons around them. Our guide led us down a well-groomed trail and across a wooden bridge over a small creek toward the buildings. As soon as we got close to them we could see lizards. There were at least 5 males and a couple of females in the area by the ranger’s cabins. Some were dozing in the shade under the trees. Some were wandering around slowly. There were also some off-duty rangers on the veranda of the building; but neither they nor the dragons were taking much notice of each other.

Our guide told us to stay close to him and he took us up quite close to the dragons. Komodo dragons aren’t terribly fast generally; but they can lunge quickly, so it’s best not to get too close to them. The rangers all carry long forked sticks which they can use to push a dragon away if it comes too close. We snapped away, getting photos from a safe distance. Then he took our cameras and got close-up shots for us. And of course he took some of us standing behind one of the larger ones, albeit standing a safe distance away. When we were satisfied, he walked us back toward the pier. He took us to the area where sellers, mostly the wives and families of the park rangers, were selling souvenirs. He pointed out which stall was run by his family, and we bought a little wooden carved dragon to take home. By this time the next tender was unloading, so we found Ben and thanked him and got on for the return ride to the ship.

It wasn’t until later that evening we found out just how well we had made out. Everyone who had taken the walks told pretty much the same story. The trails were pretty rough, and it had rained the night before so they were also muddy. They walked for hours and hours; but the dragons were scarce. One person said they saw two of them, but not very close. One said she hadn’t seen any at all. Van and I saw at least 10, and up as close as we could safely get to them. It really was our lucky day.

Ben, our Hero of The Day

The Komodo Visitor Center

The park ranger’s cabins

The dragons

Our guide

And of course, our obligatory “Van and Ron Standing In Front Of …” shot. Only this time we’re standing behind it.

Van posted this photo on his blog, and someone said “That just a little lizard close up to the camera so it looks big.” So, he had to post this photo of the guide taking a photo so you can see the true size of the dragon.

On our walk back toward the pier we spotted a dragon and some of the island’s small deer. Normally the dragons will prey on the deer; but this day it was too hot and neither of them seemed much interested in a chase. Van was able to snap perhaps the best photo of the day, with a dragon, the deer, and the ship anchored in the bay off in the background.

We sailed in the afternoon and spent the evening and overnight sailing back to Bali for our final port call the next day.

Celukan Bawang, Bali

Celukan Bawang is on the north side of Bali. When we arrived at the pier we were once again greeted by musicians and dancers. The styles are slightly different on each island of Indonesia. The Balinese gamelan features wooden xylophone-like instruments and the dancer’s costumes include a bit more elaborate headdresses.

The tour we chose was a visit to some of the north coast and the uplands in the center of the island. We went in small buses seating 6 persons because most of the roads in the mountains are very narrow and twisting. Even in the towns large tourist buses would have had trouble getting through.

First we drove east to the town of Singaraja, (and yes, those of you who understand Sanskrit, the name means “Lion King”). There we visited the Chinese temple Tempat Ibadat Tridharma. Tridharma is a name attached to many temples in this region. It roughly means “three truths” or “three teachings”, and refers to following tenants of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. As is usual for these temples, it is very colorful and the people graciously invited us in to look around.

Across the street on the beach, facing out to sea, is an impressive monument. The Yudha Mandalatama Independence Monument honors Ketut Merta, a local hero who was one of the first killed in the struggle for Indonesian independence. He stands atop the structure, muscles rippling, leading the charge against the Dutch forces. He’s holding the banner which would become the Indonesian flag, which is said to be a Dutch tricolor flag with the blue torn off, leaving the red and white parts.

Leaving the coast we quickly climbed up into the highland in the center of the island. Everything was intensely green, and every place that wasn’t a farm field or rice paddy was jungle.

Clove trees grew everywhere, a source of income for the local people. Our guide told us that harvesting cloves is somewhat risky, since the cloves, which are unopened flower buds, grow at the very tips of the branches.

Our first stop was a temple complex on the shore of Lake Baratan. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is dedicated to the Balinese water goddess Dewi Danu. The centerpiece is a beautiful pagoda that seems to float on the waters of the lake. She is said to guard the purity of the lake’s waters, which are a major source of drinking and irrigation water for the island. Although it’s a Hindu shrine, they have also allowed a Chinese shrine to be built on the grounds.

