TUESDAY, FEB 23RD--SEMARANG, JAVA, INDONESIA

Up really early for me today as had 6:15 tour departure from ship. Told Rebecca she better stay on ship today and try to get better so I went on tour alone. I wanted to get some photos of the temple since I came all this way to Java. First, want to say we had a great time last night at dinner with Bjorn, the Chief Engineer, and Gergana, the shops manager. Ok, now for my “Monumental Borobudur” tour experience. There were 9 buses of us and we all left at the same time as had a police escort for the 2 ½ hour drive each way. There was one police car in lead with siren going and one who would chase cars away if they got between any of the buses. The buses never had to stop the whole way which was incredible considering all the traffic on the roads. We went right through the stop lights. I felt like I was in the Presidential motorcade. I will say it again Regent is FIRST CLASS and is taking our security seriously. So about half way to the temple we stopped for coffee, tea, Indonesian snacks, and restroom break. Same thing at same place on way back to ship. Our guide talked most of the time on our morning drive with information about the island of Java and its people, as well as info about the Temple. We arrived at the Borobudur Temple at 9:30. It was sunny and very hot. I did not climb the steps to the top of the temple due to my bad knees but several folks did. I got some photos from ground level. I also got some photos of the 10,000 foot, active volcano with smoke coming out of it. I did not last long in the hot sun so went on down to the restaurant (on the temple grounds) where we were to have an Indonesian lunch buffet. I got a good seat right in front of the stage where local dancers and a band preformed. Food was so-so but it was a very nice venue and show was very good. The buses, with escort, departed at noon for our trip back to ship with refreshment stop enroute again. We arrived back at ship at 3pm and we just departed at 4pm for Singapore. I took 120 pictures today but will not put them all on the blog site. Will take me some time to edit and upload them so may not be done this evening. Tomorrow is a day at sea again and will arrive in Singapore on our Thursday (your Wednesday). This will be end of the 2nd segment of the world cruise so many passengers will be leaving us again and we will get some more new ones. There will be a lot of empty suites next segment (Singapore to Hong Kong) however. Well, Rebecca is still coughing some this afternoon despite the $520 doctor bill we got from her two visits yesterday. So I am sending her back down this evening for another nebulizer treatment. Want her healthy before we get to Singapore. We will dine along in Compass Rose (main dining room) tonight. I requested a special seafood dinner for the two of us. We will be having clam chowder, French fried soft shell crab for appetizer, and entrée of fried shrimp with a baked potato. Unfortunately the regular menu for tonight is a great one. Probably go to show as it is production show with ship’s young singers and dancers. Now I can say I have been there and done that at Borobudur as I took pictures and bought the T-shirt!! 5 bucks for the T-shirt.