Discover 7 Continents with Bill & Mary Ann as we sail on the 2012 World Cruise

[WCB]

Report # 62 March 1, 2012 Thursday Day at Sea

 

Today was listed as just a sea day, but Captain Mercer announced that we would begin seeing some of the Barrier Islands this afternoon. So we grabbed the small camera and went to the promenade deck to get some photos. Despite the heavy, humid overcast, we did begin seeing small atolls where the coral reef exists. Circular spots of light blue water were surrounded with a ring of waves breaking over the coral. Good thing we have an experienced reef pilot onboard, and up-to-date equipment that assists the navigation through this pristine area.

 

While relaxing at the aft pool, the islands and the mainland came into view. We even passed a very old rusted out abandoned shipwreck. It was eerie seeing this boat sitting on top of the water, but it really must have been stranded on an atoll. Many small bits of land appeared, surrounded with atolls. Looking straight down from the aft deck into the seawater, we noticed a load of jellyfish floating by the ship. Greg, our Aussie friend, said they were not box jellies, but would sting if you came into contact with them.

 

A larger island appeared, which the Captain announced was Lizard Island. There is a very highend resort located there, which is only accessed by plane. The cost to stay here for one day and night is 1800. per person. Greg said there was a minimum three day package for a lavish vacation. Once here, it is all inclusive. We fantisized that maybe celebrities like Lady Gaga might spend some quality time here, away from the spotlights. Wonder how the folks on the island liked this huge ship passing by and disturbing their solace? At least the Captain did not stray too close to the rocks so he could wave as we went by.............

 

As fast as we arrived, we left these islands and atolls behind as we headed towards more site-seeing tomorrow. There has not been a specific plan on this cruising the Barrier Reef Experience as was shown in the 2012 World Cruise Booklet. We did not follow the itinerary for Antarctica, so this may be a similar situation. It may be up to the reef pilot.

 

There were a couple of things happening on the ship today as well. Barbara, our port lecturer, gave a talk about Komodo and Lombok, coming up this weekend. Guess there are still tours to sell. George Sranko spoke about koalas and carrowaries in Australia. Will watch this talk later, since animals and birds are right up our alley. George Geary did a demo on speciality cheesecakes, such as quadruple chocolate cheese bars, tropical cheesecake, and creamy crab seafood cheesecake....huh?

 

Half of our tablemates went to the second Murder Mystery Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant this evening. The skits are written by Bruce, our CD, and he and some of the staff members play the parts in the murder play. We understand that the meal revolves around figuring out "who done it" while dining on fine cuisine. The menu is fixed, and is not the usual fare in that restaurant. We have seen photos from some of our group of ladies that also "dress the part" to attend this mystery theater. As long as the wine flows, they always have a really good time. As for the six of us, we all ordered the prime rib entree, and enjoyed every bite.

 

The showtime featured a juggler, Niels Duinker. The new couple at our table intended to go, but sit on the sidelines for a quick exit if necessary. Funny, they sound like the rest of us!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[MMDown Under]

Lizard Island is one of six islands in Lizard Island National Park. Being a National Park, you can camp independently on the island, in addition to staying at the Lizard Island luxury resort.

 

http://derm.qld.gov.au/parks/lizard-island/about.html

[Aussie Gal]

Back in the mid 80's we were staying at Port Douglas for a couple of weeks and whilst there we took a flight from Cairns in a light plane, that took us to Cooktown for breakfast, Lizard Island for lunch and then back over the reef all the way to Cairns. It was a beautiful day and I remember thinking how wonderful the reef was from the air. We actually had lunch at the resort of Lizard Island and even back then, it was a very expensive retreat.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 63 March 2, 2012 Friday Day at Sea

 

We are really confused about this "Great Barrier Reef Experience" that was scheduled to begin today and end tomorrow. Sunrise at Lizard Island was supposed to be this morning, however, we passed this island yesterday. Today, Friday, we were to have sailed the Ribbon Reef Region, then anchored at Sherrard Island spending the evening at anchorage. Instead, we arrived somewhere near Booby Island where the reef pilots left the ship on the pilot boat at 11am. What happened to tomorrow's sailing with the sunrise on Sherrard Island, Far North Region, Torres Strait, and sunset at Booby Island?? Guess it is not going to happen at all, since after the pilot departed, so did we. This itinerary was advertised in HAL's Cruise Planner 2011 - 2012 on page 66 describing the Seven Continent Discovery Grand World Voyage. Every one of us on the promenade deck was puzzled as well as disappointed as we stood there with cameras in hand for this highlite of our cruise. The biggest event of the day was the pilot boat coming, picking up his passengers, then tooting his horn in response to the Captain tooting his. Of course, in the fine print, it stated that this sailing will depend on weather conditions and permissions of the government at the time of sailing. There is no cyclone that we could see, and we obviously have permission to be here already. So what gives, we all asked?? In our minds, this was misleading advertising. Hopefully, there will be an explanation.

 

Since it was raining off and on outside, we followed up with some needed emailing, then went up to the pool deck to check out the possibility of sitting out by the pool. The passengers were all asking the same questions up there. By 12:45pm, at his daily talk, Captain Mercer mentioned the confusion over the the scenic reef sailing. He claimed that there were three different sailing plans, and the bosses in the Seattle office gave him this itinerary. Didn't the Captain notice that the segment newsletter we all received the second day out of Sydney designated Friday and Saturday as the Great Barrier Reef Experience? It is easy to blame Seattle, but not the kind of explanation we thought he should be giving. Now to make things even more questionable, we are sailing at about 20 knots on our way to our next stop of Komodo Island in Indonesia on Monday. By our estimation, we have one full extra day to account for. At this speed, we would reach Komodo on Sunday instead. Perhaps the Captain has a surprise up his sleeve with an unannounced stop somewhere else. But then, that is really a stretch to think that a substitute port would be added. It's just wishful thinking on our part. Our new tablemates actually thought we would be dropping anchor at one of the islands, and be tendered to shore for some swimming or something. Sorry folks, it's not going to happen.

