Friday, August 10, 2018

INDONESIA - PALAU BUNAKEN - UNDER THE SEA - 3 AUGUST 2018

31 JULY 2018



We checkout and rang Captain Riski to say we were coming and caught a taxi to the Marina Pasar. We loaded the gear on the boat and had a pleasant 40 minute ride to Bunaken. The tide was high enough to get the boat up to the small beach in front of the hotel.



We checked in and settled ourselves into our room. The room was nice being about three metres from the small beach.




I had a snorkel in front of the guesthouse while the tide was still high enough. I swam out past the sea grass and shallow corals to the drop off wall and drifted with the current. There were so many fish swimming in and around the coral. Getting in to the shore was difficult as the tide was getting very low. I strolled up to the road/path and walked back to Jonath's.






Lunch was ready - fish, vegetables and rice with a tasty not too hot sambal.

After lunch, we walked to the village and had a beer at one of the rustic seaside restaurants. After that, we strolled around the village and bought a few things in one of the local shops. The people were friendly around the village and smiled and said hello. We looped the two streets back to the pier where we sat at the end and watched the boats arrive and chatted to a few local kids. Next stop was another beachside restaurant where we sat back, watched the world go by and had a few beers.






Back at Jonath's dinner was served and we had a long chat with the other hotel guests. Thomas and Marian from Germany who worked in education and Pola from Spain who  lived in Paris. She was here to do a masters rescue course. We stayed up late (well late for me) and talked about our lives and travels. An excellent first day.

1 AUGUST 2018

A good sleep though the power cut out a few times.



After breakfast, we walked to the village to board a boat for a snorkeling tour. There was only to be the two of us but they did a bit of a 'swifty' and there were two more. I was going to cancel out but decided to go along with it.

The boat ride was fun and the snorkeling  good. We drifted leisurely  along the edge of the wall. There were many fish and corals. The best part was the turtles. At one point, there were several turtles feeding along the wall. I managed to get very close to one turtle and was even able to touch it.















It was a long snorkel and so after lunch, we had a sleep.  I felt a little disoriented from so many deep dives. We spent the afternoon doing nothing much but sitting and chatting.
We met a local lady Mey, who had a bigger small boat for snorkeling tours. 

2 AUGUST 2018

A great night's sleep.


Started the day with a mountain bike ride around part of the island. Even early in the morning it was very hot. I followed the road/path and veered off on a number of very narrow dirt tracks through the jungle. The people were friendly and I loved being back on a bike.






I got back just in time for breakfast with Jacinta. After our stomachs had settled, we had a snorkel straight out in front of the hotel and drifted along the drop off wall for an hour. There were heaps of fish, coral, turtles and a few unidentified critters. The walk back was fun along the path/road. We had to run from shade spot to shade spot as the bricks on the road were so hot.





Back at the hotel just in time for a freshen up and lunch.

After an afternoon rest, Jacinta and I walked into the village and sat down in front of one of the restaurants near the pier and had a few beers while watching the world turn.

Back at the hotel we had dinner and then Thomas, Marian, Jacinta and I walked towards the village and sat in the MC Bar. It was basically an open walled hut with a bar in one corner on the beach. The local guys entertained us with music and singing. We entertained them with our dancing, music and singing. It was a fun night.

3 AUGUST 2018






My plan was a bike ride and a snorkel but I was feeling a little ordinary so we hung around Jonath's, siad out goodbye's to Marian and Thomas then boarded our boat (500 000R) for Manado.

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