It has been a long time since I updated so I think this will be a long blog entry as a result. So get your coffee and a plush chair! We are currently underway from Bali toward an island group above Java- Karimun Jawa. It's supposedly a marine park and is pretty onshore. We're using it to break up the passage to Belitung where we just might check out of Indonesia rather than renew our visas yet again for what will only be a couple of weeks since the rally ends in early November. Having to renew visas so frequently has really been a pain and we have felt rushed through the best part of Indonesia. We haven't been sticking close to the rally because it really shorted a lot of the best places, in our opinion. One thing too is we've realized that we've spent a good portion of time sailing since distances are so big and that has cut into our time also. We decided to give Borneo & the orangutans a miss for the time being. It has all become clearer now as we researched it more but the issue is that we are at the end of the dry season and everything is well, very dry. Indonesia's major export is palm oil and the worldwide demand for this oil has risen over the years since it is in so many products and the only way to get more is to cut down the forest and establish more plantation land. It is somewhat shortsighted but this industry has benefited Indonesia economically so that their country & lifestyle has improved, which is good but... The most common way to make more plantation is by slash & burn technique and the understory, which is primarily peat gets smoldering and won't go out leading to many fires billowing smoke coming out of Indonesia. Neighboring countries complain every year as for 2 months the smoke reaches Singapore and beyond. Not only do the orangutans have to worry about having no place to live, they also have to breathe this smoke and anyone who wants to go see them in their preserve as we wanted to do, has to put up with heavy smoke in order to do so. Since we like our lungs, and this isn't a cheap thing to do (you take a 3 day boat ride up a river to get to the preserve) we decided we'd wait till the rainy season starts and extinguishes the fires. The rally stop was cancelled on account of the smoke too. Plus, I think seeing them is going to be sad. Did you know that orangutans share over 96% of the same genetic material as we do?
From Bali


This passage is 3 nights and we're on day 2. We are passing well lit offshore oil platforms and are usually surrounded by wooden fishing boats. I read that Indonesia is pretty self sufficient with their fuel supply, sending it to I think it is Singapore for refining and then bringing it back home again. The wind has been good and we haven't hit any unlit FAD's (fish aggregation devices) which is also good. These large bamboo structures are anchored in impossibly deep water with no lights and they are not on the charts. They don't show up on radar and are easily seen by day, but you just sail into nothing at night and hope for the best. We saw them all day yesterday and at dusk but then there were no bumps during the night, thankfully. It has been really interesting to watch the variation in fishing vessels as we've moved through Indonesia. It seems like every island group has their own style. Previously, there were lots of canoes with outriggers & paddle, then you saw ones with triangular sails made of colored tarp material, the squid boats are unique in themselves, then elaborate outriggers on Lombok in curved shapes that resemble an octopus' arms to me. The larger fishing or transport vessels are on the whole, very top heavy and seem to look like they wouldn't be seaworthy- low freeboard and downward curves. And then today was the topper, one that looked just like a high heeled shoe! We got some pics of these so you can see what we're talking about. It looked like a very uncomfortable slanted bridge deck and a steep hike uphill to the stern. Needless to say, keeping watch is a bit busy at night with all the lights. We've given up dragging a fishing line around since we never get anything but apparently the locals do because we see huge fish on the backs of motorbikes, going through town. You see all sorts of things being carted around on motorbikes actually. Huge mounds of greenery collected to feed a cow for the day, several propane tanks strapped on, pigs, goats, families, mini stores, ice cream dispensers, all on motorbikes. Then you see people, doing the same on their heads. Mainly it is the women, but sometimes men, carrying huge bamboo logs, banana trees, bags of rice, and most recently and impressively, 2 full scuba tanks with BC's attached, walking our gear down the beach to a shore dive site- all on the head of a thin woman in flip flops who was our porter! A towel is used and wrapped in a ring to make the head padding. Nuts!

