After checking into our hotel we headed off for the usual sightseeing. Dutch Palace (palace!??), Jewish synagogue (closed) and Chinese fishing Nets. The fishing nets were probably the most interesting especially the fish shops ('You choose - I cook') and the first place to see cats. The SantaCruz Basilica was nice also, very colourful inside with Hindi style paintings of saints and the 'Last Supper'. We arrived just in time for the Saturday evening Mass and although we only stayed for 10 minutes, felt very pious!
The best part of this afternoon was our driver Santosh, who told us a very excited and animated story of how he met and fell in love with his wife. He saw her swimming in the temple pool in order to cleanse before entering the temple. Although he had cleansed before leaving home he also went into the pool to cleanse and when their eyes met - 'it was love'. For the next 6 months he would get up extra early to go to the temple to bath and secretly meet with his beloved. His parents thought he had become very spiritual and were very pleased. When her parents found out all hell broke loose and there was much fighting and trouble, mostly by her mother, who did not think he was good enough for her daughter as he worked in a shop for only 1000 Rp's ($25) a day. They married anyway and their daughter is about to turn 2. The in-laws have finally come round as he now has a good job as a driver and has big plans to buy land and buy gold jewellery for his wife. His enthusiasm in telling the story was so endearing that as well as the tip, I gave him an $20AUD as a gift to his daughter. He will go far!!
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