Blog

02.12.2022

Stop-over Bali

My Citilink flight from Dili in Timor Leste to Denpasar Bali was uneventful. I had a window F seat and a fantastic view of Nusa Lembongan und Nusa Ceningan below before reaching Bali. Nusa Lembongan – located just southeast of Bali – was the most famous of the Nusa Islands – Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan and part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Nusa Ceningan on the southern side of the Strait of Badung apparently had notable surf breaks which attracted some surfers away from the more crowded breaks on Nusa Lembongan.

The approach to Bali shortly after was stunning as well. I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Denpasar was located 13 km south of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, and the main gateway to the island. The location in this area of the island had subsequently facilitated arrivals and departures over the ocean with minimal noise and overflights intruding upon populated areas. The current airport has an east-west aligned runway and associated taxiway, with over 1000 m of that runway’s length projecting westward into the sea making for a fascinating landing approach.

We landed on time at 13:30 – Bali was 1 hr behind Timor Leste – I was now only 7 hrs ahead of Germany. Exiting the plane was slow – they called 10 rows at a time and only 30 pax per bus from the outer airfield to the terminal. Still remnants of the strange times of the past few years … First stop was then the health post with the vax cert check again which was no problem.

The visa on arrival procedure was painless as well. Of course I had to pay IDR 500 000 again for a new 30-day visa. Immigration check was a breeze as well. Only the luggage took a while, but my bag arrived eventually. It was a good thing I filled in the customs form online last night. It was mandatory here as well and since I had it I went through the check quickly.

Coming out of the terminal I was overwhelmed by the crowd … so many people! The constant Taxi! … Taxi? … Taxi! was getting on my nerves already after a few minutes … I checked a couple of the transfer desks and the going taxi rate was IDR 250 000 to Sanur where I had booked a room for tonight. The Bluebird taxi app stated a fixed price of IDR 125 000 … The thing was, I could not find the Bluebird airport pick up point to order the taxi online … Therefore I walked out of the airport area … past all the annoying Taxi? … Taxi! … Motorbike? … Good price! … Motorbike! … Instinctively I ended up in the neigbourhood in front of a hotel. That was a good pick up point and for the first time I used the Bluebird taxi app. It worked perfectly and my cab arrived within 5 min.

It was a no hassle affair. I like fixed price. I did not have to discuss if we would take the toll road … it was already included in the fixed price. I had set up the app for cash payment as well. For tonight I had booked a room in Abisha Hotel Sanur located at the Jalan Bypass road, so it was a straight forward drive, really. It was a quick 30 min ride. Check in was no nonsense as well – I paid cash IDR 258 500 – which was just € 16. I got a pool view room with balcony which was fancier than I would have expected for that price in Sanur.

I dropped all my stuff and went directly for a walk. I had only one night in Sanur and wanted to at least have look around and find a couple of geocaches as well. It was already 16:45 by now and it was still really hot. It was overcast, but sticky humid and hot. Nevertheless I went to explore.

Walking along the Jalan Bypass road north I was on the lookout for some dinner. My sister had insisted I had to find Babi Guling – suckling pig. Warung Babi Guling Sanur was supposed to have the best in Sanur and it was not too far to walk from my hotel. Of course I was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, so the place was virtually empty. There was only one other customer … I found a table and ordered a portion plus an orange juice.

A friendly lady served the food quickly. I downed the juice – which turned out to be fresh tangerine juice – in one gulp and ordered a second one. I was really thirsty. The Babi Guling was not bad. It was not totally fresh – left over from the lunch batch – and could have been better. But it was good enough and very spicy. In Indonesia, this roast pig was predominantly found in non-Muslim majority regions – such as Hindu Bali and Christian Batak lands in North Sumatra, the Minahasa people of North Sulawesi, Toraja in South Sulawesi, Papua and also among Chinese Indonesians. In Bali, the dish was usually served with Lawar – a side dish created from a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat mixed with rich herbs and spices – and steamed rice.

Continuing my exploration I bought some icetea in a minimarket and tried a couple of ATMs for cash … 4% commission was too much, though … and most only dispensed IDR 500 000 per transaction. Eventually I found a BNI ATM which did not charge extra commission and dispensed IDR 2 mio per transaction. So I pulled 3 times that amount to be fluid over the next few days. Then I was on the go to find an Adventure Lap which had like 5 stations along the northern beach of Sanur.

Sanur was a 5 km coastal stretch of beach east of Denpasar in southeast Bali, which had grown into a little town in its own right. In 1906 the northern part of Sanur Beach was used as the landing site for the Dutch invasion troops during the intervention in Bali. During WWII, Sanur was again the entry point through which the Japanese forces landed to occupy the island of Bali.

