Feeling a bit better--the Immodium is keeping the cramps at bay. Pupi arrived at mid-day and we took a taxi into town. First we stopped off at the plaza where I wanted to buy a CD of Indonesian music to use as a sound-track on the video I was going to make. I also wanted to see what books were available. Found a CD quickly, and bought a novel by Vicki Baum on Bali and a book on tropical plants.

The taxi then took us through the heart of the city, near the Red Bridge, where the British general Malleby was killed by a bomb during the nationalist uprising. The Place of the Heroes commemorates the patriots who died during the ensuing fighting against the British and the Dutch.

We then took another taxi to the Arab quarter and the Ampel mosque (named after a holy man who was buried there, who had introduced Islam to the area). Today is the eve of the Aidil Adha, the Arabic term for the Festival of Sacrifice, a major event in the Muslim calendar, so there was a lot of activity. The festival marks the end of the Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, birthplace of Mohammed, Mina (where in remembrance of the sacrifice Abraham was prepered to make of Ishmael, sheep and camels are sacrificed), and Arafah (where Mohammed last preached). In the muslim calendar this is 10 Zulhijjah, the 10th day of the 12th month. Thousands of goats have been brought into the city for the Korban, sacrifice, and are being held in pens on roads leading to the mosque and in fact anywhere there is a bit of grass to be found. The picture on the right was taken near the Mosque.

The area around the mosque, consisting of lanes of small houses, is clean and peaceful, a contrast to the dirty noisy roads outside. We walked as far as the entrance. The interior was quite plain (admittedly, in comparison with the other great mosques I had seen in the middle east). At the back of the mosque many pilgrims were praying at the tomb of Ampel.

Some of the streets leading from the the side of the mosque were covered in, in the manner of the Arab souks (see picture on left). They sold mainly Arab produce, fruit such as dates (about 7 varieties), books, religious clothing and pictures. Nothing as tacky as what is found at Catholic pilgrimage sites.

Our next stop-off was Chinatown, but this was disappointingly small, although there was a very colourful temple. Then to the port, filled with wooden ships, like a scene out of earlier days, with bronzed sailors and wiry muscled dockworkers. Some ships were being refitted, one in particular, including Chinese decoration in carved wood, looking very attractive.