DAY 178 - Saturday 17 October - Kumai, Kalimantan, Borneo
A lazy start to the day and then a day of frenetic cleaning of the boat and a few repairs. We had hoped to have dinner at Mr B's but he was too tired after the wedding so it was a short walk up the street and sundowners on Whistle Down the Wind with Dave and Jean and passage planning for tomorrow.
DAY 179 - Sunday 18 October - Kumai to at sea (night one)
The call to prayer for the mosque started at 3.30am and then four other mosques joined in so we got up and left at 5am with Whistle, Wave Sweeper and Meridian. Had to avoid some fishing nets spread across the river and then again at the river mouth. Had a very good sail until 1am when the wind died entirely and we had to motor.
DAY 180 - Monday 19 October - at sea (night two)
All the yachts were still close together at day break. We spent quite some time trying to avoid big storms which we could see on the radar. We had one in front and one coming up the side so we put the sails up, the motor on and went like the clappers to get between both of them and out the other side - they contained lots of lightning. Avoided another squall and then caught the edge of one which dumped some rain on us. Crossed a really busy shipping lane but a good night.
DAY 181 - Tuesday 20 October - at sea - Belitung
02°33.269S 107°40.473E
Arrived around 9am and put the dinghy in and set up the sun shelter and just after 10 when Wave Sweeper and Whistle came in the wind came in from the north and we had a huge swell with waves and it was so rough we could not get off the boats! There were two yachts here when we arrived. This is the site of the final celebrations for the Sail Indonesia Rally and it is a really pretty spot with white sand beaches and large boulders to the west of the beach and out to sea - very pretty. At 4.30 we managed to get ashore for a walk and dinner at Roostys - one of the small cafes (shacks) built along the waterfront.
Miles: 285 Total: 4,573
DAY 182 - Wednesday 21 October - Belitung
Boats are starting to arrive - we had around 25. We have also realised that the locals also have their own festival on and there are people everywhere which is really great - that is its not all just for us but for the locals as well which is really nice. Organised fuel and beer and it poured down rain. Were introduced to the ghost - a bamboo contraption with a coconut for a head with a sheet over it. Two blokes went into a trance and the first one fought it. Obviously he really believed it as he fought really hard but it beat him. They carried him to the side and it took him ages to come around. The second bloke fought the ghost and he won. Personally, I thought it looked ridiculous but it was very real to the people. Walked down the beach being greeted all the way along. There is a rock formation in front of the beach which looks like a buik or old citroen. There is a fishing competition on so there are heaps of boats in - the first prize is 20 million rupees and second prize 15 million so there are two officials on each boat and there are a lot of contenders. The horn went off and they all left. Had dinner again at Roosty's. He gave us some pempe to taste and so we ordered some as well but he refused payment. Had an early night.
DAY 183 - Thursday 22 October - Belitung
Were told the tour bus was leaving at 8, 8.30, and 9am so we picked the middle ground and went ashore at 8.15. We were all presented with some colourful coolly hats and under police escort with sirens blazing taken to a bugi fishing village which had stilted platforms over the water behind their houses drying fish. The whole village shore was taken up by these slightly smelly jetties. We went to a resort, to the local market where we stocked up with pineapples, mangos, pawpaw and vegies etc., then for a beautifully prepared lunch with heaps of wonderful food and then to the museum which had some sort of a sad zoo attached. We were then raced back to where our boats are for traditional music and entertainment which started out with some very graceful men dancers on their 'horses'. Paul and I were chosen to be the front end of two dragons and we had to hold a wooden dragon head and snap its mouth open and closed and the witch doctor was cracking a whip near our ankles! The heads were extremely heavy and we didn't really know what we were supposed to be doing so just ran around snapping and apparently the crowd found it very amusing!! After that the men danced some more and then it started to get really weird as they all started falling down in trances and started behaving like animals - one ate glass, one ripped a coconut to shreds with his teeth and then a banana tree and they were drinking out of a bowl and falling down. One tried to run up a tree then one wanted to eat the fluorescent light globe and one was whipped and another hit by a stick then their bodies would go stiff and they would fall down and have to be bought out of it - sometimes it took quite some time to bring them around. It got a bit too weird for us so we left and had drinks on the boat.
DAY 184 - Friday 23 October - Belitung
Peter wrote his speech for the dinner tonight, the swimming competition was on complete with police sirens and heaps of music from the beach and heaps of people around. Saw customs, quarantine etc and checked out of the country for the 26th - that was as much as he would give us - they all seem to think it only takes a day to do 600 miles to Singapore!! Had a lovely day - were intending to go for a snorkel but just ran out of time. Watched a chinese lion dance - extremely good, parachutists, model planes and so much going on. We were also interviewed by pairs of students who had set questions to ask us in English for their school homework - was really quite funny. And of course they all want to have their photos taken with us! We sat behind the officials on a stage for the dinner and were entertained and then they had the speeches and then it was Peter's turn to thank Indonesia and her people. His speech was excellent and fellow yachties gave him a standing ovation and all came up later and said thanks thats exactly what we wanted to say so that all went very well and the local people loved it too. After dinner it was our turn to do the entertainment so with Geoff as our organist we all got up and starting singing sea shanties very badly!! The Regent and some other officials came up on to the stage and also joined in so I think we were forgiven for the lack of talent and then there was dancing and all the sailors were dancing with the locals and it turned into a very good night and a fitting finish to the rally.
Love to all
Fair Winds and Calm Seas
Dell and Peter
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