Coming through town, I passed the preparations for major demonstrations - stacks of placards, political parties proffering petitions, assemblies of police. Soon they would head to Westminster, to protest decreased budgets and increased student fees.
Greenwich was quieter. It is a major attraction to stand at the Prime Meridian, at longitude 0. People of all ages and sizes line up, with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one in the west.
For visitors with a more technical interest in longitude, sea-going clocks made by John Harrison in the 1700s are on view in the royal astronomer's house. If his clocks could be relied upon during long voyages, sailors could determine east-west position with accuracy, and navigate with confidence.
Captain James Cook tested Harrison's clocks in the late 1770s, as he sailed around the world. He stopped for ship repairs in bustling Batavia in 1770, but, dismayed by the malaria prevalent at that time, he quickly moved on.
The malaria has gone, but the bustle remains. Political demonstrations are an everyday part of life in Jakarta. How often have loyal supporters in party-coloured T-shirts stood in the road directing traffic, finding ways for convoys of party-faithful waving party-coloured banners to navigate the choked streets.
Greenwich is quieter. I stood at the water's edge and made this drawing.
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