02:33.20S 107:39.65E

The Belitung anchorage is lovely with wonderful white sand beaches and strange rounded granite rock formations. Unfortunately it to is under a thick smoke haze and the real beauty of the place is lost.  The island is famous for the export of tin and ore and was sold by the British to the Dutch!  It is where BHP Biliton started and from where the firm took their name.  There are several beach restaurants and the fleet has adopted one that serves cold “Bintang” beer (made in Indonesia).  The people are predominantly of Malay origin and are Muslim having been converted before the arrival of the British or Dutch. There are a significant numbers of Chinese and Javanese as well. The sale of alcohol is prohibited except in certain hotels and restaurants.  We had to find the friend of a friend and go to the back of a supermarket to buy three bottles of wine from the son of a Chinese shop keeper!

We were taken on a day trip as part of the festivities and our first stop was a secondary school.  It started with another excellent welcome dance and then our kids joined in and there was a riot as the children all rushed forward to have a selfie with the yacht kids.  All good fun and done with smiles and good manners.  I had a personal tour of the school and the very lovely painting wall.  The poised and very confident “Puri” had written her description and explanation of each panel on the wall in English, herself.  She was determined to carry out her duty as a nominated host and stopped right in front of me to get my attention.  We then went off on a tour while she practiced, and had me correct, her English assiduously.  A delightful but very humbling experience.