We were really excited to get to the island of Lombok because it was to be the first marina we had seen since leaving AU and it had some interesting things to do. The rally stopped there but we rolled in just as festivities were ending since we spent a few extra days in Komodo (the absolute highlight of Indonesia for us). It had been recommended to leave the boat at Medana Bay Marina in Lombok and do your regional land travel from there. But when we arrived, and the whole time we were there, there was a rather strong northerly swell rolling into the marina and mooring field and the berths looked like no place we wanted to put our boat. We took a mooring but it was one of those things where you get there and are immediately thinking about leaving, rolling your brains out at different stages of tide. We took a horse & buggy to the produce market which is a common way to get around in Lombok & Bali although I felt bad for the horse and really, with motorbikes, there is no place for the horse nowadays. We ended up renting a motorbike for the day (super cheap) and Jon drove us to a famous dual waterfall with really nice grounds, big trees and a trail that ran alongside a handmade stone lined canal that brings water down to the rice paddies. We were enjoying the monkeys until one came after us and we ended up turning around and running away from it. On the drive back, we got a flat tire and rolled the bike a few yards to a very convenient repair shop where true to Indonesian style, we were well taken care of with smiles and just the best service you could ask for. It cost us $7 for a new tube including the labor to take the exhaust pipe off and half disassemble the bike to get to it. These guys were just a hoot. When we got back to the marina, we could see big waves rolling in and the boats jerking on their moorings and then one of the rally boats against the beach. It had broken off the mooring and everyone was trying to get it stabilized so it wouldn't get pushed further up the beach. They got it off after sunset when the tide came in. Off we went at 6am the next morning since there was no way were were staying there!

We sailed over to Bali and pulled in to Serangan harbor under a canopy of kites. We have since learned that kite flying is a popular past time in Bali and people were especially eager to fly them that day because it marked the end of the dry season when kite flying is most popular. One last fling. I like the way they do that. We arranged for a mooring there which was soooo much better. I mean, there was the sewage smell, but you can't beat the protection! Jan & Rich had a friend visiting and they booked a cab driver for 2 days named Mully and we joined in on the tour. When you rent a car in Bali, it generally comes with a driver. This is a good idea since driving on the busier islands of Indonesia is like nothing we've ever seen. There is a white line on the road but it is a suggestion and really 3 lanes are better than 2 anyway since they will hold more cars! When we rented the motorbike on Lombok, we were told that it is important to not make any abrupt moves. What you want to do is slowly drift over to where you want to head, such as if you want to make a turn, so that everyone in front of and behind you can anticipate what you intend to do. When passing, you give a little toot to indicate your presence, much like the friendly toots you hear on islands around the world. Every time we would encounter some crazy move by a motorbike, car or truck, our driver would say "this is Indonesia!" as if to say, anything goes here. But after hundreds of kilometers riding on the roads, the system does generally work! And in contrast to many US places, there is no laying on of the horn, shooting the bird, threatening to ram each other or getting out of one's vehicle to start a fist fight. And we haven't witnessed any fender benders or accidents. It is nonetheless a little stressful if you actually watch what is going on on the road.

From Bali

From Bali

Mully took us on a grand tour of Bali the first day and it was so much fun. We went to a show to see Balinese dancing and the common play of the struggle between the gods and good & evil. Balinese music is unusual and somewhat eerie. The dancing is really more like a play with elaborate costumes and bug-eyed actors with fingers that bend in impossible ways. It was great to experience it but the venue didn't do it any justice. It had green astroturf type carpet with duct tape for the stage. We visited our first Hindu temple, then a family compound of wood carvers which was very interesting. The carvings were just amazing and the elephant, which is a common subject in Balinese culture/Hindu religion, was our favorite of the carvings. They use various woods but one, a wild hibiscus, has a light tan colored and green striped wood which makes a beautiful visual texture. Mully took us to lunch at this dreamlike place with little handmade cabanas perched over a quiet fish pond in beautiful green surroundings. The food was carefully prepared and really spicy! We got to see the terraced rice paddies in the afternoon light and then headed to a coffee plantation to sample Bali's popular Luwak coffee. It is made by a weasel type animal called a civet that they use for production of a unique style of coffee. I am not onboard with this idea of caging an animal for this practice and not even sure I like the idea of the coffee but they say the flavor is better if you have this animal eat the coffee beans, then collect the poop and wash it well, then roast it up for coffee. We did have some and compared to the thick flavor of regular Balinese style coffee, we liked it better but prefer not to think of how it is made! We got to pat the animals, they showed us the fresh droppings, followed by each stage of 3 washings before the coffee beans are considered clean enough for roasting. Very interesting. But I think our favorite thing all day was visiting the sacred monkey temple which is an old temple complex in downtown Ubud filled with huge trees and shade. It is filled with carvings and lovely bridges, statues and friendly monkeys! You can take pics of live monkeys sitting on monkey statues, or on your head.. Mully brought mandarin oranges and gave the monkeys the segments, which they drank the juice from, leaving behind the flesh. It was such a pretty, cool and relaxing place. Ubud itself was touristy and busy but we had really wanted to go back there and spend a day or two but simply ran out of time.
From Bali
From Bali
From Bali
From Bali
From Bali
From Bali

