Bali – Land of temples, shrines and fruit smoothies

February 26 – 27, 2015

Because we had to skip Geraldton, AU we had two full days in Bali. This is our first port of three in Indonesia and, except for the heat and humidity, we were captivated. 85 - 90% of the population in Bali is Hindu, which makes it the only island in Indonesia that is not predominantly Muslim, who comprise only 4% of the population in Bali, but more than 70% of Indonesia’s population. After Hindu, the next most prominent religion on Bali is Buddhism.

Almost every house has multiple shrines to which the residents make offerings and prayers several times a day for “good Karma.” Hindus believe in one supreme god with lots of ‘”associates.” They also believe in reincarnation which, if they are good, can end after a few manifestations with a permanent place in heaven.  

Indonesia was created in 1945 and is made up of hundreds (maybe thousands at low tide) of islands.

Since many of the staff on the ship are from Indonesia, the cruise line arranges for the families of crew members to visit the ship while it is in port. Both our stateroom attendant, Bagus, and our waiter in the dining room, Tomo, are Balinese, and were able to spend the night at home with wife and children. We told Bagus not to bother cleaning our room while we were in port so he could spend more time with his family. Many of our fellow travelers did the same thing. Also, we did not go to the dining room the first night in port so that Tomo would have fewer tables to attend and get out earlier. At least two other tables in his section did the same. It was fun seeing the children and family members touring the ship. We understand that the numbers of family members will be even larger in our next two ports.

Our Bali port is Benoa and we were welcomed by a typical Balinese music group and dancers.

Balinese welcome band. My camera lens was fogged over from the humidity.

On day one, our unexpected extra day, we hired a driver to take us around the Benoa region. We visited a batik production facility where we watched cloth being woven on old looms and the wax being applied to finished and stenciled cloth by hand. Of course, good tourists that we are, we bought three scarves (like I needed more scarves – but read on, it gets better), and a batik shirt for John. We may have paid too much but we could trust the authenticity – unlike the goods offered by the many street and market vendors. We also had lunch at a beach-side restaurant which served delicious grilled fresh fish with rice, of course. Rice is the most consumed food and most prevalent crop on Bali. Second is fruit, so the restaurants all offer fresh fruit juices – including banana, watermelon, melon, strawberry, etc., -- all blended fresh on the premises.  Delicious!

We also learned of an interesting Hindu holiday coming up March 21. After a day and evening before of parades and other festivities – think Mardi Gras – at 6:00 a.m. on the 21^st the entire island observes the Day of Silence until 6:00 a.m. on the 22^nd. During this time no one speaks, works, travels, uses artificial lighting, or eats. Even the Bali airport closes down and believe me, it’s a very busy airport! No cars on the street, everyone stays home “meditating.” Tomo, our dining room attendant, although Hindu does not observe this day on the ship.

After our day ashore with our guide, the next morning we were up bright and early for a trip into the mountains. First stop was the Pura Kehen Temple, built in the 11^th century in Bangli – about a two-hour bus ride. This temple is magnificent, not only for its importance in the Hindu faith, but for the intricacy of the stone and wood carvings. It is presided over by the demonic face of Kala Makara. I doubt that our pictures do it justice. This is one of the oldest and most famous temples – on an island of hundreds of temples. Speaking of temples and shrines, unless it is for a particular festival or holiday, most are draped in a black and white check cloth which symbolizes good (white, duh) and evil, or in Chinese – ying and yang.

Note the pink sashes. This was for people who were "properly covered." Everyone else - those wearing shorts above the knee - were given sarongs to wear.

After lunch in Selat at a hill-top restaurant overlooking a rice plantation where the views of the rice fields and the mountains in the background were spectacular, our next stop was Klungkung Kertagosa – a building designed and built in 1710 by the best artisans in the country. The complex includes the Bale Kambang Floating Pavilion and the Kertagosa Royal Court. Again, the pictures really fail to adequately capture the intricacy and sheer volume of the carvings. One note about the murals on the ceilings – they all depict a violent culture! At this point our good weather ran out and we toured the grounds in the rain.