Bali, Bali, Bali – everyone knew Bali! As a result, I was not completely alone on the island of the gods. I had avoided it like the plague so far. Bali was however incredibly diverse – it was culture, nature, temple, volcano, surfing, diving … But Bali was also packed with tourists … Package tourism had long since arrived in Sanur … in fact for several decades mid-range to high-end hotels, fish restaurants, clothing stores and diving schools have lined up along the coast.

It was a nice walk checking off all the Adventure Lap stations going north. But all in all for me there were just too many package tourists around. It felt sure weird, because I had been all by myself the last days in Timor Leste and I had kind of gotten used to fewer people during the last few strange years as well … at least during my vacations … Here I felt like in my first year in Thailand … it was 1997/98 when I spent almost a year working in diving off Pattaya, living on a shoestring … I went back there in 2012 for a day visit … and it had changed so much … it had been already too much for me then … I never went back since … Here I was reminded of those times … Taxi! … Taxi? … Lady, you want to buy? … Good price! Look! Look! … Where you go? … I tried to blend it out and just enjoy the beautiful houses, statues, views …

Bali was Indonesia’s main tourist destination with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s. Tourism-related business made up 80% of its economy. Along the beach there were many local and Asian tourists as well … not just westerners … I found all the Lab Cache stations … visual stations where the GPS had to log onto via the Adventure Lab app to get a question which then had to be answered in order to log the station. It was a very nice and interesting walk … I probably would not have come this way or walked this far without it … Once more geocaching was my tour guide!

Of course the Lab Cache had also a physical bonus cache … a secret box hidden. The final coordinates had to be calculated with information collected on the different stations. I took a quick break and did the math … then walked further north past the new Sanur Port Terminal. It must have been constructed fairly recently since my sister did not recognize the huge dragons on my photos … and she had been to Bali regularly before the world shut down. I found the dragons rather impressive!

A few hundred meters further north and inland I found the final location of the secret box. It was a small crocodile temple and visiting that was already worth the hike. I did not find the actual cache … I logged anyway with a photo log. I was here!

It was quickly getting dark now and quite frankly I was too lazy to walk back to the hotel … it was some 3 km or so … Passing the Port Terminal there was a huge traffic jam … Plenty boats arrived around this time from the Nusa Islands and day trips and most passengers got picked up by busses or such … I had a notion to walk to the main bypass road and then hail a Bluebird … but there was not even the slightest chance … traffic was as thick as it could be … So I tried the Gojek App for the first time to order a motorbike taxi because I figures it would be easiest to wind through the traffic.

The good thing was that the pickup location could be marked on the map. I chose the gas station on the corner and waited. The app quickly gave the driver details and his location. Of course the traffic was so bad that I had to wait more than the 5 min stated … but also I could chat with the driver or he could call my Indonesian number … Chatting was easier because the app automatically translated. Just waiting helped as well and finally the motorbike arrived. I even got a helmet!

He was a good driver and wound through traffic safely. After approx 10 min I got off on the opposite side of the road to the hotel. He should have turned further ahead and then backtracked, but I did not want to make him waste time. Also, I wanted to go to the minimarket located on this side of the bypass. The ride was IDR 12 000, very cheap … all of 0.75 € …

I was back in Indonesia … there was no more beer in the minimarkets like in Timor Leste … Even when Bali was somewhat different from the rest of the country … so I got more juice and ice tea. Back at the hotel I ordered a Gin & Tonic at the very empty bar to take to my room. The girl had to ask the boss via mobile phone how to fix one and how much to charge as well … several phone calls later I got my drink. It came up cheap for only IDR 42 000 …

I took it to my room and spent the rest of the evening like usual … relax, sort and post photos, surf the internet, chat online, write, shower, sleep … In the morning I would get up early to see some more of Sanur before I got picked up for the ferry boat to Lembongan by 11:00.

Bali is the sort of place
where you can walk down the street
and find something picturesque.
Henry Golding.

 

03.12.2022

A morning exploring Sanur Beach          

I had decided to walk Sanur Beach in the early morning before heading to Nusa Lembongan. So I was up even earlier than usual. My alarm rang at 06:00 but by that time I was already wide awake and on the go by 06:15. This early in the morning the sun was just up, but it was still not too hot yet. It was quiet, though. The town was just about waking up. I walked to the southern end of the beach since I had visited the northern end yesterday. I loved wandering the alleys and looking at beautiful statues, temples and houses.