Next we climbed to an overlook point where you can see two lakes, Danau Tamblingan and Danau Buyan.

We ate a delicious buffet lunch of satays and other Indonesian dishes at a restaurant who’s terrace hung out over the hillside, giving us a wonderful view of the valley and the lakes as we ate.

The last stop was a bit of a sham. It was billed as a visit to a “plantation”. What it actually turned out to be was a “health institute” and we got a sales pitch for their miracle botanical oil which they claim can cure pretty much anything short of death. We listened while sitting in the shade and eating the snacks; but declined to buy any of the oil. It was a beautiful location.

From there we made our way back to the port and back aboard the ship. Our next day was a very welcome day at sea.

Indonesia, Part 2 – Bali

Bali is a relatively small island that sits about 8° south of the Equator. Like many of Indonesia’s islands, it’s volcanic and mountainous. It’s also very lush and green. We called at two ports, Celukan Bawang on the north side, and Denpasar on the south side.

Probolinggo, Java

I got the feeling that Probolinggo City is a place that most tourists just pass through. The big attraction here is Bromo Mountain, which is a 7,000+ foot high active volcano. It’s inland to the west, and Probolinggo is the nearest large port. Seabourn offered an excursion to see it; but we didn’t think that climbing up a volcano suited us, so we opted for the city tour instead. The residents seemed quite happy to see us at the sites we visited. There were banners welcoming us everywhere we went.

At the port we boarded several small buses which took us to our first stop, the Tri Dharma Sumbernaga Temple.

The original part of the temple is more than 140 years old; but the whole complex has been added to and is very much a working temple. Inside the temple there is a little shop selling all the things one might want to make an offering to one’s ancestors. Everything from folded paper wreaths and joss sticks to flowers, plates of fruit and bottles of drink were ready to buy.

The shrines are a riot of color and inside are dark and cool, filled with the scent of incense.

On the way out we were persuaded to pose for the “Rubbing the Belly” photo.

Outside in the courtyard we were treated to a lion dance.

When it came time to leave the temple, they had a surprise waiting for us. Instead of getting back on the minibuses, they had a whole fleet of bicycle rickshaws waiting for us. Each of us climbed into one and we all set slowly off to our next stop.

This was a cool way to move around the town, as you can see everything around you and feel the breeze and experience the sounds and smells better than you ever could inside a bus. Now I don’t speak a word of Indonesian; but I’m pretty sure my driver was being teased by the other drivers for getting “the fat one”. All along our way the local people waved to us. The whole lot of us being peddled down the street must have been an amusing sight.

From the temple we went to the park in the center of town to see the monument to the Indonesian Revolution.

Our next stop was the Probolinggo Museum, which tells the town’s story with displays and dioramas. The figures in the displays were quite lifelike, like this woman making batik.

Outside we were given a snack and treated to more dancing, including another set of Javanese lion dancers.

This was the last stop in the rickshaws. We got back onto our buses for our final stop, a batik factory.
Batik is a national art form of Indonesia. Fabric is decorated with intricate patterns built up using wax and dyes. They gave us an open-air demonstration of the techniques.

There are two kinds of batik. In one of them a repeating pattern is stamped onto the fabric using stamp dipped in hot wax.

For the more prized, and more expensive, kind the pattern is drawn onto the fabric by hand using a special tool with a hollow tube tip and a reservoir that holds melted beeswax.

Batik is a wax resist technique. You start by applying wax to the parts you want to remain white. Then you dye the fabric with the lightest color you are going to use, say yellow. Then you wax over the parts you want to remain that color. This is repeated over and over again for each of the colors in the design, ending with the darkest color, such as dark blue or black. Then the wax is removed, leaving the multicolored pattern visible.

The young lady demonstrating made it look easy; but it’s harder than it looks, as Van found out when they persuaded him to try it. After the demonstration we went inside to their shop and bought a piece we liked. It’s a good souvenir, because it’s light weight and won’t break on the way home.

When everyone had had a chance to buy some batik, we got back into our buses and went back to the port. It was a very pleasent excursion.