Our view during lunch at Selat

View of Floating Pavilion

The surrounding town was an interesting contrast to the formality of the Klungkung Kertagosa with seemingly thousands of motorbikes – the preferred mode of transport in the small towns and villages we visited. One picture shows hundreds of motorbikes gathered near the local school waiting to pick up the kids. In another photo taken at lunch, is a man walking home from work carrying a bundle of reeds on his head as he passes a motorbike under a near-by tree.

Then we left the more urban area for a rather perilous drive up a winding, narrow, road with sharp drop-offs in places as we made our way to the village of Tenganan – a walled mountain village that is home to the Bali Aga, who are the descendants of the original island people and who maintain their pre-Hindu culture. Although it was raining and the street was slippery and flooded, we saw the woven “flaming cloth” for which the village is famous. However, we were unable to witness a demonstration of the process because the power was out so the workroom was too dark. Another craft evident in the village was basket weaving from abundant local reeds. This is where I again succumbed and bought a handbag – like I need another handbag, either.

Smart rooster staying dry in Tenganan

The poverty in Bali is obvious – which is why so many young men (primarily) leave home to work on the cruise ships. The little girl in this picture was playing in a pile of lava sand next to the highway while her mother worked on the various statues and urns being made here.

This was near a major rotary in the middle of which was a recently erected statue of Rama and the monkey army that helped him defeat his wife’s kidnappers. It’s a Balinese story similar to Romeo and Juliet but with a happy ending.

The people are also very aggressive salespeople, which could be both disconcerting as he or she follows you down the street continually lowering the asked for price, and sad because you understand the desperation. It seemed that everywhere we went, by the time we left a new supply of sarongs, shirts, scarves and table linens popped up for the taking.

And so we said a fond farewell to Bali. We learned two Balinese phrases. Each island has its own language while there is a general Indonesian language (Bahasa) understood by everyone. Our Balinese guides and our dinner server taught us “suksema” for “thank you,” and “ohm suas tias tu” which means “greetings.”

Selamat Tidur – Bahasa for “Good night.”

Leaving Australia: Albany, Freemantle/Perth, but not Geraldton

February 24, 2015

We have now officially left Australia and are sailing toward Bali, Indonesia. We had to skip our last Australian port – Geraldton – due to heavy winds that made it impossible for our ship to get through the channel. But the two ports before that – Albany on the 18^th and Freemantle/Perth on the 20^th and 21^st – were a fitting farewell to a wonderful country that we’d like to visit again.

One thing I’ve noticed in both New Zealand and Australia is that the cities we have visited had no big shopping districts outside the center city so all the downtowns were lively and still the centers of both business and commerce. Going to the mall means going downtown.

Albany was no exception. It’s a smaller port than the others, but due to its relative isolation its center city remains vibrant and busy, and not just with tourists. We strolled the main street, visited two churches (see photos), and shopped at the outdoor market as well as the local grocery store. Albany was the first port in Western Australia before it was usurped by Perth.

Until 1978, Albany was a whaling center. We figure that some of the whaling ships from New Bedford must have stopped here. It is also the place where the annual celebration of ANZAC Day was begun at its historic Church of St. John the Evangelist. ANZAC Day commemorates the day when thousands of Australian and New Zealand service men shipped out to fight in WW I. Most never made it home alive. During WWI, Australia and New Zealand lost more men per capita than any other combatant country. At St. John’s church we met a man whose father had been part of the ANZAC troops. He was one of the few who did make it home, but due to having been gassed while at war he died when his son – the man with whom we spoke – was only seven.

Here are some scenes from Albany - top to bottom -  1 - view of the town from the ship, 2 - the beautiful harbor filled with lots of lovely little rocky islands, 3 - home of the Albany Advertiser, (they weren't hiring ;-)) 4 - raising funds for the endangered Pootaroo, 5 & 6 - Scots Church (possible Australian version of Unitarianism) and its interior, 7 - St. John, 8 - statue of Mo'Kare, who helped the early British settlers. 

