We stayed anchored overnight and then took zodiacs the next morning into Agats, the capital city of the Asmat region. The first colonial post was established here in 1938 but closed after the onset of World War II. In 1953, Father G. Zegwaard, a Dutch missionary, re-established the post in Agats and it became the government headquarters and the base for Roman Catholic missionaries.
We were given a guided tour of the city to see the markets, mosque, churches, and monuments. We also visited the local museum which had a fabulous collection of Asmat art and artifacts. The pieces were beautifully carved and I wished I could have taken a number of them home.
Today was probably the hottest day of the entire cruise, which is saying something. I think my eyeballs were perspiring! By the time we got back to the ship, I was soaked right through. I had my second shower of the day and changed my clothes, right down to my underwear. We then went out for a late afternoon zodiac photo cruise, when it was a bit cooler, but I got soaked again when we crossed a wave. There went another set of underwear and I hadn’t even made it to dinner yet!
This evening, the crew treated us to a wonderful Ring of Fire dinner, which included an amazing array of Indonesian dishes including a whole roast suckling pig!
The dining room was all specially decorated and the food was just delicious, as it has been the entire cruise. It is quite amazing what the galley can turn out for us - the dinners in particular are gourmet quality.
As you can see from the photo, my face is rather sunburned. I’m all smiles because my underwear is dry!