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March 5, 2024
Semarang (Borobudur), Java, Indonesia


The Hindu temples of Bali have given way to the Islamic mosques of Java

From Bali to its next-door island neighbor Java, we went from Hindu Indonesia to Muslim Indonesia. The previous Hindu temples have given way Islamic mosques.

Through the luck of the draw, we were both assigned to escort the 5.5-hour “Mountain Railway & Coffee Plantation” excursion, though on different buses. We had slightly different experiences, but we were able to spend much of the day together.


We escorted the same excursion, but on different buses

The coffee plantation part of the tour was not what we expected. Rather than a full-fledged coffee plantation, the site had a combination of coffee plants, fruit trees and rubber trees. We saw coffee beans being roasted, but we also saw how rubber is tapped from trees and made into a commercial product. And we were able to sample a variety of tasty local fruits, including mangosteen, breadfruit and durian. (For those who aren’t familiar with it, durian has a reputation for smelling like raw sewage. But it is quite sweet and tasty.)


A warehouse where rubber is processed

But the absolute highlight of the day was the train ride. The bus took us an hour from Semarang to Ambarawa, a colonial market town. Here we spent some time at an antique Railway Museum before boarding a local train. The half-hour vintage train ride was a slow, leisurely ride through the Javanese countryside and small towns. Rather than sit inside, we both stood on the platforms between cars and watched Indonesian life pass by. Much of the surrounding Wara Pening Lake has been converted into rice paddies. We saw small towns where everyone waved at us as we chugged by. It was a wonderful, cultural experience.


The antique Railway Museum at Ambarawa


The Railway Museum was a paradise for cultural people watching. There was a local band playing their version of American country music. Gail joined a bunch of Muslim women who were happily dancing along.


There were more than a hundred Muslim junior high schoolers here on a field trip. They all wanted their picture taken with the Americans. Their English vocabulary was pretty much limited to “photo” and “one two three.”


Gail outside and inside the vintage train


Some views from the train. Much of Wara Pening Lake has been converted to rice paddies to feed the growing local population.


Wara Pening Lake also supports the local fishermen


We were able to pass by numerous front yards and back yards of local villages


Everywhere we went, the locals would stop and wave at us going by

Sadly, Semarang is our last port in Indonesia. We have loved this country for its cultural uniqueness, its easy pace of life and the friendliness of its people. (It’s no wonder that so many of the crew aboard ship are Indonesian.) We will have two days at sea before arriving at our next destination: Vietnam.


The World Trippers with the train guard. (We couldn’t decide if he was an actual guard or just there for the tourists.)

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