We arrived in Freemantle on the 20^th and had an overnight. This is now the busiest port in Western Australia. BTW, Western Australia is the largest state in the country. We were only 12 miles from its capital city, Perth. After a quick walk around Freemantle we took the ferry up the Swan River to Perth. This area is famous for its black swans, and we spotted some on our river journey.

Perth is huge and also the most isolated capital city in the world – surrounded by hundreds of miles of deserts. It is closer to Singapore than to Canberra, the Australia capital. The train between Perth and Sydney runs on the longest stretch of straight track in the world and the trip takes 3 days.

We walked the city center “malls” – really streets blocked to traffic. (Reminded us of the Lincoln Road Mall in Miami.) After lunch at a cool pub we hopped onto the Hop On Hop Off bus for a tour of the city, including Kings Park – a magnificent 404 hectare region with regional flora and views of the city and the river. At the end of the tour we stopped in at another pub (lots of pubs in Perth and Freemantle), and wandered around town some more where we discovered the little “alley” called London Court (see photos) before taking the train back to Freemantle.

Scenes from Perth:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     View of Perth from the ferry.

Sign outside of Perth pub.

Swan Bells tower. Bells were the ones that rang in London at the coronation of Elizabeth I and were a gift to Perth from Elizabeth II. We were told the locals hate the tower, but love the bells.

The second day we spent in Freemantle. It was a Sunday and the streets were filled with lots of families visiting the markets and the many coffee shops and pubs. The Freemantle Markets are lots of small vendors selling everything from t-shirts to chocolates to massages. They are only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. John has started collecting ball caps from our ports of call and this is where we found the Freemantle cap. Although we liked Perth, we loved Freemantle. Lots of history here, including some original “convict built” buildings. See "Round House" below.

This Schooner is used to train and raise money for at-risk youth.

      This "cruise ship" is for sheep - thousands of them!

Now we are sailing the Indian Ocean and will be in Bali on Thursday, the 25^th. Many of the ship’s workers are from Indonesia so many will have short reunions with their families during our stops in Bali, Java and Jakarta. Our stateroom attendant, Bagus, will have his family (wife and two young children) on board in Bali, so we have told him not to bother with our room those two days so he can have more time with his family. Many other passengers have also posted signs on their doors saying they do not require services in Indonesia to give the workers more time with families. We also gave him 500,000 rupiahs (about $60 USD) to take his family out to dinner.  

Adelaide and Australian-speak

February 17, 2015

Now that we have been in Australia for a while I am learning to “speak” the language. In addition to “g-day” we have found a couple of other things that seem unique to Australia. Our guide on the 13^th kept saying “yah” a lot, kind of like the Canadians say “hey.” For example, “We’re entering the Barrosa Valley, yah. Notice the many acres of vineyards, yah.” Another I noticed yesterday in Adelaide was, instead of “you’re welcome” some say “no worries.” We also heard that phrase used instead of “sure” or “happy to…”

Downtown Adelaide was quite lively yesterday. In addition to many of us cruisers, there are lots of cricket fans in town for some matches of the World Cup of Cricket. On Sunday India and Pakistan played – the game lasted 7 hours! We are getting a piecemeal education into the rules of cricket, but still don’t really understand it. But it sure is popular down under.

Rundle Mall, downtown Adelaide, is really a pedestrian-only street with lots of shops, restaurants, street performers, and some fun public art. Note these little piggies:

We were better shoppers than tourists, so I have very few insights into the personality of the city. I did talk with a clerk at a convenience store whose son is going to the US next month and visit the home cities of NBA teams between LA and NYC. I told her to tell him to take warm clothes.

We are at sea today celebrating our 36^th wedding anniversary with a big Mardi Gras party on the top deck! Nice coincidence, yah? We also pick up another 1 ½ hours tonight, narrowing the time difference to about 13 hours.

