Denpasar wasn’t the kind of place we like to linger very long, and after fighting traffic any time we left the area we were sort of left with little to do but leave. There was a great grocery store nearby, so with the larders full, we set off again

We did not leave quickly, though. With light following winds and a current running against us, we couldn’t seem to crack the 3 knot level (i.e. we were sailing at the speed of a leisurely walk).

The parasailor sail sitting on deck in the hopes that the wind might pick back up over 5 knots again. Meanwhile, shipping traffic is always happy to have no wind.

Time for a mid-ocean cool down. No sharks this time, even with the fishing net flag right behind us.

You know the sailing conditions aren’t great when you are running your laundry line right through the jib. Calm, calm seas, just like we remembered from twenty years ago when we plied this stretch of water.

Approaching Bawean Island. Plenty of fishing activity to keep you on your toes.

We didn’t really know what to expect from this little island in the middle of the Java Sea. About the only thing we did know was that there was the possibility of a restaurant or two along the beach, and a protected bay to rest our weary heads for a couple of nights.

Success! Dinner is served. Whole grilled fish, chicken satay, or soup? It wasn’t difficult to order. Sweet tea is plentiful and cheap everywhere in Indonesia, and is often the only drink available aside from water. We became a bit addicted to it, and the huge glasses of it available in countless roadside stands (for about 30 cents). Our sugar intake was spiking. The food here was great, by the way.

At anchor one morning, watching the sky turn ugly, and watching as the fishermen raced the clouds back to shore.

Our first night ashore I think we caught the locals off guard. But by day two it seemed the whole island had been made aware of our presence, and every last one of them wanted proof.

The soccer skills of the kids we’ve met in Indonesia have been off the charts.

Still trying to work out the meaning of this sign. Run away from the house if there is an earthquake seems the most likely, but least humorous.

It was a sweltering midday walk to the town about half an hour away. Along the way there were hundreds of photo stops. It’s funny, we try to think of something comparable to this back home, and we can’t come up with much. Certainly we’d never think, “Woah, there’s an Indonesian right here in front of me, I have to get a picture with him. Kids come here, have this stranger put their arms around you while I get a picture of it. This is incredible!” I can’t think of even one legit celebrity that would cause me to have a reaction like this. The only thing we could think of is if we were standing on the sidewalk and an actual green alien came strolling along. Then we’d be like, “Holy crap, can we get a picture with you?” Which makes us think that we must really be like aliens to the nice people of these small islands.

The kids were so crazy excited to get their pictures with us. Sometimes they were too shy and would just follow us closely with phone in hand, but couldn’t bring themselves to ask. When one of us would ask them if they wanted to take a picture this is the sort of reaction that we’d get. Look at those smiles. You can hear the giggling, can’t you?

As good as the food was the night before, we still had to spread ourselves out and try the other place on the beach. We’d met the nice owner the day before and gave him a heads up that the eleven of us would be there. So when we arrived it wasn’t much surprise that his whole family was there to witness it.

They handed us menus and a blank sheet of paper for us to write down our orders. A minute later I saw the chefs in the back trying to work out what the heck we had written down. They nailed it, though I’m pretty sure we got twice as many iced teas as we ordered.

These shacks never look like much, but they whip up some lovely plates of food. The spices on the fish were amazing.

Back home, lying on the trampolines and staring at the moon while dinner digests.