A Brit and Mexican Walk into a Pub: KUPOW! Kupang

August 6, 2013

Back to Tropicbird and the high seas for us and it is scary how much it feels like home already. Us crew members spent two nights on shore in Kupang enjoying free Gala dinners (which means plain white rice for the vegan), meeting the other boats, dancing with locals and taking tours of the local scenery.

Here we are stuck on our boat waiting for Customs and Immigrations to arrive outside Kupang… and when they did we thought they were pirates. About 10 men showed up in non-uniforms and with nothing much to verify who they were.

The best buses ever! They have no routes, just wave them down and squish in. The best part is they blare music, have disco lights and they all have sweet custom paint jobs. All for about 30 cents a ride!

Let the Gala Dinner and Welcoming Ceremony begin . . . complete with dragon dancers as we entered.

This was much fancier and more well organized than we ever expected!

Traditional dancers at the welcoming ceremony.

More traditional dancers.

Baz and I with traditional dancers. The one country in the world where I feel like a giant!!!

Nothing like letting a giant bunch of balloons float away with a giant plastic Sail Komodo sign. Not the most eco friendly goodbye ever planned.

The best departing dance ever. . . it was like jump rope of death. The bamboo poles were open and shut at varying speeds and these four girls had to weave in and out of the poles in a circular fashion without getting their ankle caught.

We took a tour to the local sites and this amazing waterfall was our first stop. You can't see the trash in this picture, but I am sad to say that it was everywhere.

Tarzan

I just wonder what kind of a squish sound a bug like this would make?

Crystal Cave… If you can rock climb down the incline in the dark (and flip flops), then you are rewarded with a swim in that amazing blue water. Although you can see rocks under the water, they were deep enough that we could't touch them.

P1030536 Here's us crew and our guide Luke, pronounced Lu-key, swimming in the cave.

A mohawk monkey at the monkey caves… so cute!

The monkeys are so tame they will come right up to you and eat peanuts out of your hand . . . it also explains why they are all such fatties.

No trip is complete without a shop at the local market . . . first stop fresh bananas. Followed by a shopping cart full of fresh vegis, fruits, and tofu - all for $20!

Orla and our guide Luke being brave with the chillies.

Omar walking through the market. He spent most of the afternoon avoiding hitting his head on the awning.

Well Sean… you warned me about the jellyfish. I am just thankful that we had vinegar on board and I didn't have to get peed on. Well, that and the fact they weren't box jellies.