The second day of touring, Mully took the five of us up into the more mountainous part of Bali where there are a few very old temples, one of which is set on a lake. This ended up being a long driving day more than a doing day but we did see some more of the countryside, the temples were interesting and we saw more of the expanses of rice paddies that Bali is famous for. When we were out in the rural countryside of rice paddies, Mully was really excited to have us get some fresh eggs from the area. He even got some too. We had already brought our egg cartons and ended up with a dozen huge, fresh chicken eggs, each decorated in poop and topped with a feather! No doubt where they came from. We finished out the day on a beach in the south of Bali where we sat down for sunset and had a beer watching Chinese lanterns be launched into the sky. I really liked them. Not a bad day I would say.

Bali was great. We didn't have enough time to do it justice. It has a unique culture that was all new. Not having much exposure to Hindu beliefs, the black and white checkered fabric covering every statue needed explanation but in general, it is all about keeping the gods and spirits happy (and the bad spirits out of your house) and about balancing the forces of good & evil. While mosques are blaring out their calls to prayer at ungodly hours, the Hindus are quietly weaving offering boxes out of palms where they place flowers, incense, a bit of food, a cigarette, sometimes some whiskey and whatever else they think might fit well in there and then they lay this on the ground in front of their door, in a cubbie in a statue, on the beach, near Jan & Rich's dinghy, you can see these little trays all over the place. I can't say as I ever really figured it out, but it seemed to be a very important daily ritual and while it added to the trash problem on the island, it also gave things a unique feel. I had a habit of not watching where I was walking and accidentally stepping on some of these offering boxes! There were numerous mini temples in everyone's yard and then the amount of carving is amazing. Elaborate doors, fences, stonework and detailing is everywhere you look. This was the first time we'd seen caged birds on nearly everyone's porch, any songbird will do. It is sad actually. It is interesting that the Hindus and Muslims live among each other in some sort of harmony. Bali is known for its tolerance of differences.

We took a breather for a day and stayed close to the boat, which happened to be Jon's birthday. There's a turtle recovery center right in the anchorage where we were so we visited that and saw a lot of babies ready for release and a few recovering & permanently injured residents of the center. It was nothing like Bundaberg, Australia, but they are trying and it is so important. One of the main missions is to try to educate the citizens of Bali to change their old tradition of killing turtles for religious practices and events such as weddings and to instead, create a new tradition of releasing a turtle back into the wild. They have programs where you can do just this. We also took a very hot walk on Turtle Island that was just OK. We made it to a decent grocery store with salad fixings which was a plus. The best part was going over to Jan & Rich's that night for shrimp fajitas, salad and cake in celebration of yet another birthday!

The following day we got up early to head to the airport with Jan & Rich because we'd planned a trip to Yogyakarta on Java to see the huge Buddhist and Hindu temples. It is one of the most popular things to see in Indonesia and most tourists make the pilgrimage there. Being that flights are so inexpensive ($60US RT), and we could keep the boat safe in Bali, this was a great place to do it from. When we arrived that morning, we were picked up at the airport by the hotel we'd reserved and our driver met us holding a sign with our name on it- yes, we can be VIP's in Indonesia! His name was Eko (shortened so we could pronounce it) and we would get to know him pretty well. We rented bikes to tour the town, walked up to a viewpoint mostly obscured by smog and made plans to do the temple early the next morning. Borobudur is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the world and it was built back around 840 AD. It has survived earthquakes, terrorism and the test of time and is now a world heritage site. We got there early in the morning when the gates opened and enjoyed walking around the grounds looking at all the carvings and the sheer mass of it all. We were bothered by the smog and smell of fires burning- most of Indonesia still cooks all food on open fires. Unlike other temples, there is no central room in this one, nothing for people as it is all reserved for the gods. Speaking of rooms, we stayed at a great place right next to the temple entrance and it was like a little oasis. It had a green lawn in the center of a square of little cabins and we enjoyed both of our dinners with Jan & Rich at tables in this green space since we've seen so little of it over these past 3 months. We had AC which was SOOOO nice for a change. A big bed with great linens and even slippers- we were spoiled for 2 nights in a very affordable room. The only negative was that several times a day, and at 430am, you were jolted out of whatever you were doing with the call to prayer right in your ear.