Bali was the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia – with approx 87% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism – Agama Hindu Bali – an amalgamation of Hinduism and indigenous animist customs that existed in the Indonesian archipelago before the arrival of Hinduism. It integrated many of the core beliefs of Hinduism with the arts and rituals of the Balinese people – local animism, ancestor worship and reverence for Buddhist saints. And those gods of all kinds were displayed to seemingly protect the estates everywhere.

In contemporary times, Hinduism in Bali was officially referred to by the Indonesian Ministry of Religion as Agama Hindu Dharma. The general beliefs and practices in Bali were a mixture of ancient traditions and contemporary pressures placed by Indonesian laws that permitted only monotheist belief under the national ideology of Panca Sila, the official, foundational, philosophical theory of Indonesia. The axiological ideas of Balinese Hinduism paralleled those in Indian Hinduism. However, they were termed somewhat differently and passed on from one generation to the next in the community and at spiritual ceremonies. Unlike the Islamic schools in Indonesia and Hindu Ashrams in India, the traditional precepts and values were acquired at home through rituals and religious symbols.

Most people were doing their morning rituals now. Little baskets with incense sticks and little goodies such as sweets, fruits and sometimes even some money and a cigarette were placed on the floor in front of shops and homes, in the middle of cross roads and junctions and on temple shrines basically everywhere. Those offerings were supposed to bring delight to the Gods. Although, there were many varieties of offerings from simple to extravagant ones, each of them had to consist of all the components that had been foretold and were called Canang Sari. Typically, Canang Sari would be left to stay for one night on the shrine or on the floor after praying, and then be removed and replaced with a new one the next morning.

I found the first geocache of the day as I reached the beach promenade. It was hidden in a park near the newly paved foot and bicycle path and an easy find. Sanur Beach had a very long coastline and was perfect for a morning walk. By now it slowly got busy with joggers and cyclists. Yet, I could log this cache unnoticed.

It was a nice scenic walk from here northwards along the beach. Fishing boats bopped in the morning sun, hotel gardens and beach restaurants lined the path and the first bathers were splashing about in the sea. The area was ideal as there were no waves on the beach and the water was very shallow. The morning light was outstandingly beautiful.

Occasionally I caught stunning views of Mount Agung – an active volcano and with 3142 m also the highest point on Bali – in the distance. From afar the mountain appeared to be perfectly conical. It was a stratovolcano and its most recent eruptions occurred from 2017 to 2019. Balinese people believed that Gunung Agung was a replica of Mount Meru, the central axis of the universe. The most important temple on Bali – Pura Besakih – was located high on the slopes of it.

Religious ceremonies are of paramount importance in Bali
– an island, don’t forget, with 7 unpredictable volcanoes on it –
you would pray, too.
Elizabeth Gilbert

I wandered more alleys and quickly found another secret box near Nogo® Bali Ikat Center. In front of the shop was a wooden hand loom on display where the cache was hidden. Fortunately, the shop was still closed this early in the morning and there were no people around. I could search and find unnoticed and quickly. Ikat – literally Indonesian for bundle – was a complicated and time-consuming resist-dye and weaving technique. During the process, undyed yarns were mounted on a frame in bundles according to the desired pattern and tied in place. In the subsequent dyeing process, the tied areas resisted the absorption of dye and remained uncoloured. The planned designs could be applied to either the stationary longitudinal warp threads alone – resulting in warp ikat – or in a more challenging process, designs were dyed onto the weft – weft ikat. Designs could also be dyed onto both thread systems at once, so that the patterning of each one supplemented the other in the most complicated manner – resulting in the intricate double ikat.

Most impressed I was of the amazing doors I encountered everywhere. Balinese architecture reflected the centuries-old religion, custom and culture of the people who lived on the beautiful island. A Balinese home was traditionally built as a compound, surrounded by a thick stone wall punctuated with one or more gates. Enclosed within the walls were usually garden, pond and open-air pavilions which served as living quarters. Gates were considered to be sacred in Balinese culture and acted as portals that connect the physical world and the spiritual realm of gods and spirits as well as the living and the dead ancestors. There were 2 common types of gates – Candi Bentar, the split-gate traditionally built as a formal entrance to a temple or palace, and Paduraksa – intricately carved gates with a tiled or thatched roof which served as entryway to a family compound.

Historically, Balinese gates were built for protection – from wild animals because apparently tigers were once abundant in Bali, intruders and most importantly, from evil spirits. Balinese Hinduism was applied to every aspect of life – including architecture. Religious characters and symbols were incorporated into the intricate carvings appearing on the gates’ facades and doors. Traditionally, gates were also regarded as a status symbol indicating a family’s wealth or social rank judging on their sizes, building materials and the complexity of the carvings.

