Buggi's 15^th Birthday

September 3^ed was our male Siberian Husky, Mr. "Buggi" Bugatti's 15^th birthday. We still remember when we brought him home as just a little pup in 2009. Although he is getting old, he is still an handsome boy, likes walks, and is particulary animated around mealtime.

Jewels of the Java Sea: An Exploration Between Bali and Singapore

September 8-27 we took another expeditionary cruise with Linblad Expeditions, this time to Indonesia and the Java Sea. We started in Singapore and ended in Bali and spent the bulk of the time aboard the National Geographic Orion, a slightly smaller and older ship than our previous expedtionary cruises but still very comfortable. On the Orion we saild the Java Sea and stopped at a number of Indonesian islands. We did a mix of outdoors activities (mostly snorkeling in the reefs) and cultural activities. We also went to see xxx the world's largest Buddhist temple. This was a part of Southeast Asia we had never been to so it was nice to experience it. Here are the daily programs compiled by the expedition staff and the guest slide show - compiled by photos submitted by the guests.

Singapore

At the beginning of our cruise, we spent three days in Singapore, staying for a second time at Raffles. On our second day, after arrival, we took a bike ride on Pulau Ubin, a small island off the coast of Singapore. Pulau Ubin used to be an island of quarries where they quarried rock to build Singapore. Now it is a national park - albeit a small one. The next morning we went to a neighborhood called Katong, a kind of yuppie-fied neighborhood. It as interesting to see where the young upper middle-class of Singapore lives. In Katong, we visited the Intan, a museum of Peranakan History. We wlked around Singapore and saw a lot of new green architecture, where living plants have been incorporated into the buildings. Of course we caught a lot of good urban vibes. Finally, we toured the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in the Gardens by the Bay prior to boarding the National Geographic Orion for a sunset departure for the Java sea. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Singapore

Pulau Lintang, Anambas Islands, Indonesia

Our first stop was a small, uninhabited (except by monkeys) island where we did a beach walk and some snorkeling from the beach. This was our first snorkel experience. It was probably the least colorful. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Pulau Lintang

Pulau Mentabung, Indonesia

Our first cultural stop was a small (~300 people) fishing and coconut farming village on a remote island. Most of the men were away but we saw lots of little kids and a few women. It is a pretty simple life but the Indonesian government provides telecommunications, healthcare, and education. We were greeted warmly by the residents. In the afternoon we snorkeled off a platform that the crew set up for us. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Pulau Mentabung

Pulau Belitung, Indonesia

Belitung Island had a larger population and more settlement (we later learned because of a large tin mine). We took zodiaks ashore and were hosted for an enactment of a traditional wedding and then a feast. We took the zodiaks to a nearby island where we released baby turtles into the ocean to try to help regenerate the turtle population. We snorkeled but the reef was pretty distressed. We did get to see our little turtles swim, though. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Pulau Belitung

Krakatoa

We visited the Krakatoa Caldera - the remnents of the famed Krakatoa volcano situated between the islands of Sumatra and Java. The caldera is mostly ocean surrounded by mountains that are the remnents of Krakatoa. There is still one active volcano Anak Krakatoa, which we cruised by - we could see volcanic steam rising from it. We went ashore in our zodiaks to a very narrow beach on the island of Krakatoa. Winds and sea snakes prevented us from snorkeling but we did get to see this famous volcano. Krakatoa was made famous in the 1969 movie Krakatoa, East of Java. Ironically, Krakatoa is west of Java but the film makers thought East of Jave was more exotic. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Krakatoa.

Cirebon

We had an afternoon ashore at Cirebon's Kacirebonan Palace where we met the Sultan, had several performances, and could see some local crafts and food. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cirebon.

Borobudur Temple

We docked in Semarang, Indonesia and saw an early morning traditional dance dockside. From there we boarded buses for a 2 1/2 hour ride to Brobudur Temple, a 1300 year old World Heritage Site and the world's largest Buddhist temple. We climb the temple and explore its carvings and many levels, then come down for a feast and show including shadow puppets before boarding our busses for the return trek back to the ship. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Semarang

Karimun Jawa

We snorkeled along a reef and, in the evening, we had a crew talent show. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Karimun Jawa

Madura Island, Indonesia

We went ashore on Madura Island to the town of Sumanep to see some cultural performances, a banquet, and local crafts. This was a part of a larger local celebration so we had lots of curious local people in attendance. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Madura Island

Pulau Menjangan

Our last full day on board was spent at Bali Barat National Park on an island just north of Bali (it was considered a part of Bali). We went ashore for a hike up to a Hindu Temple and then snorkled. This was by far the best snorkling of the trip. Right before dinner, Kura, our cultural specialist did a demonstration of how to shell coconuts. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Pulau Menjangan

Bali

We disembarked the National Geographic Orion in the morning and went to a Balanese theatrical performance which was quite good. We then toured a Hindu temple and went up to Ubud for lunch. Ubud as gotten very crowded and touristy. After looking around Ubud, we drove down to the airport where we picked up our ride to the Four Seasons Jimbaron Bay in a villa overlooking the beach. We stayed here in 2008 and got the same room - albeit renovated. It was a very relaxing place to end our trip. We stayed for a few days and hung out on the beach, by the pool, and in our own private plunge pool in our villa. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Bali.