 

We filled the rest of our afternoon reading at the aft pool and watching some people float in the swimming pool half the day. It did rain a bit, but the showers were brief and actually cooling. Too bad the skies were so grey, because this can be a stunning area for photos. At some points, the depth of the water was only 6 meters or about 18 feet under the keel of the ship. What is good about that is the color of the sea turns azure blue to aqua blue. We watched for any signs of sealife, but saw nothing but some algae floating by. One very nice older Canadian fellow stopped us and claimed he saw a hammerhead shark come alongside the ship when we were going slow. He did not have a chance to take a picture, because it disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Now we are not totally sure he really saw the shark, or was baiting us to stop to chat for a while. Guess we will never know, although Ron, our Aussie tablemate, said there are many sharks in these waters, but he doubted one would approach a ship the size of this one. Ron told us that he had come to this northern part of the reef many times with his buddies to fish these waters. Years ago, he claimed the fishing was fabulous, but like everywhere else, it had been over-harvested and not the same ever since.

 

A good movie came on the TV called "Black Thorn", a story about the famous Butch Cassidy in his late years. Not too many westerns are made anymore, so we made it a point to watch it after Terry told us she saw it yesterday in the Wajang Theater. She also remembers the old John Wayne westerns, and says she misses the shoot-em-up flicks. Doubting it was a true-to-life film, it was entertaining anyway.

 

Our table was full this evening with nine of us. Tom M. would have made 10, but he usually only attends on formal night. We enjoyed listening about the Murder Mystery Dinner last night, and the special Pinnacle luncheon today, where Ellen and Martha took a cooking class with George Geary and 11 other passengers. It was hilarious listening to the inner goings on with the ladies. As well as they all know each other, there is always competition and/or hurt feelings over trivial things. Sounded more like middle school hijinxs to us. Anyway, the dinner options were plentiful with the offerings of lasagna (we definitely don't like it, but some do), pot roast, chicken salad, and deep fried Southern chicken. Many of us ordered that entree, and it was finger-licking goooood.

 

Around the time we got our appetizers, Ingo, the Head Wine Sommalier, sat down in the one empty chair at our table, and joined in on the fun for at least 1/2 hour. He is one funny and entertaining fellow, who happens to have come from the Seabourn Line. His joining us must have been unusual, because several waiters were staring at him with their mouths dropped. Didn't bother Ingo, he just made "faces" at them, and they scattered. As we talked, Ingo helped himself to a roll, and sort of begged a chicken leg off of Barb, who was still full from a special dining room lunch she attended today. Ellen mentioned to Ingo that if he stuck around, we would teach him "cork-forking". The look on his face was priceless, since he had NO idea what that was. Barb demonstrated, and he caught on quickly, much to Ellen's objections. Usually we wait until most of the diners have left their tables, so we don't disturb them. Ingo ignored the warnings, laughed, and continued to practice until he landed one. Terry did say we got some dirty looks from some new nearby guests, but they'll have to deal with this sooner or later. That will be probably on Sunday when we have the next formal night, and a special guest or officer join us.

 

We actually peeked in on the show, The Aussie Boys, a song and dance trio from the land down under. If we were on perhaps a Carnival ship, it would have been appropriate for the audience. Maybe we didn't give it a chance, because we exited after 10 minutes. Oh well, we tried......

 

Guess tomorrow is a day at sea, where we may be going in huge circles. Who knows??

 

And the clocks went back one hour tonight.....always a plus and a great way to end the night.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[MMDown Under]

Back in the mid 80's we were staying at Port Douglas for a couple of weeks and whilst there we took a flight from Cairns in a light plane, that took us to Cooktown for breakfast, Lizard Island for lunch and then back over the reef all the way to Cairns. It was a beautiful day and I remember thinking how wonderful the reef was from the air. We actually had lunch at the resort of Lizard Island and even back then, it was a very expensive retreat.

 

Jennie

 

Oh Jennie, that flight is on my wish list. I've stayed at Cooktown, but Lizard Island remains the missing link.

[erewhon]

WCB,

Thank you for all you reports, am enjoying "sailing along with you".

[WCB]

Report # 64 March 3, 2012 Saturday Day at Sea

 

We woke up to a very dreary-looking day with grey skies and possible rain on the way. At least it should be cooler, but along with that comes the wind. It did not stop us from taking our early morning walk on the promenade deck. Very few folks were out and about, because it was still humid and sticky. We expect this heavy moisture to stay with us, especially traveling near the Equator heading towards Indonesia.

 

Today happens to be the halfway point of the world cruise for most full cruise passengers. Since we left Ft. Lauderdale, we have put on 19, 973 nautical miles or 22, 969 statute miles. That is a whole lot of seas and oceans we have sailed since leaving Florida almost two months ago. There is no doubt in our minds that this trip has flown by rapidly, even with all of the sea days. The halfway point for us will be a week from now on March 10th.

 

We were nearing the last of our original 1100 internet minutes, so we took advantage of the offer of buying the 1000 minute plan, which gave us an extra 100 minures for free. This special sale has been offered during each segment, but is good for only the day it is offered. Now we can limit ourselves to 18 minutes a day, on an average, and be able to use up the plan by May, we hope. There have been so many kinks to get around, but we have finally figured them out, with the aid of the internet gal, Jacquie. She has been very fair about crediting back time when things did not go as they should.

 

The weather was a major factor today regarding our pool experience. Since it is still very warm, we decided to spend some time out back, mostly to get some fresh air, if not sun. The rain is clustered in cells out here, and for the most part, they can steer the ship around the smaller ones. Sometimes, there is no choice but to sail through them. We could gauge the proximity of the rain by the drop in the temperature of the breeze. Actually, we should say winds. It was really dramatic at one point when we heard the powerful winds whipping around the ship's funnels. The sky was black ahead of us, and we barely had time to gather our stuff and run for cover. Even though we had our swimsuits on, we always pack our library books and don't want them damaged. We got a lot of exercise running from the lounges to seek shelter under the overhang to wait out the driving rain. Even the decks flood, because the drains cannot clear the water off fast enough. It's fun to watch the heavy lounges and chairs blowing across the deck. When the winds get hurricane force, not today, the deck fellows have to stack them and lash the pile down securely.

 

Today's feature movie on TV was "In Time", a futuristic depiction about a society based on youth with a system of buying time to live longer. It will take watching this movie twice for one of us in order to understand the theory a little better. Could be one of us had a little catnap in the middle of it.........