Addendum to 2/13 blog. At the wildlife preserve we also saw a Kookaburra – there was singing! ;-)

 And here are a few photos from the Barossa Valley wineries that were not available for up-load yesterday: Top to bottom, Meissen collection at Barossa Chateau, the cellar at Chateau 1847, and the entrance to the Chateau 1847.

Wildlife, wine, and whales

February 13, 14, 15, 2015

Melbourne, 2/13 – Spent an interesting day touring, via bus, the lovely city of Melbourne followed by a visit to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary where we saw – up close – all those animals one can only see in Australia. Emus, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils (infants), kangaroos (several varieties), wallabies, dingoes, a wide array of exotic birds, some endangered, and even a couple of platypus (platypi?) were all on display in a beautiful natural habitat. One koala actually became a bit active, unlike most of her colleagues who were snoozing away in the eucalyptus trees on a warm summer day. Seems it takes forever and most of a koala’s energy to digest their diet of eucalyptus leaves.

Dingoes

After the wildlife we moved on to two wineries in the Yarra Valley where the wines were decent and we picked up a couple of bottles to enjoy on the ship.

Here's John in the Dominique Fortet winery cellar:

Unfortunately we had only one day in Melbourne. I would have liked to explore the city a bit more. Here is a view of the river and the city from our bus as we returned to the ship:

Interesting tidbit, one of the passengers got stuck in traffic trying to return to the ship. So she called and the ship arranged to have her passport waiting with the port agent so she would be able to travel and, at her own expense, rejoin the ship at the next port – Adelaide.

We spent Valentine’s Day at sea. That’s where we sighted dolphins and whales! While the dolphins were cavorting close to the ship, the whales were further away and we only saw their sprays and a hint of their backs.

Yesterday we arrived in Adelaide, South Australia. We were greeted by a musical trio and a host of volunteer guides. It was the most fun welcome we have had to date. We spent the day in the Barossa Valley, Australia’s premier wine growing region. The area is beautiful! The first of 4 wineries we visited was the Barossa Chateau which, in addition to the wines we tasted and acres of vineyards, featured one of the world’s largest collections of Meissen porcelains plus 25 acres with 30,000 roses – most still in bloom in spite of the 95 degree heat and high winds. The vintner was concerned about fires – a not uncommon occurrence in this dry region on days like that one. So we retreated to the cellar and began tasting wine! ;-) By the end of the day, after four wineries, lots of tastes and lunch (with more wine), we were wined out! But it was a great day, the region was beautiful, and we met some other wine lovers from our cruise.

Today is the 16^th here and we are going to grab a train into Adelaide center and have lunch, do some shopping and just generally explore the city. The only downer about this stop is that the city center (CBD) is a 40-minute train ride from the port. You can be sure that we will leave in plenty of time to board the ship before 4:30 – the all aboard deadline.

Tomorrow and the next day (17^th & 18^th) we will be at sea on our way to our next port – Albany.

Sydney, beautiful Sydney

February 10 – 11, 2015

We arrived at Sydney at dawn and, believe it or not, both of us were up to greet her. Due to the smaller size of this ship, we were docked right downtown and we had easy walking access to almost everything. The Circular Quay harbor is busy with constant ferry traffic, so we had both a lovely view of the opera house and a constant source of entertaining comings and goings from our veranda.

Day one we took a tour of the general area visiting all the neighborhoods and the famous Bondi Beach, ending with a tour of the opera house. A few tidbits:

Sidney was founded thanks to the newly independent USA telling the British they could no longer dump their excess prisoners in America. The oldest of those “convicts” was an 86-year-old woman arrested for stealing a handkerchief.

• 
  
• ·         A certain pub, the Hero of Waterloo, in the historic Rocks district is built over a former jail and used to be a source of “recruits” for the American whaling ships.
• 
  
• ·         Bondi Beach is not really the best beach in the area, but it is the closest to the city so is the most famous.
• ·         The Gap is a beautiful lookout point as well as the site of many suicides, in spite of the high fences and signs with help-line numbers.

