After breakfast… Let me tell you about breakfast. There was rice. Jo-Jo went to the market and scrambled up a few eggs. Bless the man. Coffee? Sulawesi grows and exports excellent coffee. Their method of brewing leaves just a little bit to be desired. (At least at “Hotel” Asmora Guesthouse.) They put coffee grounds in a cup, added boiling water and waited what seemed forever for the chewy grounds to settle to the bottom before drinking. Don’t ever try to drink “to the last drop” because the bottom is 1/4 inch of sludge. Sure perks you up!

One scrambled egg and two cups of sludge later, it was back in the vehicle. Even Jo-Jo was dragging today and said he had to finally tell all the happy election campaigners to shut up during the night. And poor Odin looked as if he’d been run over by his car. Ten hours yesterday. Aother six today. His leg must be numb.

Back in predominantly Muslim areas, there are small workshops that concentrate on making metal mosque tops. …View image… Every now and then, we’d pass by a group along the road…

for want of another word, mosque toppers for sale in Sulawesi
In the smaller, remote villages, locals either couldn’t afford the huge loudspeaker systems for Call to Prayer or didn’t have electricity. They improvised and used old 50-gallon oil drums for the Calls. Whatever works…

oil drum “drum” used in a Sulawesi Mosque
Not much to do in a car for so many hours but take photos of the people….coconuts drying…View image…laundry drying in yards, on fences…View image…hung from satellite dishes… Anything to keep up the interest level…

children returning from school along the road, Sulawesi 

laundry and satellite dish along the roads of Sulawesi, Indonesia
The usual lunch en route where the cutest little girl enjoyed watching us eat….

beautiful smile on child in Sulawesi
Big shock driving in Gorontalo and an even bigger surprise pulling up in front the Hotel Quality Gorontalo right in the center. …View image… Gorontalo is a small city, as well as a province in North Sulawesi. Known for its old Dutch architecture…View image… Gorontalo also has three harbors.

The hotel was luxurious compared to all the others to date and we just took a short walk around the area. The pedicab drivers were the friendliest people we’ve ever met. They all wanted to talk and have photos taken with the “white tourists” because not many ever come this way. Throughout Sulawesi the people thought a photo with tourists was the ultimate coup and even if they didn’t receive a picture, would brag for years and years about how they met a foreigner. Perhaps, I’d feel the same if an alien from another planet ever crossed my path.

Gorontalo pedicabs lined up, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Couldn’t even eat dinner in peace without the waiter standing over us the entire time, asking questions about the Western world while we corrected his misapprehensions about all westerners. They really believe everything they see on television or at the movies. We’re all rich…can attend college/university in both Europe and America without paying for it (I wish) and live perfect lives…ah yes, Utopia.

Gorontalo Coda: An earthquake struck the city of Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, on Monday, November 17, 2008 (ex-Marine’s Birthday…). Measuring 7.7 on the Richter Scale, houses, a bridge, schools, mosques, and churches were damaged. Fortunately, the quake only claimed one life, several others were injured and a potential tsunami never occurred.