The following image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom.
Cheryl: We’re at sea today, travelling to Semarang, Java. Good to have a day to slow down a bit and do our laundry.
Today, I watched a cooking demonstration by the guest chef, Chef Wayan. He is from Indonesia and has joined the Viking Sky for one week to work with the ship’s culinary team to create Indonesian foods during our time here. He was engaging, funny, and talked to us about the fundamentals of Indonesian cooking, spices, and ingredients. He prepared Beef Rendang (see recipe below), though he did it his own way, deviating from the recipe quite a bit! I sat in the front row and loved the aromas as he prepared the dish. The picture below shows the final dish. And no, I didn’t get to taste it; however, it was served for dinner that evening, and I did try it then.
Cheryl: In the afternoon, Chef Wayan introduced his wife, Kadek, who demonstrated the art of Balinese Canang weaving. She recruited a couple of the Viking staff from Indonesia to participate, and after showing us how to weave a basket from coconut palm leaves to create the Canang Sari, she asked the staff to spread out in the room and make their own baskets so we could see close up how it was done. The Canang Sari is a daily offering at the heart of Balinese Hindu rituals and represents each household’s gratitude and devotion to the nine guardian deities, as you’ve seen previously. We were given the materials to weave a basket and fill it with beautiful, little flowers. The photos below show the session and the great number of passengers that participated. Let me just say, while Kadek made the weaving process look graceful, quick, and easy, it clearly wasn’t for a rookie like me! You can see my effort in the photos below. Kadek also made the beautiful table centerpiece, which was incredibly intricate.
Enrichment: Explore Java, Center of the Powerful Hindu-Buddhist Empires. Explore the history & culture of Java, both intertwined with rich traditions & diverse influences – David Burgess (a new speaker).
David’s presentations consist of slides combining both real and AI-generated images. The pages have no text, and he explains the content of each slide. While it is informative, it makes documentation more difficult.
This island of Java was formed by volcanic eruptions. Many of the volcanoes are still active, making the island both prone to earthquakes and very fertile. The rich island flora led to early human occupation, confirmed by the discovery of Java Man, the oldest hominid fossil ever found. The discovery of Java Man in the 1890’s was the first evidence of Homo erectus, the oldest known early human species. Java Man is estimated to be at least 700,000 years old.
Java is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest in Indonesia by landmass. Today, Jakarta, Java, is the largest city in the world with 42 million residents. Indonesia has a total population of 287 million people. Java’s location along historical trading routes made it a major trading port, serving a wide variety of explorers from China, India, other nearby islands, and eventually European countries. This resulted in diverse ideas, languages, and religions. Unlike other areas we have visited, external explorers tended to blend cultures rather than conquer and occupy. And that acceptance of different cultures and religions remains a deep part of Indonesian life today.
The Javanese people are friendly, sharing, and very respectful of different ideas and cultures, and are proud of this way of living.
Enrichment: Traditional Arts of Bali and Java. Journey through the cultural heritage of Bali and Java via performing arts, visual arts, and crafts – Susan Braud (another new speaker).
Consistent with Susan’s presentation and from the internet: “Artistic differences between Bali and Java are profoundly rooted in their respective religious, historical, and social evolutions, with Bali deeply influenced by Hindu traditions and Java influenced by Islamic, courtly, and indigenous beliefs. Generally, Balinese art is characterized by its high-energy, expressive, and vibrant nature, while Javanese art tends to be more refined, subtle, and introspective.“
The types of arts include: Music (Gamelan), Dance and Performing Arts, Painting and Visual Arts, Textile Art (Batik), and Wayang (Shadow Puppetry).
Both cultures embrace the concept of good and evil. Both are present, and without each, there is no balance.
On the seventh deck at the aft of the ship, there is an area named the Aquavit. There is a small infinity pool, lots of lounging furniture, and outdoor dining. A great place to eat, lounge, or simply enjoy the view. Cheryl and I have not used it very much because the deck is open to the weather, and it has been hot.
As always, the images and any videos in this posting are best viewed on the web page.