The last day ,we got Eko again for our driver to take us back to the airport but he also would take us to a huge Hindu temple called Prambanan, another world heritage listed place. On the way, he was doing a great job of weaving through traffic and answering our questions because he spoke great English. He was another one who would say "This is Indonesia!" when referring to some of the crazy ways that things work here. Part of driving here too is carrying a wad of small bills to use for various unofficial "tolls" and to pay people to hold a flag out to stop traffic so you can make a turn. If there is a tree down and someone is clearing it off the road, if you pass you are expected to give a tip. This happened to us when we were headed up on the back of a motorbike to climb a volcano. We stopped at a rice paddy that was being cleared and smoothed by a water buffalo team in the traditional way, and also by a motorized contraption that accomplishes the same thing. The water buffalo is still widely used in rice production and they look beautiful in the fields. We also noticed many groups of ducks in flooded rice paddy fields or being walked down the road towards a rice field and learned the reason from Eko. I guess duck eggs are popular here, I have seen them in the stores. They are bluish green and big but expensive. Farmers will often keep ducks if they can, because they can earn a little extra money by selling the eggs. When the rice has been harvested and the field is being prepared for replanting, they flood it and then bring their ducks over to paddle around in the flooded field and eat all the leftover rice. It is a win-win because the ducks eat to their heart's content (they really did look happy), then they go and lay an egg right off. And the free food saves the farmer money because he doesn't have to buy duck food. That's what he said!

Anyway, we're riding along and all of a sudden we are pinned in by 2 white cars and waved to the side of the road. Several men approach the car and have a discussion with Eko. We were a little worried about what was going on but it turned out that the car we were using was borrowed from a friend of Eko's and he apparently didn't pay his bills because it was getting repossessed- like now! So from that point on, we got escorted to the temples by 2 white cars full of men and then afterward, when we got to a restaurant for lunch, the car was taken. I lost my hat in all the commotion but we did get our luggage! We ended up in the restaurant owner's car for the ride to the airport with his son as a driver, but Eko followed behind on a motorbike to assure we got there OK. He was very embarrassed but we were all of the thinking that it is not unexpected given all we've seen over the years. Eko was a sweet guy and so funny. He was afraid of the water and didn't know how to swim but was still intrigued with our way of life. Anyway, the Hindu temple was also very beautiful and a completely different style. It looked very fancy and reached up to the clouds in a more religious looking way than Borobudur. It was incredibly hot and we were walking around in a stupor wishing for that green lawn again and the room with the AC. This temple suffered an earthquake some years ago and the staff are still working to put the pieces back together from all the damage. It seemed like an overwhelming amount of work and I'm not sure it will get done this century. Our flight back was easy and we arrived back to the boat with everything in order.

We spent the next day making a trip to a large Carrefour french grocery store chain to do some provisioning. We got things like mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, grapes, recognizable cuts of meat and delicious bread. We needed flour but the store doesn't carry flour. This is the kind of thing that you can't figure out. We also got some diesel. All of the fuel you get in Indonesia if you are on a yacht is by jerry jug. There are no pumps, no marinas and no other way to get it. Because the fuel is subsidized by the government for its people, you can't go to the gas station yourself either, you have to have an agent do it for you, for a fee. It makes you think twice about turning on your engine since you know it will be a project to refill your tank.
From Bali
From Bali
From Bali

And then, the last day in Bali, the four of us arranged to do a day trip up to the NE tip of the island to dive on the USS Liberty wreck. It is a 300 foot long cargo ship that sunk during WWII and is now one of Bali's most popular dive sites full of fish and interesting critters. We had a great divemaster who pointed out lots of new shrimp on all sorts of corals and also a new frogfish that we hadn't seen before. The ship is very broken up and open so there were no creepy rooms to enter or man made debris which made it really nice as far as we were concerned. Since it is a shore dive, this is where the lady porters carried our tanks down the rocky beach to the entry point from the resort where we were based for the day. It was about a 1/4 mile! The first dive started out with some muck diving looking for critters and the second half was the Liberty. The water was clear, blue and beautiful. After lunch, we did the rest of the Liberty. We love diving with Jan & Rich because we're all good on air and this divemaster was so relaxed he didn't rush us. We came up with empty tanks and smiles on our faces. It was a harrowing drive back to our boats- 2 1/2 hours of zipping through all manner of traffic. We were just glad to get back in one piece!
From Bali

So by the end of this passage, we will be at 110 degrees longitude, which marks the halfway point from where we started this trip in Maine, 4 years ago this month. We have taken time to see & experience as much as we can and have learned so much. Hope the second half is just as good. We'll be drinking a bottle of champagne when we arrive to celebrate so feel free to pop one too and join us! Cheers!