4

PELABUHANRATU
(TENDER FISHHEADS + PANCAKES)
JAVA INDONESIA
shingles so common in Malaysia + here. A group of
old men crowded round a domino game. All
kinds of fish for sale, + other stuff I couldnt name.
Guy + I got separated somehow, + I met a boy who
invited me to game of ping pong. It was open air,
in dirt driveway between his house + a school.
Naturally all the young ones were watching
I used to be good, but I played so badly I
couldnt even beat his lobbing mother. But we
all had fun. Later I found Guy sipping 7-up at a
roadside stall -- he'd found a cheap hotel nearby.
I ordered coconut juice. Guy was very tired, + I was
(as usual) behind in my letters, so we retired to bed
+ balcony, resp. At sunset we returned to the har-
bor, where the silhouetted ships were romantic
against the twilight. They were coming in with the
days catch. Around oil latnterns the fishermen
would gather, commparing their bundles of fish
poking + prying, haggling + buying. 2-man teams
carried equipment slung over long poles - carried
it up the bank. We munched fish (just pick it
up + eat, bones + all, theyre so small you dont notice)
+ fresh-baked hot coconut pancakes. We walked
westward along road out of town, along shore,
past wealthy villas perched on little hills. A path
led back to the wide inviting beach. I tried to reach
a small cape for a better view of village but beach
ended abrubtly + waves pounded a cliff. Just then