 

Here are some of the activities of the day. At 11am, there was a talk by George Sranko all about dragons and other venomous creatures. A new lecturer joined us recently by the name of Dr. Greg Ojakangas. He is a researcher and a finalist in NASA's astronaut selection program, as well as an asteroid discoverer, and an inventor in the robotics field. His lecture involved from Saturn to Indonesia:volcanoes of fire and ice. Will have to watch this on TV.

 

The HAL Chorale group started up again today for the second half of the cruise. It is nice for people that like to sing, whether they can or not, according to the ad in the newsletter. And better yet, there is no audition to join. Bruce, our CD, will take one and all. And he works his miracle every time he starts a group.

 

We had a full table this evening with the addition of two nice people that sit near us. They are Dutch, and recently joined the ship in Sydney. They also happen to be friends of our new tablemates Marion and Lloyd. Ellen had invited this couple two nights ago, before she had been asked to join some of her clients in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. Guess the specialty restaurant won out, since she was absent at our table. She redeemed herself by showing up around 9:30pm, about the time our Dutch fellow performed a trick with an empty bottle of wine. He had Bill push the cork totally inside the bottle, then asked each of us to take it out. Naturally, none of us could figure it out. The trick was using a shoelace with a knot in one end of it. He fished the knotted end into the bottle, turned it upside down, and wedged the cork and shoestring together until the cork came out. So easy, we should have figured this one out. But now we know how to do it in case we have that problem in the future.

 

We stand slightly corrected regarding the show last night. Most everyone we spoke to today, enjoyed the act, the Aussie Boys, immensely. At the first performance, which was full, they got a standing ovation we heard. Usually the shows at 10pm are less attended, so that is why we did not see the same reaction. A guitar player, Bob Howe, was the entertainer tonight. Will report on him tomorrow, as we chose not to go.

 

One more sea day, and we will be at Komodo, Indonesia. Lots and lots of passengers are getting hyped-up on the upcoming tour there. We are not saying a word, since we have been there, done that, and don't want to burst their bubble. Let's just say that the tour description is a little over-dramatic for what we actually experienced.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 65 March 4, 2012 Sunday Day at Sea

 

The weather was finally perfect this morning. The rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was finally shining on us. What we have missed were the deep blue colors of the sea and sky with all those squalls we travelled through the last week or so. See, it takes some rain for us to appreciate the good days. Again, we wish we could re-direct this rain to northern California.

 

Several things were going on today for those who chose to stay indoors. Char, the future cruise consultant, gave a talk with photos on how the newest ship in the HAL fleet was built....the Nieuw Amsterdam. We actually saw this ship while it was being built in the port of Venice in 2008, we believe. Bet she is a beauty.

 

A Mars Attack was the subject Greg Ojakangas spoke about. Really his lecture involved describing the Mars Explorations Rovers that explored the planet for 8 years. Another interesting talk.

 

Celebrity Chef, George Geary, prepared carbernet marinara and roasted garlic sauces, and a fast meat sauce. Now that sounds like a winner to us, especially served over freshly-made noodles. He gave this demo in the Wajang Theater, so it should be on TV later.

 

Dance classes continue every day, but we do not see the results anymore. Many evenings, the dance students practice what they have learned in class during the 7 to 8pm cocktail hour It has been weeks since we went to the Crows Nest before dinner. To be exact, the last time we visited there was when friends Leslie and Handler were onboard, and they left in Buenos Aires. At that time, the cigarette smoke was tolerable, the music was loud, and the lounge was packed. We have heard many complaints that the smoke has gotten worse. They need better a exhaust system there, or they will be losing customers. Honestly, we have not missed the extra calories we consumed between the drinks and the hors d'oeuvres that we served to us. By the time we went to dinner, we were not that hungry.

 

Many more adventurous folks have been frequenting the aft pool. Seems they are leaving the partially enclosed Lido pool area, which tends to be overwhelmingly hot and like a sauna. Without a breeze, that deck is claustrophobic to us. Even Ellen came out to sunbathe this afternoon, and probably used # 50 or higher sunblock. We are dangerously close to the Equator here as we approach Indonesia, and extra care has to be taken to prevent sunburn and sunstroke. Christel M., our customer relations gal, has been enjoying the swimming pool on her break with a floatation belt on. We don't know how she does it, but she is able to stay vertical, while kicking herself around the perimeter of the pool, all while reading a pocketbook. Pretty good. She gets some quality exercise and reading, while giving the message to the guests she is unavailable for conversation. Gosh, we don't blame her, for we would not want her job for all the tea in China!

 

We watched half of the movie, Tintin, but left the room to watch the sailing by the first islands of Indonesia. The sunset was beautiful as was the cool breeze that came with it. At least there is some relief at night for the people that live here, although the island we passed showed little signs of civilization.

 

After taking quick showers, we headed for dinner, which was formal this evening. We had Craig, a young junior officer we think was involved in the engineering department. He said he spent most all of his time down on deck A. That is why we have not seen him around the ship in the last two months. The theme for tonight's meal was Chef's Night. We are not sure what that meant, but the waiters were dressed like chefs with aprons and chef hats, which must have been warm. In fact, the dining room itself was quite warm tonight. It was the perfect time to ask the young engineer if that could be fixed. He said of course, and would report it to the right department head. Perhaps part of the heat problem was due to the fact we all were wearing jackets, and had been in the sun most of the day. The fellows always have it the worst, since they wear heavy wool suit or tux jackets. We were proud of all the guys tonight, since none of them removed their coats like some of the ladies did. Of course, the fellows enjoyed looking at the ladies with their jackets off for a change......

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Komodo for a trek in the jungle to see the dragons.............should be fun.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Pete Jackson]

Was there ever any word on why the ship skipped 'The great Barrier Reef experience'? It seemed that they were ahead of schedule at one point, but now will arrive at Komodo on schedule. Perhaps it is just to save fuel? Presumably four days at 20 knots and one day at 5 knots will use more fuel than 5 days at 17 knots.

[brownblonde]

Enjoying your blog, but I don't know if earlier you explained your cork game or not, but anyway can you take time to explain?

Eleanor

[WCB]

Report # 66 March 5, 2012 Monday Slawi Bay, Komodo, Indonesia

 

We were here, to Komodo, about three years ago, so we almost did not take the tour today. It was such a different type of day, weatherwise, that we were glad to have repeated this expensive excursion again. Another good reason to book through the shore excursion department, was that we could not have gotten off of the ship without the HAL tour. It turned out to be a pretty exciting day.

