1st day in Palembang

Today we arrived in Palembang!  Jacqueline and I were greeted at the airport by our awesome host, Augustina.  Augustina showed us our booked itinerary on the way to lunch, where we meet our fellow Sumatra travel partners Uzma and Julie.  After lunch we went down to the Musi River for a ride down the river.  We went to Kemaro Island which is located directly in the Musi, and is home to a tragic love story.  A Chinese Prince wanted to marry the daughter of a Palembang King.  The King requested 9 jugs of gold in exchange for his daughter's hand.  The Price's family agreed and delivered the gold; however, it was disguised as vegetables to avoid being robbed by pirates.  The King was furious upon receiving the jugs and began throwing them into the river, but when he went to throw the final jug into the water it broke, revealing the gold inside...Now  I am trying to figure out how he lifted these jugs of gold and did not realize vegetables could not possibly weigh that much...anyway, the King jumps in after the jugs, followed by the daughter. 

Our boat ride on the Musi River!  As we puttered down the river we got to see children playing at the river's edge, kites flying above the villages, fisherman fishing, and the industries along the river.

Jaqueline and Augustina on the Musi River

The infamous bridge from our google searches of "Palembang"

Colorful Fishing Boats!

Humm...well this is the legend of Kemaro Island..sorry it is sideways...

Men where fishing on these big cement structures in the middle of the river

Best juice ever!!!