We arrived in Darwin after traveling some 2,659 nautical miles (3,060 miles) to a hot, very hot and humid city in the Northern Territory. As usual, we arrived on time and my little SKYROAM wi-fi machine has done wonders for my hi-speed wi-fi access on this trip. No more sitting on the concrete outside one of the local shops to publish my little updates.

It was 95 degrees F with about 95% humidity. Boy it's hot here in the north and I suspect that it'll even get warmer as we head towards the equator and Indonesia on Tuesday. It's just a northern territory small city with about 136,000 people - even smaller when you consider there's 200,000 residents that live in an area over 1,000,000 square miles - pretty sparce by North American standards.

We jumped on the shuttle ($14.00 AU each) for our round trip bus into the city (about 10 minutes by van). Then paid another $30.00 (Senior's rate) for our Hop-On/Hop-Off bus that covers a 90-minute route in and around Darwin. For those who follow us and want a brief tour of Darwin, don't take the shuttle, just wait for the Hop-On/Hop-Off as they stop right here at the port and you'll save yourself $28.00 AU for those who care.

Again, as a little history Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin is the largest city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, with a population of 136,245. It is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian capital cities, and acts as the Top End's regional centre. Darwin was originally a pioneer outpost. The city itself is built on a low bluff overlooking the harbour. Its suburbs spread out over some area, beginning at Lee Point in the north and stretching to Berrimah in the east. Past Berrimah, the Stuart Highway goes on to Darwin's satellite city, Palmerston, and its suburbs.

The Darwin region, like the rest of the Top End, has a tropical climate, with a wet and a dry season. The city is noted for its consistently warm to hot climate, all throughout the year. Prone to cyclone activity during the wet season, Darwin experiences heavy monsoonal downpours and spectacular lightning shows.[8] During the dry season, the city is met with blue skies and gentle sea breezes from the harbour.

Next stop is Slawi Bay on Komodo Island. The ship newsletter says that "Only guests participating in a shore excursion are permitted to go to shore. The Komodo Dragon can smell blood from many miles away, therefore, visitors are NOT allowed to bring meat or snacks made of meat during the tour on the island. Also, ladies during their cycle or guests that have large open wounds are PROHIBITED from going ashore. All I know is that I can outrun these three ladies so good luck on our tour.

Stay tuned for more updates and thanks for following us as we go into Day 10 or our 43 days here on the Maasdam.