We left Kangean at 0600 and are en route to Bawean 116 miles ahead. It's stupefyingly hot - not a surprise really, as we are approaching the equator again, and the sun is very high in the sky. We've just had some dolphins playing in our bow-wave, something we never tire of.

These islands are all Muslim - you can't miss it as the Muezzin calls via incredibly powerful loud speakers at 6 and 6 - not exactly what one hears in Farnham on a Sunday morning.

It sounds as though Kumai on Kalimantan is relatively safe, and a few days ago there were several boats there, none of whom had any problems. Taking tourists to the orang-utan reserve is a major source of income, so we think and hope trouble is very unlikely. Most of the political strife requires militant students, and they are generally found only in the big cities. Up till now we've had nothing but smiles, friendliness and a big welcome. Anyway, we will continue to monitor the situation, and we can easily change plans at the last moment.

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