January 22, 2019 - Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia - Tuesday, Day 17

January 22, 2019 - Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia - Tuesday, Day 17

We arrived at Probolinggo under overcast skies. This is a tender port, and because of the length of the ride in to the pier the tour departures are scheduled rather early. We are to be at the meeting point, the showroom, at 7:45. That means we should get there by 7:30. After another early breakfast in the Lido we arrived on time. 

I really miss the relaxed atmosphere of breakfast in the dining room. The service is great and the selection is diverse enough to satisfy every taste. The buffet in the Lido also has a broad selection but it does not offer the vegetable frittata that I have  become addicted to, and the waiting in line takes away some of the joy. I avoid the breads and stick to cheese and pickled herring.

We received our tour stickers and took a seat. About an hour later our number was called. This was much later than anticipated. At the tender, boarding was proceeding nicely, but when they got to us they boarded Alice, and told me I would have to take the next tender. This was unacceptable on 2 counts. They should not split a couple and I had to be on this tender to make it to the tour bus. It was about 30 minutes ship to shore and they would not hold the bus that long. 

After hearing my explanation the crew moved some people closer to each other and I got the last seat. The ride traversed open water for about 10 minutes before entering a long and narrow canal. This sheltered ride took 15 minutes. we passed many, many colorful fishing boats of all sizes tied to the shore on either side of the canal. The tide was out and many of the larger boats were resting on the muddy bottom. Most were designed to remain upright, but many rested on the sides of their rounded hulls.

We were almost the first to board the coach because we the last to board the tender. Our guide got us settled and under way. His narrative was comprehensive and good. he offered the compulsory disclaimer that this was the rainy season as he passed out plastic ponchos. It was not raining and it might not, but we were ready.

Our first stop was at the Chinese temple. 150 years old, it contained many unique artifacts from early days that are still used in religious ceremonies. 

Upon leaving we each boarded a pedicab. This would be our transportation while in the area of the town center. It was important to remember the number on our pedicab in order to return to the same driver.

Our first stop was the Red Church. This metal structure was erected here by the Dutch after having it built in Europe and then deconstructed for shipment to be permanently constructed here. The Dutch used this for over 100 years during their control of the region. The construction is corrugated steel with a very high girdered roof. Its design is quite plain. its longevity is impressive.  

After a stop at the City Square we rode to the Probolinggo Museum. We bid our pedicab drivers farewell.

Here we viewed historical transportation vehicles before gathering in a small square to see a performance by local dancers and enjoy a local snack. The dancing was traditional and very energetic. The costuming was elaborate and colorful. The energy required made this an activity for the younger generation and they were up to the task. 

There was also a shadow puppet show presented by a young man of about 16. It was gratifying to see this cultural tradition being passed on to and accepted by the young. This boy was very good. Alice and I remembered a professional puppet show we attended 3 years ago. It was not much better than this show.

We boarded our coach and proceeded to a traditional market. It was explained the the modern market (stores and shops) had fixed prices. The traditional market is a large building with dirt floors housing many individual vendors. A lot of them sold the same things. Prices here were negotiable. vendors were patronized based on their quality and prices.

We left the street through a very narrow and dark hallway that took us behind the modern stores and shops into a large dark warehouse type structure. The floor was dirt and muddy in spots due to a recent rain. Taking pictures was difficult because of the poor lighting, but the vendors were anxious to have pictures taken. We walked down only a few aisles before our guide took us back to the street.

On the coach we drove through neighborhoods, commercial districts and resorts before returning to the canal and the tenders. This was an interesting visit. We were spared the rain, but the wind had really picked up.

In the canal the colorful fishing boats were now afloat. The tide was in. Alice and I were again among the last to board the tender. The ride to the ship was quite a bit rougher than the ride in. The sheltered canal was fine, but the open water was much more turbulent than before. We made it aboard without experiencing the spray flowing through the open front hatch of the tender. We had lunch in the Lido and relaxed in our cabin before dinner. 

On the way to dinner the captain made an announcement that all passengers were safely aboard, and he was maneuvering the ship to create a lee for the last 2 tenders to be taken aboard.

From our table at an aft window we could see the 2 tenders plowing through very high waves. Some of these were crashing over the tops of the tenders. They came closer and then dropped back as the captain drove the thrusters to turn the ship broadside to the wind. The wind had gotten so much stronger and the waves had gotten so much higher that this was a daunting task. We could hear and feel the power of the thrusters beneath us. It took over an hour, almost our whole dinner, for the tenders to be brought aboard.

As we finished our desserts the ship really started rolling left to right . We watched the waiters maintaining their footing with care. Finally we were done and stood to leave. We moved slowly at first, learning to gauge the pace of the rolling. We had gone just a short way when a very strong wave hit. We almost tumbled, but caught ourselves. A stack of dinners on a tray that had just been brought out from the kitchen fell to the floor from the workstation. The bottle of Sambal that our waiter had removed from our table, my Sambal, also fell to the floor and rolled past 4 tables to stop at my feet. I picked it up and walked to return it to Sinar, our waiter. We all had a good chuckle about how it knew where to go. Poor Sinar had to clean up the fallen dinners, and get replacements. Everyone understood the dilemma.

What a day. What an evening!