Everyone has a memorable moment or moments that last for a long time. Mine is my first experience traveling by ship to Bali. Let me tell you about it.It was my last holiday. I just graduated from my junior high school with flying colors. To celebrate the moment, my brother asked me to travel with him to Bali. I gladly accepted his offer. We ordered two tickets through an online ticketing site. He asked me whether I preferred traveling by plane to ship. I chose the latter since I have always been interested to travel by sea.

The day of our travel finally came. We left very early in the morning to take a minibus to a harbor. The minibus picked us up at home at 4:30 AM. I asked my brother why the minibus would bother to pick us up. Apparently, when my brother bought the ship tickets, it included a minibus pick-up service. It was very convenient. It took around 4-hour drive to arrive at Ketapang Harbor.

We arrived at Ketapang Harbor around 9 AM. It was a very busy harbor. Many people already lined up to board a ferry. Others were queueing in front of the ticket office. Our ferry was scheduled to depart at 10 AM, so we still had spare time. Then, I asked my brother to show me around the harbor. We bought souvenirs and snacks for our journey. After that, we boarded the ferry. The ferry was quite big. It didn't only transport passengers but also vehicles. There was an area to keep many vehicles, not only cars but also trucks and buses. I took pictures of the inside of the ferry since it was interesting to me.

It would take us less than an hour to cross the Bali Strait from Ketapang Harbor in Banyuwangi to Gilimanuk Harbor in Bali. Right after the ferry started sailing, I explored several areas of the ship. Apart from the vehicle and passenger areas, I also explored the deck and cargo area. I spent my time gazing at the sea on the deck area. Then, I checked the cargo area. There was a big crane for transporting cargo. Unfortunately, it was not operated at that time.

We alighted from the ship around 11 AM. At the harbor entrance, I could already feel a different atmosphere. The architecture of the harbor was just like I've seen in the pictures of Bali. It was beautiful. For me, my first experience traveling by ship was truly memorable. I'd learned a lot about what a harbor and ship looked like, and how it felt crossing the sea by ship.

Activity 5
In pairs, complete the following dialog based on the information in the text.


Mawar : Finally, it's break time.

Andi : Yeah. How's your exam?

Mawar : Fine, I guess.

Andi: Glad to hear. Anyway, I saw the pictures you posted yesterday. Where was that?

Mawar : Oh, it was (1)______ crossing the Bali Strait. I took the pictures when I had (2)_____

Andi : When was that? I haven't seen or heard you travel for a while.

Mawar : It was when (3)_____ My brother took me on a vacation as a present since I passed the final exam with (4)____

Andi : I see. But, would it be faster if you travel by plane?

Mawar : My brother offered me whether I would like to (5)_____ I chose the latter since I have never (6)______ before. It was fun I tell you.

Andi : How so?

Mawar : Well, compared to traveling by plane, you can move around and explore a ship. So, you won't get bored.

Andi : That's a good point. Which areas did you manage to explore?

Mawar : Let see. When I (7)_____. I could see the parking area of vehicles. The area could hold many vehicles such as (8)_____

Andi : Really? The ferry must be really big. What did you explore next?

Mawar : Well, I had a chance to check a crane to transport cargo containers. Unfortunately, (9)______ Then, I went to the deck. It was quite vast. I could (10)______

Andi : I see. I guess fast travel is not always the best travel, huh?

Mawar : Not always. Experiencing different ways of travel can be fun too.​