We are still in Saumlaki, Indonesia. We are having a wonderful time. It is great being part of a rally. We have had a welcome ceremony with dancing and singing and then an Indonesian snack afterwards. Then yesterday they took us on a tour. We went on a smallish bus, smaller than a regular Canadian school bus and we drove 54 km to a village where there was a stone boat. The drive took 2 hours, the roads were very windy and narrow and they deteriorated from good pavement to pavement with potholes to dirt roads. We were in a motorcade, in front was a police truck with the siren going, then there were 2 buses the size we were in then 2 more smaller vehicles, slightly bigger than a mini van and there were a few motorcycles as well. We would wave out the window to the villagers we passed, we felt like super stars. When we had to stand to have our pictures taken one sailor asked us, if we had split up with our boyfriend and whether or not we had kicked our drug habit!!!
At the stone boat village we were welcomed with singing and dancing and then led off to a feast. The food was cooked in a pit in the ground and was delicious, casava wrapped in banana leaves, taro, chicken and some kind of bean sprouts cooked with tumeric. Then we trooped off to the stone boat and another ceremony took place. I bought a piece of hand woven cloth that I am going to have a skirt made from. We have been exploring around town, Barry and I both had our hair cut $3.00 each, we had both had a meal for lunch for about $5.00, so we think we may have a chance to make ends meet while we are in Indonesia. We are headed to Banda tomorrow, the co-ordinates will be on the sail Indonesia site. Banda was known as one of the Spice Islands so I am quite excited about visiting there. The Spice Islands, it sounds so exotic.