 

Here are a few facts on these world's largest monitor lizards. These dragons, as they are called in Komodo, can grow up to 10 feet long, and weigh up to 300 pounds. They are powerful with lethal teeth and talons that are as sharp as razor blades. What sets them apart is the fact that their saliva carries a deadly bacteria that infects and sickens its prey. They thrive on goats, pigs, deer, and smaller dragons. The oldest fossils found date back 130 million years ago and they have been extinct for millions of years......except for this island and the few closer islands. They are on the other islands, because they can swim for a long distance. Of course, they are an endangered species, now protected by the Indonesian government. Declaring this National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site has also helped to preserve them.

 

Dragons can live for 50 years. The females lay their eggs, which are buried under trees. They take 8 months before they hatch in the spring. The smart hatchlings climb the trees in order to survive the hungry adults. They live in the treetops for up to three years before they are large enough to defend themselves. They are all capable of speeds up to 12 mph, can swallow large animals without much chewing, and are known to have killed and eaten local people, especially small children.

 

Now comes the best part.....the first tour group of the day left the ship via tenderboat at 11am. We were part of that group of 25. Oh boy, the first sacrifices of the day. Remembering the last time we were here, the dragons we saw were pretty much asleep, since we had a hot and sunny day. These fierce creatures prefer to hunt in the coolness of the early morning, then again in the late day. Because this morning was heavily overcast and dark, these animals were way more animated than three years ago. We had just started our hike into the wet forest, when our guide received a call from the guides "holding" four large dragons in the waterhole area right ahead of us. One of the dragons had slipped past the guides, and was on his way in our direction. By the time our guide said to move fast off of the trail, the monster was upon us, moving at least 12 mph, straight at us. We never saw people move so fast, but there was a problem. There was no place to go since we were flanked with dense jungle. The trail was so muddy, it was a miracle no one slipped and fell over the trail rocks. It took three guides with long wooden sticks with a forked end to keep that animal away from us. Photos of him charging at us had to be the best ones we took today. What a mean-looking creature. He just kept turning his head and trying to go where he wanted, just inches away from our tasty-looking legs! He ran into the brush, then stopped and stared, totally mad at the world. Our guides said to walk away slowly as the the fellows kept their sticks on him. We walked a lot faster than slowly.........

 

Once at the staging area or waterhole, three more dragons were being "held" by the guides. Our guess is they were drawn here perhaps yesterday, more than likely by fresh deer meat. These dragons were actively moving and looking for a way out. They did stay still long enough for all of us to get photos and video of them. That was when group number 2 arrived at the opposite end of the area. They spooked one of the dragons, who saw an opportunity to escape right through the middle of our group. Once again, we scattered in all directions, actually hearing a few curse words from our crowd. We think that may have escaped our lips too. One older man, who considers himself a physically fit person, yelled for us not to run. Yeah, sure, we thought, you stay there and become dragon bait. We can run faster than 12 mph when necessary. One nice Dutch gal, a pool buddy of ours, had no idea how close that dragon got to her as she ran the wrong way. Her husband was one that had cursed as he was one of the first out of there. Like we said, it was an exciting morning that we did not expect.

 

The rest of our hike was much more peaceful as we looked for birds, learned about the native trees, and found out about the poisonous snakes that hide in the grass and overhanging tree limbs. We do not think we could have handled any more surprises like snake appearances.

 

As we neared the end of the trail, local ladies were handing out much appreciated bottles of chilled water and small cans of soda. Right behind them, was another smaller dragon, inching its way into the overgrowth. We had to track this one down to get a photo. Could be that the smaller, younger dragons keep a low profile in order to survive.

 

Several raised wooden buildings were scattered near the beach area. In one of these buildings, was a counter set up with water and snacks for sale. Other items the vendor was selling were very nice quality t shirts, caps, and Komodo pins. We bought one artist-type t shirt, and one pin, which we collect. The vendor promised us that he had the best shirts there, and we found he was right.

 

Many Tamil deer of all sizes were grazing near the buildings, unaware of the danger of the dragons. Since these deer were almost tame, we assume they are raised to be a food source for the lizards. We did see one small feral boar, and have heard that goats are a favorite meal for the dragons as well. In fact, when Komodo was opened in 1974, dead goats were thrown in a pit for the dragons to viciously rip apart and consume them. In old film clips, we have seen this done for the groups of tourists that paid to see the grisley show. The practice has since been stopped, leaving the dragons the chance to hunt naturally on their own.

 

At the very end of the trail, blue tents were set up to cover souvenier tables. You had to walk through this to get to the pier or the beach. All you heard was "Hello, over here, lady, lady, mister, mister, buy from me, etc, etc, etc..... If you were interested in a carving perhaps, they would even throw in a string of white or black pearls, pretty decent knock-offs. These fellows love to put the flame under the pearls to show they are real, but we know for a fact, that the fire trick is bogus. They know exactly when to pull the flame away before the plastic paint burns. But you can't blame them for trying. We did buy some earrings last time, and they have held up rather well for the price of $5.00.

 

Instead of rushing back to the ship, we walked the small beachfront, collecting some sand and tiny seashells for our beaches of the world sand collection at home. Saving some of the small jam jars from the restaurant, we find they make the perfect vessel to hold the many samples of sand. They also work well for desert sand too.

 

After going back to the ship on the unbelievably hot and humid tenderboat, we had intended to go to the pool for a cool swim. But by the time all the photos were finally down-loaded on the computer, it was time for the 4:30pm sailaway party. It was well-attended and this time, many trays of chicken tenders with sweet and sour sauce were passed around by the wait staff. Hurray! Since we had missed lunch, it was a nice treat. The ship left late by 5:30pm or so, because a tour was late in getting back. There were absolutely no passengers that we talked to that did not enjoy the stop here today. We had braved the heat and hungry dragons, and survived to tell the story!

