Singapore -National Botanical Garden

 This is the only UNESCO Heritage Site in Singapore.  The garden is vast, and we decided in this heat and humidity to concentrate our efforts here:

I’ve seen orchids in Hawaii and other tropical climes in the Caribbean.  I’ve never seen orchids like these.  Bonus was the Supercooler Conservatory.  I learned that orchids can grow in colder climates, and this garden had an entire conservatory cooled to the temps these type like.  After the heat of the outdoors (and it was the coolest day we’ve experienced on this trip), it was very welcome.  

Initially, we walked to the Orchid Garden past the rainforest portion - feel like I saw THAT on Komodo and Green Island.  We walked along Palm Parkway.

And, I photographed this little bird with the bright yellow beak.  He has a white inset to his wings.  I think he is a Javan Myna

After the walk, we dived into the Orchid Garden.  I couldn’t possibly put all the pictures of orchids I photographed.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to download a link later.  Here are some orchid samples

Look closely, this one has black petals

Singapore seemed to be comprised of ultra tall buildings interposed with green spaces.  There was a staggering amount of shopping at every level of expenditure.  

After Bali, Singapore is pristine clean.  You expect the litter police to jump out and fine you $500 if you drop ANYTHING on the pavement including spit.  Gum is banned in Singapore, so there are no ugly black spots everywhere.  People are polite, but nowhere near as welcoming as Bali.  Nowhere is apparently.

Unfortunately, I can’t manage more than one outing a day, so we missed Chinatown here.  Tomorrow is the Asian Civilization Museum.  So much better use of our time.

Benoa, Bali

Bali is a small Indonesian island with a reputation as paradise.  It is actually a Hindu nation in a sea of Islam (the rest of Indonesia).  It has ‘everything’ - beach, surfing, swimming, sailing, boating, and a substantial mountainous region of tranquil beauty.

  Additionally, there are tiny islands off the coast of Bali.  One is mountainous with a big waterfall, but another called Nusa Lembongan Island is the Bali of 40 years ago.  All this handful of small islands are reached by ferries.  I wish we’d been here long enough to use the ferries and see beyond the tourist attractions.  That said, the tourist attractions were pretty spectacular.  

Entrance to Tanah Lot Temple

Uluwatu Temple

This temple is on the edge of the Indian Ocean.  [First time I’ve ever seen THAT ocean.]  Meet the Indian Ocean.  This cliff is across from the temple.  And, yes, the water is really this color.

This temple is located on the western tip of Nusa Dua, a little southern afterthought to the main island of Bali.  You can see it on the map.

This temple has an interesting twist:  The Balinese long tailed macaque monkeys.  There are 700 of them, including a miserable looking albino monkey in a cage.  All the others are small, free swinging thiefs!  The tour guide on the bus said THREE TIMES these monkeys have learned to pluck things off the heads of tourists and out of dangling hands - sunglasses, hats, glasses, cameras, phones, - you get the picture.  These animals willl jump on your shoulder to pluck something off of you.  That includes shiny earrings.  We convinced one woman to take her sparkling earrings off rather than have her earlobe ripped.  Speaking of pictures - here are the Balinese long-tailed macaque monkey

As you can see from the tail, it frees up those prehensile hands and feet, and assists in the getaway.

 

Their annoying interactions are the fault of the first tourists who gave these monkeys FOOD.  Now, they steal personal items to exchange them for food.  Nobody can say these monkeys aren’t smart.  This behavior has been learned by successive generations of monkeys from their parents.  

Here’s my personal anecdote about the monkeys.  As I noted, the tour guide was emphatic about what NOT to take out of the bus.  Of course, one man (who looked like he thought he knew everything) took a honking big camera with the lens that extends 10” from the camera.  He’s got it around his neck, so he feels smugly secure from theft.  As he begins to focus, he takes his glasses off his face and puts them on top of his head.  The monkeys see an easy picking and plug them right off his head.  Oh man, he’s stomping around informing everyone of his irreplaceable $1500 glasses that have every bell and whistle you can load on a pair of eyeglasses.  In my opinion, he deserved to lose them.  However, that’s not how life works in Bali.  They have monkey wranglers with calls and sticks who managed to retrieve the glasses.  I never heard him say thank you.  

Life in Bali is not really about attractions.  It’s about the harmony of humans, nature, and the gods.  Restoring the man’s glasses restored the harmony in the relationship with him and the others around him.  The Hindu religion is taken very seriously in Bali.  Everyone tries to achieve harmony and life balance.  Offerings are made daily to the gods.  Here’s an example:

This offering is sitting out on the sidewalk and is probably for three businesses/apartments.  Offerings are also refreshed every day in family temples which are behind walls.  One of the speakers on the ship 

talked about his favorite Bali hotel he likes to stay at when he visits.  The hosts spend two hours a day preparing offerings for all 22 rooms in their hotel.  

