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Meals are provided free of charge. For 2 B class, S$163, you get a 4 berth cabin and communal facilities shared with deck class. For 2 A class, S$171, a 4 berth cabin and communal facilities. For 1st class, S$184, a 2 berth cabin with private facilities. German Asian Travels, Straits Trading Bldg., 9 Battery Road, 13th floor, Tel. 915 116; and Intra Express Pte. Ltd. next to the entrance to the Indonesian Embassy in Wisma Indonesia, 435 Orchard Road, Singapore, both sell through boat tickets from Singapore to either Jakarta or Medan (but not to Pekanbarul. Or you can do it on your own. First take a launch to Tg. Pinang from Finger Pier, Prince Edward Road, Singapore. This launch is more like an excursion boat featuring a continuous picnic; the normal fare is S$40 but you could possibly pay as little as US$10 if you pay it in cash to one of the crew. In Tg. Pinang you can buy your ticket on the weekly Pelni boat for Rp11,500 to Jakarta. On the Tampomas, the top deck is the breeziest, the least crowded, and not as noisy as belowdecks which look like an immigrant ship. For deck class you sleep in your own sleeping bag or mat on deck.

It's only a 2-day passage and just when you're starting to get sick of it, it's over. There will be 20-30 other Euros in lines of sleeping bags. A beautiful trip, see 14 sail sailing ships on your way through the Java Sea. Don't fall for the officers' mess meals offered by the crew for Rp750 which aren't that much better than the food served free deck class. by air from Singapore: The usual student fare (ID card needed) from Singapore to Jakarta is S$160 either way; the ticket is open for one year. Garuda Airlines offers a flight Singapore-Jakarta-YogyaDenpasar-Singapore for S$460, but it's good for only one month. Thai International's regular flight Singapore-Jakarta-Singapore is S$320, and is also good for one month. Some cheap travel agents: MAS, 5th floor, Suite 544, Tanglin Shopping Center, Singapore; Sunseekers (Pte.) Ltd., Suite 310, Orchard Towers (opposite the Hilton Hotel), Orchard Road, Singapore, Tel. 2354427; also Mansfield Travels, 15th floor, Ocean Building (same bldg. as Straits Steamship Co.), Singapore.