The opera house is a performance venue as beautifully designed inside – three performance areas with incredible acoustics and the flexibility to accommodate any type of entertainment – as out. Our guide estimates that the area receives an average of 25,000 visitors each day. In addition to the performance venues, a wide array of food service, restaurants and bars extend along the quay at the base of the Opera House.  The famous roof is all ceramic tiles in a variety of sizes and shapes.

When we finished our tour of the opera house, we walked a short distance and enjoyed a delicious lunch of oysters followed by fish & chips. The oyster selection included Pacific oysters and Sydney rock oysters. We both preferred the Pacific oysters.

That night we walked back to the opera house to see a performance of Madama Butterfly. Going on at the same time as to the opera in the aptly named Joan Sutherland Theater, was a sold-out performance by a comedian Billy Connelly in the 2,800-seat concert hall and a “bar/interactive performance” in the 300-seat Studio. Plus, all of those restaurants and bars at the base were packed. 

Madama Butterfly was incredible – had me sniffling at the end, even though I knew what was coming. Afterward we strolled back to the ship along the quay – lovely evening in a lovely city.

For the more adventurous – like the two young men who sit at the next table to ours in the dining room – there is the opportunity to climb the harbor bridge. They did it at night and said the view was amazing. Note the climbers atop the bridge in this picture:

Day two we explored the districts near the harbor, especially the Rocks – the oldest area in Sydney with a strong sense of preservation in the face of attempts to build more modern structures with harbor views. In addition to the lovely old buildings, there are lots of shops, restaurants, and museums among the residences. We did some shopping, and just enjoyed the vibe of this terrific city. 

We are impressed with how clean it is, how friendly the people are, and the pride the locals take in their city. Seems to be lots of public transportation in addition to the ferries, and traffic congestion seemed minimal. In among all the history and sidewalk cafes, we stumbled onto a push-cart outside an office building where we enjoyed a delicious lunch for only $20, compared to the $150 lunch we had on day one. What really made it special was the young man who was working there. He explained that all healthcare and other social services are free in Sydney and that jobs like his pay over $20 per hour – a living wage even in this rather expensive city. Also, in Australia the government fronts student loans for university education and the loans need not be repaid until the borrower earns enough to comfortably make payments. Hmmmm.

Museums abound here – the Museum of Contemporary Art was just across the street from the ship in a beautiful modern structure. Sorry Christy, we only visited the museum shop. Thoughts about good design graced this one street: 

We only had two days. We probably could spend a month here and not get bored. Sounds like a return visit might be added to the list of things we want to do. For now, it's goodbye to Sydney.

Now we are sailing a rather choppy Tasmin Sea to Melbourne, which we are told is even more spectacular than Sydney. 

Waitangi and days at sea..

February 7 – 9, 2015

We spent the 7^th at Waitangi, Bay of Islands, where the famous Waitangi Treaty of 1840 was signed and the British took possession of Maori lands. We visited the original Kemp House, the home of the first English governor, built in 1819. Nearby is the Stone Store – originally built to store wheat before they discovered the ground would not support wheat cultivation. Next to the store is a 150-year old Magnolia Tree imported from the southern US – bigger than any of the trees that grace the town square in Magnolia, AR.

Stone Store and magnolia tree

 So, how do you like John's new hair cut?

The Maori Meeting house is an impressive building filled with original carvings. One big difference from how the early US settlers/explorers treated the Native Americans and the relationship between the Maori and the British is that the Maori were never driven from the land or confined to reservations. Almost, but of course not quite, an equal relationship.

Now we have spent these past two days at sea enroute to Sydney, and slowing regaining – one hour at a time – the day we lost when we crossed the International Date Line. Tomorrow we will experience the rather stringent immigration requirements to enter Australia. Everyone on the ship must exit the ship for a mandatory “face-to-passport” immigration inspection. Australian Immigration requires the ship to produce a “zero count” which means that no one will be allowed back on board until everyone has been seen. This should be interesting. Good thing we only have 900 passengers, unlike the 2000-passenger ships we usually sail on.  BTW, we have also been required to complete an Australian Ebola Health Card.