We visited another temple, Tanah Lot on a Balinese holiday.  Families were visiting here as we trooped around.  Here are two little boys enjoying their orange chick on the holiday:

The Tanah Lot temple was much more open than the Uluwatu Temple.  Plus, no monkeys!  We walked around the temple, and boy, was it hot and humid.  I looked like a tomato struggling with my sticks and trying to keep up.  I made it, but I was glad to rest a bit o the air conditioned bus.  These little boys were a delight.  They were just as happy as they look in the picture.

Bali has wonderful food and beautiful vegetation.  I haven’t seen birds of paradise growing since New Orleans or lobster claws since Jamaica. 

This last bush is a Jungle Flame or a Jungle Geranium.  It’s a sacred plant, so it’s not surprising it’s on the Tanah Lot grounds.  

As we drove around Bali, there are larger than life statues of Hindu gods and Hindu stories.  Here are some pictures of my favorite:

On one excursion this was the lunch:  lobster, whole crab, five large prawns, fried fish, chili sauce, grilled pineapple and grilled squid, and a cone of rice.

Having lived in New Orleans, I attacked this plate with gusto.  I was pulling out chunks of seafood with both my fork, my fingers, and a cracker.  I admit my weak hands just couldn’t get into the crab.  My husband who hates to dirty his fingers to eat was quickly tired of trying to crack shells and pry out meat….so I ate his lobster.  Both were delish!  My mother-in-law would have risen from the dead if I’d left any lobster on either plate.  It was her favorite food.

The lunch was in an open air verandah looking over the beach.

The woman running the lunch was bustling around serving food, answering questions, and trying to make about 60 people simultaneously comfortable.  I decided to try Balinese manners.  At the end of the lunch, I not only thanked her, but I bowed to her in Balinese fashion.  She broke into a big smile and hugged me.  I could feel the harmony.  

I don’t know how many pictures this horrible internet loaded, but hopefully, you can click the link and see more.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9rXgkeY3wzpjgHtb7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9rXgkeY3wzpjgHtb7

Komodo Island

Yes, this is a Komodo dragon.  That tree is about 8” in diameter, so this guy is about ten feet long.  He’s one of the big ones.  We saw five of six of these as well as one which was about three feet long.  These are fascinating animals, but they are very dangerous.  

Komodo dragons can run 20 to 30 mph when they are chasing prey.  They are completely carnivorous as well as cannibalistic.  They will actually eat any of their own young who are not fast enough to get from egg shell up into a tree.  The young then live in trees - the ones that make it….

This dead palm tree is the ideal hiding place for the youngest Komodo dragons.  They live in the trees for three years after hatching.  Otherwise, they are snacks for the big ones.  And speaking of eating, a full grown dragon eats about once a week.  He’s not fussy.  Let’s say he catches a wild pig.  He swallows it whole, hoofs, bones and all.  Sometime later, he will regurgitate the hoofs and some of the bigger bones.  Once they are full for the week, they don’t much stir themselves.  However, a hungry dragon will attack a person if not driven off.  Just last year, one tourist (obviously a stupid one) was bitten so badly, he died. He was wandering around the jungle without a guide.

The Komodo’s live on their own island, and the entire island is a National Park.  You are not allowed off a boat or ship without an experienced guide who has  additional protection with him.  This is Rocman - one of the protectors of our tour.  He hovered right beside me the entire hike knowing with my slow speed with double sticks would make me seem like prey.

Two protectors are assigned to each tour group.  See his forked stick?  That’s what he would use to trap a dragon around the neck, and the second guy with the same type stick would back him up.  If two dragons are fighting, usually over a female, they would use both sticks to pull them apart.  I think I would have felt safer if they had been armed with cattle prods.  However, the whole point is to not injure the animals.

Komodo island

The dragons live in a steamy tropical jungle that covers the entire island.  It is very verdant, with plenty of other animals for the dragons to eat including pigs, deer, and other small mammals.  The largest dragons do not move very fast to catch prey.  They wait for another animal to run something down and kill it.  Then, the dragons move in.  What animal in its’ right mind would insist on its’ own kill when a dragon wants it.  The Komodos  are almost like the jungle garbage disposals.  There are bout 1000 dragons on the island.

On our hike through the jungle to locate dragons, our minders were hypervigilant because one of the dragons needed to eat - its stomach was deflated.  They also use camouflage.  Can you spot the dragon?

And, sometimes they just THINK they are camouflaged…..

Rocan took my camera and got this shot.  He was right on top of this one.  

We took the ‘short’ walk because we were both worried about my ability to keep up on anything longer.  I’m discovering it’s not just my knees and back, it’s also the debilitating heat and humidity.  After time in the jungle, I’m bright red and pouring perspiration.  

I did manage to get my pictures copied & a link created.  There’s a video which really shows a dragon off.  Click on the link.  Bali is our next stop!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qGDQGF78BJViZEzx8