Dorsey adventures

George and I took a ferry from Singapore on Sunday, Nov 5:

George cleverly set up a day long tour with Din. He took us around his island (Batam) in an air conditioned car and was an informative and friendly guide. Also my mind was blown, I may have mentioned that.

Here is Din:

Welcome to Batam (Din took most of the Sarah/George shots below):

First stop: huge Buddhist temple with multiple happenings including a room full of children singing (and proud parents observing), gift shop (too overwhelming to buy anything), huge buddhas all over, and even a wedding:

Next stop, Magical Bird Nest which apparently promotes wellness. this was George’s reaction (we did not spend money here either):

Then on to the really, really tiny houses (really!):

Next stop, coffee!! We did purchase some of that yum!

Then a lovely batik store:

Next was yet another feast for the eyes (and the nose), the wet market:

Can you tell I could not stop taking photos? So many things in such small stalls!

OK, next, finally lunch – with a view of the sea – oh so lovely!

On to the bridge that goes to another island, but that has become a hangout spot – one whole lane devoted to parking, hawking, fishing, and partying (that is Din on the left).

And a final stop at a small village where Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians coexist peacefully.

That wasn’t even everything, but a good taste of the tour. Now I’ll drop in photos taken mostly from the car or nearby our stops. Yes, more mopeds than Singapore.

Last one is a cool design from the morning at the ferry port in Singapore. I have to stop somewhere, right, oh, maybe one more of awesome clouds (and cute structures) coming into Batam. LOVED both ferry rides! What a great adventure and peek into another country. Thank you, George and Din!

This post will mostly be photographs of Singapore taken from the top of the double decker busses I rode on Friday, Nov. 3, my first day in Singapore. I figured it was a good way to get my bearings while nephew George was hard at work. There will be some explanations, but not too many. Enjoy.

Iconic Singapore destination: Marina Bay Sands hotel complex. The double helix pedestrian bridge is in front of the Art and Science Museum (which you’ll see the inside of later on).

Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer in the background (more of that later as well):

Rainbow building:

Little India:

Mosque dome:

Quality graffiti:

Cool murals:

There are green spaces/buildings:

Random other shots:

OK, just the tip of the photographic iceberg, but techno glitches and so much more to share, I will move on for now. Next up will be first night with George (hawkers and wandering around), then Indonesia (which might need to be broken down a bit). Also, I might go add some photos to previous posts, just FYI.

(writing this in Maui with THIS incredible view):

On my last day, Catherine and I went on an indigenous tour of Sydney harbour which included a visit to Goat Island which was recently “returned” to the indigenous people. More on that later.

Prior to this tour, we had visited a couple of places that helped to educate me on the colonial history of the area. The First Fleet was a new term for me that describes the arrival of a fleet of ships from the UK mostly carrying convicts (plus the crews and military folks). Can’t go into it all, obviously, but wow. The torture visited upon the convicts surprised the indigenous folks – surprised at how these white people treated each other. Oversimplification, but telling, right? (Photo of detention rock below)

So here are some pics from the harbor trip, (then more about the island):

Indigenous flag flying from the stern:

Obligatory Sydney Opera House photo:

Two flags flying from the bridge where you can see tiny people walking up there!:

Tribal Warrior boat:

Once we got to Goat Island, three indigenous dancers gave a demonstration of a variety of traditional dances (and then taught us a dance at the end – that was fun!):

After the dancing, they showed us a darker side of things. Such as the harrowing torture/slaying chambers (no need for photos here, although apparently these hands went viral on TikTok recently):

Prison rock where a convict was detained for two years! No wonder the indigenous folks wondered about how the white folks treated each other. I emphasize this because clearly the first folks did not practice torture on each other as much as the colonizers did (or perhaps at all).

To wrap up our afternoon, Catherine and I engaged in a celebratory colonial activity of champagne in the sun (in view of the opera house) marking a most delightful week together. Thank you so much!!

Next up: Singapore bus tour.

So very much to share because it has been a rich few days (understatement!). Soon I’ll fill you in briefly on my last few adventures in Sydney and then the first few days in Singapore. I’ll do a separate post on our Indonesian Tour in Batam. Mind blowing. Hope you are all well!

Lunch with George with a sea view in Batam:

Adding this great shot in – by dear friend Diane who kindly dropped me off at the airport (RDU) – because it is the perfect send off shot!