 

Dinner was good as always. We had entrees of roasted chicken and chicken salad. A most unusual appetizer was the pumplin raviolis with a mushroom cream sauce with cheese. Sounds weird, but it was sooooo gooood. Now what was weird, was the scoop of bubble gum ice cream that Tom ordered for us all to taste. Expecting a pink ice cream, it came the color of sky blue, with green, pink, and purple chunks of something that looked like gum in it. It did taste like gum, but most everyone made a screwy face when they tasted it. Too strange for us.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Lombok, another Indonesian island. However, we get there early, and we will be on a tour that lasts over 7 hours. Time for bed is now.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

What a wonderful description of your day on Komodo Island. I did enjoy reading it and could imagine how everyone scattered when a dragon came close. I know I would be one of the first to move!

 

We love pumpkin ravioli and with a mushroom sauce it would be delicious. Here in Australia, we eat pumpkin as a vegetable and we have it a lot either baked with a roast dinner, or mashed or boiled with grilled meats. I adore pumpkin and the other day I had it in a quiche at lunch in a restaurant with fetta cheese and spinach. Absolutely delicious.

 

Jennie

[whereintheworld]

Thank you for the very entertaining report. What an exciting day you had! I so look forward to opening my computer each night to read your report and look at Jeff's photos.

 

Jennie (also from Melbourne)

[WCB]

Report # 67 March 6, 2012 Tuesday Lembar, Lombok, Indonesia

 

The Amsterdam sailed very early into the bay at Lembar, Lombok, Indonesia, to heavily overcast skies with the threat of rain. The temperatures remained in the high 80's with extra high humidity to go with it. It was going to be one hot and sticky day for sure. We have never known Indonesia to be any other way.

 

Lombok is one of the 17,508 Indonesians islands, with about 3.6 million residents. It is situated a ferryboat ride away from the more famous island of Bali, also home to many of our Indonesian staff. Around 60% of the people are Muslim, and the others are primarily Hindus. The terrain is similar to Bali, with fields and mountainsides full of rice paddies. They are interspersed with rudimentary houses, villages, and many mosques and temples. Mount Ringani, still an actice volcano, is the most dramatic landmark, rising 12, 224 feet high. It erupted in 1994, and we hope it stays silent today, please.

 

Lombok is tourist friendly offering resorts, delicious food, handicrafts, and beautiful beaches. Surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving is big here. And we were here in 2009. At that time we booked a fun tour to see the handicrafts and go to a resort at Kuta Beach. We liked it so much, we did it again.

 

We were lucky this morning, but did not know it until later on in the evening. Our HAL tour was to begin at 8am, and it pretty much went off as planned. However, once onboard the tenderboat, we lost one engine as it had just quit. There was a long wait while we were still tied up to the ship, which was good, because two crew members boarded and fixed the problem temporarily.

 

We were off and running for a promised 35 minute ride to the pier. Actually, we were there in 15 minutes, but the engine stalled once again. Good thing we were pierside when it quit. All we wanted to do is get off quickly, since it was terribly uncomfortable in the extreme heat. A long red carpet had been rolled out for us. It was lined with local dancers dressed in full Hindu costumes, dancing to the tunes of a gamelon band.

 

A line of several large and roomy buses were waiting for us. We lucked out and got a young guide, around 25 years old. He was a university student, spoke excellent English, and kept us informed throughout our 8 hours with him. The first thing we noticed was there was a lot of traffic....mostly large trucks loaded down with sacks of rice, and hundreds of motorcycles loaded with one or two riders, and other with families of three or four. Once clear of the port area, the countryside presented itself. Now we were seeing the agricultural end of the island. Rice fields lined the road as far as we could see. Our guide gave us the lowdown on the rice growing in Lombok. Rice, of course, it the staple food of the people. It is considered holy and sacred, the lifeblood of everyone. There are festivals honoring the rice. It is god and goddess to them. The type of rice grown here has two productions a year. It grows to a height of 18 inches, and when it turns yellow, it is ready to be cut with machetes. The workers then physically beat the tied bunches of reeds to loosen the grain. The grain is sifted by hand, to separate it from the hulls. Then it is dried on tarps or hunks of plastic for several days until it can be stored for future cooking. We saw no machinery used, and there is a reason for that. Our guide remarked that the process of production provides jobs for the majority of the people. Water buffalo are used instead of equipment. The crop is planted, tended, cut, and harvested to be dried totally by the backbreaking work of the natives. Soy beans, long green beans, and corn is also grown here.

 

It rains a lot in Lombok, and their water comes from the mountain regions in the center of the island as well. We had some sprinkles on our way to Banyumulek, an area famous for handmade pottery. The coach pulled into a large parking lot at a pottery shop. It was here that two by two, we climbed into the small carts which were pulled by small horses. These were traditional horse carts called cidomos, and the drivers made a procession through the village with all of us bouncing up and down in the old carts. The villagers, especially the young school kids, came out to greet us as we passed by them.

 

At the pottery village, we got out of the carts to see a demonstration of how the pottery is made from a special clay and straw mixture. The items were dried in a wood fire, they finally decorated with colorful paints. When we had gotten into the horse carts at the first stop, several young fellows on motorcycles had tried to hawk their treasures. They had also followed us with their things to the pottery stop. We were offered "precious" pearls, watches, sunglasses, eyeglass holders, fabrics, cards, and jewelry. All for a very, very good price. of course, we did buy a precious black pearl necklace and a bracelet for $7. Back at the pottery shop, many people bought a few items.

 

The next stop was at Sukarara, a village known for Ikat and handwoven fabrics. The bus parked at one small shop where young girls were weaving cloth on wooden looms by hand. The small store offered scarves and fabric hunks, but they were fairly expensive. We remembered that these very same items would be sold at another village for a fraction of the price. Not too many people bought things here that we could see. However, we did find a rather nice wooden bowl outside the factory to bring home for a good price.

 

From here, we headed south to Sade-Rambitan and a small village of traditional Sasak houses. They really are a series of huts, built on a steep hillside. We recognized the courtyard, where we had witnessed a "stick fight" between two young fellows on our last visit. Guess it was not happening today. Anyway, we climbed a series of steps to see the first thatch roofed huts. Inside each house was a raised polished floor, which was really made from clay, dung, and straw. Once dried, the clay floor is polished to a high gloss. That is where the buffalo dung comes into play. It is used to polish the floor for a good reason. There is a chemical in it that repels the mosquitos. Once that dries, there is no smell of manure. Sounds strange, but it works for them.

