Surabaya is the port city of Java. It is a picturesque port with an interesting sculpture of a shark and alligator fighting. This city was at one time the center of trading for the inland empires.

We took a bus with a police escort to Bajang Ratu Temple complex. The police escort is to ensure that we see everything and arrive back at the ship on time. Since it is Ramadan, the traffic isn’t a problem.

Bajang Ratu in Javanese means dwarf or defect monarch. This is a gate to a large temple complex surrounded by a great wall. It looks like a large stupa.

On going examination is still finding more of the wall’s foundation. It is a large scale complex. The rea is covered in lush grass as far as one can see.

Folk tradition says that Jayanegara fell from the gate as a child and that fall caused defects to his body. Jayanegara was the second Majapahit king. Kertarajassa Jayawarddhana was the first king and the founder of the Majapahit Empite.

We got back on our bus and drove to lunch an hour away in a modern shopping mall. We still have the police escort with us.

We had a fine lunch and then drove for about forty minutes to the remains of the Palace Hamlet gate. We then went to the pool at Sandi Tikus. There were two pools in this large square water feature. it i about sixty feet square with a fountain in the middle.

There was on section on the left for women and one section on the right for men.

It rained hard for about half an hour but we had our rain gear with us.

We then drove for another half hour to see the sleeping Buddha.

We were back on the ship for dinner and met four new friends.