Room Service

Of all the “over the top” touches on a Seabourn cruise, having a room service meal stands out. It can be very impressive, elegant, and even romantic. You see, when you order a meal in your room, they don’t just bring you a tray. They want you to have as close to the same experience as possible to eating in the dining room. So the waiter arrives at your door with a very large tray. He goes about setting your table with a linen tablecloth and napkins, and similar china and flatware to what they use in the restaurants. He then lays out your piping-hot food and excuses himself. It’s all lovely; but can seem a bit much when all you have ordered is a bit of lunch. Our tour of Surabaya got us back too late for the restaurants, so we ordered room service. We didn’t feel like too much food, so we both ordered a hot dog and fries. Now, their hot dogs are jumbo all beef franks that are grilled to perfection and served with all the trimmings and nice crispy fries. But the full linen and china presentation seemed almost a bit silly under the circumstances.

But we loved it. We try to order a room service meal at least once on every cruise we do with Seabourn.

Surabaya, Java

The next day we visited the city of Surabaya. It’s known locally as “The City of Heroes”, as it was the site of the first major battle of Indonesia’s war of independence. We took a tour of the city.

Our first stop was a cigarette factory where they make “kreteks”, or clove cigarettes. They are very popular with the Javanese, some 70% of whom smoke. They believe the vapors from the cloves are good for respiratory ailments. [Curiously, those vapors are the same reason they are not allowed in the US. The clove vapors cause irritation and can cause respiratory problems.] The factory we visited still makes them the old-fashioned way, hand rolled on wooden rolling frames. The company only hires young women who are non-smokers as rollers. As they are paid by the piece, they work very quickly. [They would not let us photograph inside the factory, so these photos are from the Net.]

Our next stop was at the City Hall. Outside we were once again greeted by a band and dancers. This group was both men and women, and did a much more athletic type of dance called “Reog Ponorogo”.

The most amazing part were the two dancers wearing enormous lion masks. We were told the masks weigh 30 to 40 kilos. The dancer holds the mask with a strap held between his teeth. It is considered a mark of honor to be able to hold the heavy mask and dance with it. At one point one of the dancers bent over backwards so that the mask touched the ground. It’s a wonder he didn’t fall over; but he must be very strong.

On the steps of the City Hall we were greeted and given the traditional Javanese headwear. The women were given head scarves and we were given a hat made out of folded batik fabric. Our guide later explained that the shape and the folds all have symbolic meanings.

Inside we were welcomed with traditional Indonesian snacks and another troupe of dancers. These ladies wore very colorful costumes and did several very graceful dances.

After that we drove around to see a few more landmarks of the city, and then returned to the port.

Semarang, Java

At our first port call, Semarang, we chose an excursion that took us up into the highlands, where it was mercifully cooler than down at the port. There we visited a train museum built in a station that dates back to Colonial times. We were greeted by a pair of dancers, who performed a couple of dances for us, and then we all got on an antique steam train for a short ride.

We passed villages where everyone grows their own rice in paddies behind their house. As the train crossed over a river we saw people out fishing with nets.

The tour also visited a plantation that is a heritage museum. Here we were greeted by more dancers and offered snacks made from the produce of the plantation. (Yes, those are brownies. They grow some cacao trees, the source of chocolate on the plantation.) I don’t know what the song was they were dancing to; but since they were holding baby dolls, I assume it was a lullaby.

The grow many things, including cloves and nutmeg, coconuts and bananas, coffee and tea, and rubber trees. We were shown how the sap is collected from the rubber trees and then processed into natural rubber for export.

Our next stop was for lunch at a hotel called the Hills Joglo Villa. They served us a buffet in the gardens and around the pool. I’m not familiar with Indonesian food, so I don’t know what we ate; but it was all tasty. Our gracious hostess invited us to swim in the pool; but nobody took her up on that, since we really didn’t have the time. When we finished we found yet more dancers gathered by our bus. They performed a type of ritual trance dance, with costumes meant to represent horseback riders.

After lunch we toured the city. It’s very much like modern cities all around the world. It was clean and orderly, though not quite as much as Singapore was. The traffic amazed me. Although it was as heavy as any we saw in India, it was very orderly and everyone was polite. Everything flowed smoothly, and I never heard a horn honked in anger.

This traffic was circling around the park in the center of the city. There is a large monument in the center dedicated to those who died in the revolution; but it seems these days it’s mostly a place for people to hang out. I caught some young jugglers practicing their moves, and some lovely young schoolgirls waiting for a bus.

We then we back to the port and back aboard the ship.