 

We all split up into small groups going different directions. That was not the plan, but some of the most challenged passengers could not hike up the steep rock steps. Every hut sold stuff like woven cloth, pareos, junk jewelry, and carved figurines. One elderly lady sat in her hut's doorway, spinning thread on an ancient wheel. She pointed to her weavings for sale, and that was when we recalled we had seen her before....same place, same village. We all went back to the air-conditioned bus where we waited for one person who got lost. Well, not really, since we saw him bargaining for some treasures the last time we saw him. Some people don't care who they inconvenience.

 

Our final stop was the best at a resort on Kuta Beach, serving tables were divided into four parts........breads, entrees, salads,and desserts. We filled our plates with a lamb stew, braised beef chunks, stewed chicken, fresh veggies, nasi goreng (noodles with veggies), and sticky rice naturally. Fresh fruit was cut into pieces and kept in a glass-door refrigerator. We had saved a table with two chairs and a good view of the beach. Every bite of the Indonesian food was delicious, along with the bottle of fresh water they served. Beers were available for a price of about $7. we believe, and were large enough to share.

 

While we were eating, the rain started. It always begins innocently, with a few drops here and there. Then the sky opens up.. Even though we had planned on swimming right after lunch, it was nice watching the water pound down while being protected under the large thatched roof. We knew it would be short-lived, and it was.

 

Several wooden lounge chairs with huge umbrellas were waiting for us on the sandy beach. The only problem we saw was that only one of us could swim, while the other sat back and watched the bags. Too many vendors were walking the beach, hawking their trinkets, and leaving cameras on the chairs was not a great idea. It turned out to be a good thing one of us did not attempt the ocean swim. In two words........sharp coral, stopped all thoughts of that ocean swim. Only if we had brought the aqua shoes, could we have done that.

 

So we grabbed our stuff, and headed for the raised rock swimming pool. What was nice about his pool, was not only the fresh cool water, but the fact with it being raised off of the ground, few people knew it was there. We were not going to tell them, because that way we could have it to ourselves for a while. It was great until we got discovered. Then one by one the folks climbed the stairs to cool off like we did. Our two hours at the resort had flown by all too fast. It was time to go at 2:30pm, but not until we all had a chance to bargain with the locals for some batik fabrics and sarongs. This time, the vendors were smart. With no time to bargain, they sold their things for a good price, at which time everyone on the bus lined up to buy something. Like a feeding frenzy. We finally left at 3pm.

 

The ride back to the pier took an hour, and most of the traffic had disappeared by then. Kids had gotten out of school and the rain had started again. Few natives were out and about that time of day. Speaking of school, our guide said that the first 6 years of education was free. Uniforms have been supplied to the young children in the recent past, bringing up the attendance levels to 70% participation. Junior and high school and university has a fee, where the students are taught English, as a second language. That increases their chances of getting better jobs if not here, then in the outside world. Our guide mentioned also that in parts of the island, it was not unusual for girls to marry at 12 years old. They become mothers at such an early age, thus increasing the population even more. It is a discouraged practice nowadays he said. We were back to the pier and loaded on the waiting boat for 20 minutes before it left. Sucking in gas fumes, we were left with headaches for the rest of the afternoon. Had we known that we would be bobbing up and down for that amount of time, waiting for more guests to fill the boat, we would have waited outside even if it was raining. Hindsite is 20/20 right?

 

We almost did not go to dinner, due to the headaches. If we were successful in getting hold of Barbie or Ellen, we would not have gone. That would have been our loss, because the 22 ounce bone-in ribeye was one of the entrees. Since we missed breakfast, we did not know what was for dinner. Of course we had to order them. We ate little else, just the delicious, tender, juicy medium rare meat. They worked a miracle, because by the time dnner was over, so were our headaches.

 

When we arrived to the table, we saw signs placed on each table. It was an apology for the delays with the tendering process in Lombok today. Wonder what that was about? Well, when our friends arrived, we soon found out that after we finally left, there was an hour and a half delay in the rest of the tour people getting off to shore. Technical difficulties and logistical complications, whatever that is, were to blame. Anyway, complimentary wines, beers, and sodas were offered with our meal, sincerely from Captain Jonathon, Hank Mensink, staff and precious crew. One story that came out of this was that there was a confrontation with some of the passengers who protested at the gangway. Gosh, were we lucky to have missed that scene or what? The question that came to our minds was if one of the difficulties involved the tenderboats (such as ours dying), then what if there was a real emergency and we had to depend on those boats for an evacuation? Heaven help us if they don't work.........Maybe we will get some answers tomorrow.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

Another terrific post. I too wondered about the tender boats when you mentioned yours was having trouble. We had one on the Prinsendam that gave trouble and I often wondered what would happen in an emergency. I will be interested to hear if you get any feedback regarding those boats. They should all be ready to go and up to the minute with complete servicing of the engines.

 

Jennie

[momatibm]

As far as I know, HAL has an 'excess' of lifeboats and other support vehicles so the the loss of one would not imperil either the passengers or crew.

[Aussie Gal]

momatibm,

 

They may have an excess of boats but they still should all be in good working condition. It is all very well for a couple of boats not too work properly when tendering but in an emergency they should be ready to go. When engines splutter and stop in calm seas and there is no panic other than passengers getting hot in the humid conditions, one wonders what would happen in a reverse situation when everyone needs to abandon ship and the seas are not so calm. Hopefully, it will never happen, but again as I said in my previous post, the boats should be in tip top condition.

 

Jennie

[momatibm]

momatibm,

 

They may have an excess of boats but they still should all be in good working condition. It is all very well for a couple of boats not too work properly when tendering but in an emergency they should be ready to go. When engines splutter and stop in calm seas and there is no panic other than passengers getting hot in the humid conditions, one wonders what would happen in a reverse situation when everyone needs to abandon ship and the seas are not so calm. Hopefully, it will never happen, but again as I said in my previous post, the boats should be in tip top condition.

 

Jennie

 

I agree -- I was merely pointing out that HAL does have more than sufficient capacity if one does happen to have a problem.

[WCB]

Report # 68 March 7, 2012 Wednesday Day at Sea

 

It was a lazy day for us, as the ship started a four day sailing towards fabulous Hong Kong. We are heading northwest between the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, which means we will be crossing the Equator for the second time this cruise. Want to bet that we all receive a certificate for the crossing??? We are lucky enough to own a pile of these personalized documents, enough that we could paper a bedroom wall with them. Weatherwise, it will remain hot with a huge possibility of thunder storms. But more about the specifics on the Equator will come tomorrow.

