Greetings from Kupang, where we arrived yesterday. Captain Bligh and his 18 men landed here in 1789, after an epic 3,600 trip across the Pacific in a 23 foot open longboat. We stopped by the Lavalon "watering hole" and met Edwin, the owner, a local who told us about his grandiose plans to lure Hollywood to Kupang for the next remake of the Bounty movie.

We stopped here to clear into Indonesia and to refuel, having motored for three windless days from Darwin. Kupang is about as third world as it gets: a hot, humid, noisy, dirty, smelly city. We beached the dinghy and paid the "boat boy" his due to watch it for us while we made our way along the main road to the open air produce market. We had to watch our step to avoid deep holes in the paved sidewalks and were careful crossing roads in heavy traffic. Honking minivans and motorbikes clogged the narrow streets. The bikes even rode through the narrow alleys of the market where we restocked on fresh veggies. Few people spoke any English but we made do with sign language and smiles that were returned with big friendly grins.

In the crowded minibus that took us back, I marveled at the others in their dark colored long pants and shirts, showing no sign of the heat while I sweltered in my shorts and t-shirt. A mother held an infant who was warmly dressed, even a hat. We then had lunch at Teddy's Bar on the waterfront overlooking the yacht anchorage. The compound was fenced with barbed wire. Here the local expats hang out and drink cold Bintang (the local brew). We splurged on one of the more expensive menu items, delicious grilled squid, salad and fries, which compensated for the morning's ordeal. The bill, including beer and bottled water, was 150,000 Rupias (approx. US$15; we subtract 4 zeroes from prices to figure them out).