After leaving Perth, Australia, we spent 4 days at sea and arrived on another continent, Asia in the port town of Lembar on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It has been controlled by the Dutch since the 18th century but gained its independence on August 17, 1945 when it became a republic with its own president. The largest city is Jakarta, the capital, on the island of Jawa and the population is about 245,500,000. Indonesia is comprised of approximately 16,000 islands shaped in a half circle, but only 6000 of these islands are inhabited. The total area is 741,100 square miles. If flying from Sumatra on the west side of Indonesia to the farthest point east, East Timor would be like flying from Seattle to Miami. The official language is Bahasa and English, but there are about 350 dialects.
We also stopped in the city of Semarang on the island of Java. It is the fifth largest city with a population of 900,000. The volcanos which encircle Indonesia are called “the ring of fire” and the volcanic soil is very rich and produces many different crops including rice paddies, rubber, teak, coconut, spices, garlic, onions and coffee. Indonesia is the 3rd largest coffee producer after Brazil and Colombia. Hardwood timber from Indonesia is superb as is biofuel produced from palm oil which is 8 times more efficient than soy. There are rich gold mines, huge copper and sulphur mines and vast oil reserves controlled by the Pertamina Oil Company.
One of the highlights of Semarang was a visit to the Buddist temple Borobudur. It was built in the 14th century but soon afterwards was buried by a volcano. In the 1800’s it was excavated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the governor of Sumatra. By 1873 tons of volcanic rock, dust and debris were cleared and 2 million cubic feet of stone of the temple was reconstructed. There are 6 square lower levels and the 3 top levels are round. There are 3 miles of walking to reach the top. In l983 it was dedicated as a Unesco protected site. You can see from the pictures that I made it to the top!
Another highlight was a stop in Slawi Bay on the island of Komodo. The inhabitants of this island are mostly descendants of former convicts, but the most famous residents are the Komodo dragons. It is the world’s largest type of monitor lizard and roams the island freely. They grow to 6-10 feet long and weigh up to 300 lbs. The komodo dragon has a yellow 18” tongue which senses blood from a great distance. They are fast and agile and can devour a goat in a matter of minutes. This is one of the few islands where these dragons are found; they are an endangered species and have been protected since 1938.
On February 28th we crossed the equator for the second time – we will be crossing it 2 more times during this cruise. After 4 days at sea, we will be arriving in Hong Kong on Wednesday, March 4th.
We also stopped in the city of Semarang on the island of Java. It is the fifth largest city with a population of 900,000. The volcanos which encircle Indonesia are called “the ring of fire” and the volcanic soil is very rich and produces many different crops including rice paddies, rubber, teak, coconut, spices, garlic, onions and coffee. Indonesia is the 3rd largest coffee producer after Brazil and Colombia. Hardwood timber from Indonesia is superb as is biofuel produced from palm oil which is 8 times more efficient than soy. There are rich gold mines, huge copper and sulphur mines and vast oil reserves controlled by the Pertamina Oil Company.
One of the highlights of Semarang was a visit to the Buddist temple Borobudur. It was built in the 14th century but soon afterwards was buried by a volcano. In the 1800’s it was excavated by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the governor of Sumatra. By 1873 tons of volcanic rock, dust and debris were cleared and 2 million cubic feet of stone of the temple was reconstructed. There are 6 square lower levels and the 3 top levels are round. There are 3 miles of walking to reach the top. In l983 it was dedicated as a Unesco protected site. You can see from the pictures that I made it to the top!
Another highlight was a stop in Slawi Bay on the island of Komodo. The inhabitants of this island are mostly descendants of former convicts, but the most famous residents are the Komodo dragons. It is the world’s largest type of monitor lizard and roams the island freely. They grow to 6-10 feet long and weigh up to 300 lbs. The komodo dragon has a yellow 18” tongue which senses blood from a great distance. They are fast and agile and can devour a goat in a matter of minutes. This is one of the few islands where these dragons are found; they are an endangered species and have been protected since 1938.
On February 28th we crossed the equator for the second time – we will be crossing it 2 more times during this cruise. After 4 days at sea, we will be arriving in Hong Kong on Wednesday, March 4th.
Hi Stela! Great pics - can't wait to see them all when you get back. Even though you have already seen so much, it must be exciting to look at the map on the ship(1st picture) and see ALL THAT RED left to go!!
ReplyDeleteWe had a lunch party for Ellen yesterday and we all thought of you!