 

We have been happy campers in the dining room at breakfast time. Our friendly greeters have finally gotten the idea we love to sit in the middle section at a four person table set for two. The waiters that work there are the best as far as we are concerned. Coffee and juice arrives almost before we sit down. The pastry waiter comes running with his assortment of freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, danish pastries, blueberry and bran muffins, and raisin rolls. They are too hard to turn away, so we have been pretty good limiting ourselves to one each. Our entrees come swiftly, and so does the catsup. Last year, it took months before the waiters remembered to bring our favorite condiment on time....like before we were halfway through the meal. Now we know where they keep it, and would not hesitate to get it ourselves.

 

Since we did not have time to do our internet work yesterday, we took care of it this morning after a short walk. It was so darn hot outside, and there was hardly a breeze blowing. One of us was glad that we had an excuse to cut the walk short. Few passengers were out strolling today, so that was an indication that staying indoors was by far a lot more tolerable.

 

Pool time could not have come soon enough. By the time we got situated at the back pool, Captain Mercer came on the speakers with his daily report. He addressed the tendering fiasco yesterday with a bit more information. Actually, it was more info than we really needed to hear. He said that since tenderboat # 9 still was not suitable for transporting passengers yet, they could not use it yesterday when some of the other boats had problems. That did not give any of us a warm and fuzzy feeling about our safety onboard. What if there was a real emergency where all the boats had to be used, like for an evacuation? You bet we would be on boat # 9, ready or not. The Captain then announced that at the next time we are at anchor, the locals at Phuket, Thailand, will provide two large boats to help disembark the guests quicker. Funny, we do not remember ever tendering in Phuket in the past. Later on, we checked with our last visit there on our computer and we definitely docked. Guess we got bumped by another vessel this time.

 

The pool was wonderful and we stayed much longer than we had planned. We had visitors join us for a while....Susie and Barbie. They are both fun gals who we enjoy very much. We did leave by 4pm since we still had lots of catching up to do on downloading photos and writing the Lombok report before we forgot too much. This humid heat does a number on your thinking process, leaving you feeling lazy all day. Oh well, that is what vacations are for.....resting.

 

We had down home good old fashioned food for dinner tonight in the form of salisbury steak with a mushroom gravy. Terry, our 80 plus year young, not old, buddy always asks us what we are ordering. Nine times out of ten, she will order the same as we do and is happy with it. Fish is her usual staple, so she has been getting adventurous by trying different things. You should have seen her face last night when her 22 ounce steak was placed in front of her. Almost embarressed, she attacked it with the vigor of a kid. Bless her heart, she ate almost as much as we did. This evening, we ended the meal with a reasonably small slice of lemon meringue pie. This means we will have to swim a couple of more laps in the pool tomorrow, but it was worth it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Here's a reminder about what "cork-forking" is. A game where one launches a wine cork with a fork, aiming at the flowerbowl in the middle of our large round table. It has come to Ellen's attention that some folks have been a bit annoyed with the frivolity of our tablemates, perhaps generated by this innocent game. In the future, we will wait until the lower level of the room is empty if we wish to play the game. Truthfully, we have only done this on formal nights, if at all. There are other tables doing the same game, but much more often than we have. Sadly, at times some people resent the fact that others may be having a better time than they are. We do not ever want to offend anyone, even if they happen to be crabby.

[Fairport]

I really feel sorry for those "crabby" people. Hey, you are on a cruise of a lifetime, lighten up and have some fun.

[irwinler]

I'm loving your posts, but I'm afraid I would be one of the "crabby" folks who wouldn't appreciate your fun game. It brings back the memory of the first time my then boyfriend (now hubby) visited and met the family. It was Thanksgiving and the menu always included a big bowl of ripe olives. In those days pitted olives weren't on the market. My two sisters, one older and one younger, used their spoons to fling olive pits across the table. I was so embarassed and mad at them.:mad: But, continue to enjoy your harmless fun - life is too short to stress about what others think.

Nancy

[KDilly]

awesome awesome awesome thread, thanks for inviting us on your journey :)

 

-KD

[CairnsGuyCruiser]

Oh yes, I remember the fun and laughter we had at your table on last year's World Cruise. I do recall our table getting some strange looks from other tables but I also recall many coming over and saying they were at such a 'fun'table like ours.

However we did play after the serious folk had left the dinning room.

 

Bill ans Mary Ann thank you to introducing me to the game because since then I have played it on the Prinsendam and the Volendam and it was a great hit. The Aussies loved it on the NZ cruise last Christmas.

 

Cheers

 

Pat

[WCB]

Report # 69 March 8, 2012 Thursday Day at Sea

 

The Amsterdam crossed the Equator sometime this morning as we headed in a northwesterly direction. The Equator is the centerpoint of the earth as well as the center of the tropics. Since the sun's heat near the Equator evaporates water from the oceans, the tropical air is moist ( no kidding!), giving us the rain forests of the world. This area is the same year round regardless of the season. As the mountains rise at the Equator, it can get very cold. It is not unusual to see snow in these mountain peaks.

 

To mark this occassion, the ship had a King Neptune Ceremony at 10am in the Lido pool area. In order to assure a safe passage, King Neptune (really Brett, the assistant CD) held court in a sea-faring fashion, with his three pointed spear (trident) in hand and his mermaid Queen (?) at his side. The judge (Bruce Scudder) was the announcer for the ceremony. Sacrifices of pollywogs or first time crossers were held in the prisoners jail. One by one, they were brought in front of the judges (the Captain and some of his officers). They condemned each one for "simple crimes", then had them "slimed" with a barrel full of tinted whipped egg whites. Then the crowd either yelled guilty or not guilty. The majority of them got thrown in the pool (guilty), which was lucky for them. Once having passed this initiation, they were considered "shellbacks".

 

In the past, passengers were chosen for this trial, but now they use the willing staff and crew. We can see how easily one could be hurt in this melee. Also utilized in past ceremonies, was a ton of cooked spaghetti, rubber chickens, and phony human organs. All this used to end up in the pool, causing a huge mess. At least the egg whites will be easy to clean up once the pool is completely drained. And we are assured of a safe trip from here on out.