For a country founded as a prison camp, they have gotten awfully choosey about who is allowed to enter the country.

Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand

February 5, 2015 - February 6, 2015

We had a great first day in Auckland. Greg, our guide, gave us a wonderful of tour of both the city and its surrounding areas. We visited black-sand surfing beaches, Victoria Monument, a defense installation from the Crimea War when the country feared invasion from Russia, traveled through neighborhoods, through a rain forest, and visited a preserve where the view is “framed” – Note the view of Manukau Harbor:

    

  Here is the city view as we arrived at Auckland Harbor. 

Interesting tidbit, the local government offers builders of major structures incentives to add some interesting, artistic element to the building design, especially on the roof. The goal is to create an interesting skyline. Note the Sky Tower, which was built by local casinos at the invitation of the mayor. It is the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere at the moment.

Auckland sits on a long, narrow strip of land surrounded by mountains, water, water and more water. Marinas are everywhere. Greg told us that 1 in 4 Auckland residents either own or have access to a boat.

Just outside our cabin are three piers that are filled with cars. According to our guide, these are used cars – none older than three years – imported from Japan. Seems the Japanese are required by law to totally retrofit any automobile five years or older. So, since it’s cheaper to trade in a five-year old vehicle than to retrofit, these used cars are then imported by New Zealand car dealers, and New Zealanders have low cost access to good condition, low mileage cars.

Today, February 6, was our last day in Auckland. We were disappointed to learn that our scheduled ride on an America's Cup Yacht had to be cancelled due to high winds. It is Waitani Day, marking the date the Maori signed the treaty with Britain. Government offices and some shops are closed. We are docked right downtown, so we walked into town, did a little shopping and had lunch. John got a hair cut – and I mean a HAIR CUT. Watch for pics later.

Tomorrow we will be in Waitangi, The Bay of Islands, where we have a “northern heritage and Kerikeri” shore excursion planned. 

Flying fish, corpses, and other sailing trivia

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

We left the Kingdom of Tonga on Super Bowl Monday (we’re a day ahead), so some of us watched the lovely departure ceremonies, complete with native dancers and a community band that would make Judy Mindicino proud, and some of us watched the thrilling end of the game. Unfortunately the two coincided so choices had to be made. I watched the once in a lifetime departure and John did not. Nuff said.

Now, after two sea days, we have some interesting observations. First, the median age of this passenger group may be 75 or older. It is helped by several twenty and thirty somethings who are accompanying grandparents – and one 35-year-old woman who is traveling alone. However, there are MANY aboard who are 80 and 90+. We estimate that the ratio of assistive devices (scooters, walkers, wheelchairs and canes) is probably 1 in 5. We are told that three people have already died, one has left the ship with extreme dementia, and you already heard about the couple from Tasmania. This is only Day 30.

Second, our “trip of a lifetime” seems to be a rather common occurrence among many here. One fellow is making his 14^th Grand World Voyage. Guess the definition of “trip of a lifetime” is in the eyes of the beholder. We thought we were fairly well traveled, but we have met people who have visited places we have only dreamed of not once, but several times.

Third, there are several ways to injure oneself on this journey. We met a guy who was bitten by a dog on Tonga. Now he’s limping around, having had a tetanus shot, lots of antibiotics, and a drain plug in his foot. Fun! He was riding his bike when the attack occurred. Got some help at a local resort before riding that bike back to the ship. Then there is the woman who fell in the shower and skinned most of her shin to the bone. She is now bandage-free, but the sore is UGLY.

We have daily flying fish sightings – always makes me think of Life of Pi. They never cease to amaze me. And we have met lots of nice, interesting people from all over the world.

We are in Auckland, New Zealand tomorrow for two days. Really looking forward to that! We have a private tour scheduled for day one, and a ride on an America’s Cup yacht on day two.