Day 62 Jakarta, Indonesia!

Tuesday, overcast with the sun peeking through. Smooth sailing last night and today. We are more than halfway in terms of longitude and clock hour, but a little less than halfway in terms of calendar days. Last night I finished watching Castaway. With a few exceptions, I am only up to C on the movies, so I think the movies will last. I did watch all 5 of the James Bond movies on the ipod, regardless of their position in the alphabet, and maybe a few others.

LAND HO! Saw the first land in days at 0830. It was the remains of Krakatoa. A few parts of the crater still stick through the water. A smaller island in the center still vents steam, and is growing. Our passage was obviously on the south side of Sumatra, not through the more dangerous Straight of Malacca. Saw the first ships in days. I had planned to spend only a half hour on the focsl today, so I didn't put on sun screen. Probably should have. Still am not seeing birds or fish. At 1000, we enter the channel between Sumatra and Java. A fishing boat follows us for an hour. In the afternoon, there are many small islands, and many small fishing boats. I see vegetable material floating in the water, plant leaves and pieces of wood. After passing an island with a lighthouse, we circle and wait among many interesting ships, until a local pilot boards. Saw a dredge go by with a large garden on the aft deck. Tall buildings and harbor cranes from Jakarta are visible in the haze. The pilot guides us through the local traffic and the breakwater to our berth. It reminds me of the trip from the Boston airport through the old tunnel into Boston. If you looked to either side, you lost.

Late afternoon, Immigration boards, and I am invited to pay $25 for a visa. A vendor of the local agent offers us a city tour tomorrow for $50 per person. We decline. We will take a taxi for $10 total, each way, to downtown Jakarta. The crew begins to unload cargo here, but will load very little or none. There is a large cement plant here, and the next ship is being loaded with pallet loads of bags of cement. There is a cattle ship futher down the dock, with 4 decks of live cattle. Made me think of a cruise ship. Really! I will keep my window closed tonight. I wonder if they recover the methane to propel the ship.

With the present schedule, including Houston, I count 17 ports for the trip. We are scheduled to leave Japan to begin our crossing of the Pacific near the end of January. Almost a month later, we arrive back at Houston, my starting point.

For my niece LW, Ta Ta for now!