 

The inclement weather kept most folks inside today. We saw no sun....just grey to black clouds, full of rainshowers. That's what to expect in this part of the world. From what we are seeing on the news, this system may be all we will see all the way to Hong Kong. We only hope that the sail into the Hong Kong harbor will be clear, since it is most impressive to see. Captain Mercer mentioned something about cyclone winds on Saturday. Not sure what he means exactly, but hope it was a poor choice of words.

 

Two explorations speakers delivered lectures today. George Sranko spoke about rising seas and extreme storms. Greg Ojakangas talked more about outer space, especially space debris potentially causing catastropic disasters.

 

We did lots of promenade walking in between watching room movies. We still can't figure out why these movies are rerun, some for the third time around now. Since there are only three current movie channel choices, eventually you will have seen all three by this time in the cruise. Of course there are DVD's to get, but those are very old for the most part too. We have to remember to make a visit to the hotel manager and ask if HAL will ever get an interactive TV system for the rooms. It would be soooo much nicer.

 

We did go to the aft pool for a bit, but got tired of running in and out of the showers.

 

At 7pm, all the 4 star Mariners were invited to a cheese and wine social. Since we do not drink wine, we did not attend. But we did hear about it at dinnertime. The lower deck of the Queen's Lounge was 80% full, and the Captain and his staff greeted everyone on the way in. Hand shaking is not allowed anymore, since it can transmit germs from person to person. That is awkward, since hand shaking, especially for the men is so ingrained and comes naturally. You have to keep your hands in your pockets or behind your back to refrain. Elbow tapping or gentle fist punches are OK.

 

The big surprise was we got presents tonight. There were four boxes on the bed containing short wine glasses called wine tumblers. They are crystal and made in Germany. The other boxes contained a filter for red wine, which replaces decanters used for exposing wine to air. You simply pour the wine through the aerator, and it mixes the right amount of air instantly. Howevere, we do not drink wine, but it will be a nice toy to use when we have company. Also left on the bed were two pocket wine books, "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2012", considered to be the number one bestselling wine guide. Eleven million copies have been sold world wide. Now we hope the wine tumblers survive the trip home in one piece. Guess these gifts can be considered quality for sure.

 

Two more sea days left until Hong Kong. We sure hope they will bea bit more sunny........

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 70 March 9, 2012 Frdiay Day at Sea

 

We are now sailing between the Macclesfield Bank on our port side, and the Paracel Islands on the starboard. Over the centuries, China and Vietnam claimed these islands to be their territory. The Vietnamese began to commercially fish these waters and take advantage of the oil reserves. However, China began to take over the rich grounds piece by piece since World War Two, and since the battle of the Paracel Islands in 1974, Vietnam has made no attempt to regain control over the area. With that said, we can say we saw little shipping traffic, and absolutely no sign of fish. Once we get closer to the shoreline on our way back down to Singapore next week, we will see numerous fishing boats, especially night fishing with lights.

 

We got back to our morning walk, since the weather was a little better today with much less rain. The promenade deck has been a mess the last two days. With the tenderboats being worked on, none of the lounges under these boats are available to sit. The holes in boat # 9 that were made when we were in Easter Island have been repaired, but there is a replacement prop waiting to be installed on another boat. Guess we can deal with the mess as long as these boats are in perfect working condition shortly. We trust that as soon as the boat job is done, the fellows will start painting the railings again. It is never-ending busy work.

 

A compliment is due for the laundry crew, who has gotten the job done well. It has taken several cruises for us to find out that by asking for no starch, the clothing has been stain-free. Many of the white t shirts and white tux shirts were coming back with a yellow tinge on past cruises. When you spend a lot on a formal tux shirt, you want to wear it for more than one cruise. It took several washes with OxyClean and boiling water to get these stains out before we came onboard. We now know the culprit.....starch. Specifically starch that has been burned from pressing. This has not happened at all this year, and the clothes are coming out perfectly clean, not stained. Yesterday, we set out a full bag of laundry, and received it back later that same afternoon. Good job.

 

We had some homework to do this morning. Yesterday, we had received the arrival and departure cards for Singapore and Thailand. After filling in the missing info, we signed them and brought them to the front desk girls. While there, we asked for a copy of our shipboard account, which is always graciously printed for us. We noticed that the first visas were charged to the account. They were for Indonesia, and cost $50. per person. At one time in the recent past, they were free. No more. We do know that there will be a visa fee for Vietnam, which will be our next stop after Hong Kong. That was another one that used to be free. Also, no more.

 

Oh yeah, we did get those Crossing the Equator certificates late last night. We are now officially all shellbacks, and should have a safe passage from here on out. Well, we will be traveling in dangerous waters, but we will not rely on King Neptune's blessing. We will have our security team watching out for us. We shall let you all know when we start to see guards on watch duty on the promenade deck at night. It is always a good feeling to know we are well protected, but also a bit creepy realizing we are out here on our own.

 

Talks continued in the Queens Lounge from Barbara H concerning our two stops in Vietnam. American space exploration was Greg Ojakangas' subject, and octopus and squid were the topic for George Sranko this afternoon.

 

We had some quality time at the aft pool, with the exception of the strong winds. It is a little annoying to be chasing flying hats and towels, but on the upside, the winds blew away most of the rainclouds. Our buddy Mel stopped by and lent us his new Kindle Fire for us to try. We know our kids own them, but so far we have not explored the idea of buying one. Guess they can be useful for reading. Those that own them, love them. We'll play with Mel's for a few days, then gladly give it back before we press the wrong thing and erase something by accident.

 

The big show tonight was the indonesian Crew Show. It was after the formal Indonesian dinner we had, which was a nice time to present it. In the past, this performance was shown at 11pm, well past the guest's bedtime we are afraid. The crew of room stewards and waiters are very talented as they present their traditional music, song, and dance of their homeland. Our most favorite waiter in the world is Yamtana, who we met last year. He is one of the most talented artists on the ship, and is involved with the special decorations for the dining room and now the Indonesian show. Last year, he sketched two drawings for us on the round dining room doilies. They hang on our refrigerator at home as we write. We are proud to call him our friend, even though he serves other tables not near us. He still takes the time to visit every now and then, as he still considers us to be family.

 

One more lovely day at sea, and Hong Kong, here we come........

 

Mary Ann & Bill