Monday 13 April 2009

All Singing, All Smoking All Schmoozing Ferry to Madura

May will be the last month of the fabulous ferries full of colourful high spirited Madurese plying between Tanjung Perak and Kamal in Madura. (A new bridge connecting the island to the mainland opens in June, Insyallah).

Today I took an early morning ferry and saw more stylish slumdogs with Djie Sam Soe cigarettes surgically stitched to their fingers than could be imagined. Gone are the gold-toothed ladies but in their place are a younger generation of tough leathery matrons, in ALL the colours, barking out instructions to hapless chain-smoking husbands.

The drawback is definitely the national sport of Madura.

During a morning tour of the Bangkalan Regency I saw the remains of what must have been a magnificent Cakraningrat Kraton and a magnificent late Majapahit style terraced sanctuary (kramat) at Aer Mata for the remains of the Cakraningrats.

I found in the Geger hills village after rural village of courtyard architecture not dissimilar to the Balinese model!!


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NEW SCREAMING ENTRANCE TO
TANJUNG PERAK PORT







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AT THE PORT






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AREK SUROBOYO CHIC









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ON DECK






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ON THE SMS








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IN THE PASSENGER LOUNGE








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SMOKING SECTION










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HOTTIES






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ROMANCE ON THE LOW SEAS




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BANGKALAN (INSIDE THE OLD KRATON
CAKRANINGRAT)







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CAKRANINGRAT ROYAL GRAVES, AER MATA








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GEGER AREA, RURAL COMPOUND






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OUR NEW MAJAPAHIT-THEMED GARDEN AT
BUMI HOTEL SURABAYA