Life, religion and art all converge in Bali.
They have no word of their language for ‘artist’ or ‘art’.
Everyone is an artist.
Anais Nin

Having found the 2 secret boxes I had set my eyes on for this morning and explored everything I wanted to, I strolled back to the beach. It was just about 07:45 by now and I still had time. So I decided on breakfast by the beach … I had passed several restaurants before, but only one had caught my eye … Maya Sanur Resort & Spa had the restaurant directly by the promenade and I grabbed a table with a marvelous seaview. I ordered à la carte foregoing the buffet breakfast. My Avocado Toast, Tangerine Juice and Coffee were exceptionally good and came to IDR 206 000 total. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

By 09:00 I was back at the hotel. It was already really hot now, so I had decided to head back and enjoy my balcony for a while. There was some packing to do as well and I the journal needed a catch up too. I had been walking around almost 3 hrs this morning, I deserved a rest …

Heading down to reception to check out just before 11:00, my Rocky Fast Cruise pick up was already waiting for me. I had booked a 2 nights/4 dives package including return transfer from Bali with World Diving Lembongan. They had already messaged me this morning that the transfer driver did not know or could not find my hotel. So I had WA them my location to make sure. Obviously they had found it … There were a couple more people in the van and first we stopped at the Rocky Fast Cruise Office to get the boarding pass and sticker of our destination. Just as we arrived there it started pouring down with rain …

Off to Nusa Lembongan

In November 2022 – shortly before the G20 summit – Sanur opened the new port. It was one of Southeast Asia’s most modern ports and all boats now conveniently departed and arrived from a pier rather than from the beach. The new port was equipped with a digital ticketing system and an air-conditioned waiting area. As we arrived we had to drop the luggage first. It had gotten the same destination sticker as we did and I hoped my bag would not get lost. There was also a first boarding pass check where they scanned the QR code and upstairs was a big waiting hall with 2 boarding gates only. There were several boats leaving to Lembongan and the other Nusa Islands. Passengers were called to the gate by boat company … No PA system, though … or at least they did not use it …

The rain stopped just before my speed boat’s departure. Boarding started on time. It was a medium sized boat with all of 6 engines in the back. They loaded the luggage and I saw my bag. So that was a relief. The boat was not full … maybe half. There was enough space and I had a window seat. It was a smooth 30 min ride across the 12 km width of the Badung Strait separating Nusa Lembongan from Bali Island.

Soon Nusa Lembongan came in sight. The small approx 8 sqkm island with a permanent population estimated at 5000 was surrounded by coral reefs with white sand beaches and low limestone cliffs. There were 3 main villages on the island. Jungut Batu and Mushroom Bay were the centres of the tourist-based industry and activities on the island whilst much of the permanent local population resided in Lembongan Village. The economy was largely based on tourism and Nusa Lembongan was the only one of the 3 Nusa Islands to have any significant tourism-based infrastructure. It was particularly well known as a world-class surfing destination with famous surf breaks and for its surrounding world-class SCUBA Diving and snorkeling on the coral reefs.

There was no dock on Lembongan, the boat backed into Jungut Batu Beach and the passengers had to climb off the back. Everybody took their shoes off, but I could not be bothered taking my big boots off and just took a bit of a leep in the shallow timing it with the wave. I did not get my trousers wet … or water in the shoes … Then a seemingly organised chaos ensued … luckily, they carried the luggage off the boat for us  and we were all ushered to different pick-up taxis. For me the hotel transfer was included here as well. It was only 5 min to World Diving which was situated half way along the main beach front of Jungut Batu Village.

It was a small diving outfit with attached accommodation and restaurant. At the bar they gave me my room key – I had booked a seafront room with my package. It was directly on the beach and it was beautiful. It was a simple room with 3 beds in fact and en suite bathroom. It even had AC! The individual veranda and sun loungers in front were overlooking the sea. It had been a great choice.

Once I had settled in I went over to the dive shop to check in there as well and fill in all the necessary papers. Immediately we got to chatting about the good old times in Thailand … Andrea there was on Koh Samui roughly the same time as I was on Koh Tao … which was between 1998 and 2002 … But we obviously had never crossed path. My dives would start tomorrow morning, so I had the afternoon to relax. I got a beer from the bar and chilled on my porch for a while, then I took an afternoon nap until around 15:45. It was too hot to walk already.

When I woke up it was more pleasant and a little overcast. So I strolled along the calm, almost pristine white-sand beach northwards for a while. Plenty guesthouses, restaurants and dive shops lined the beach front. Some were really busy, others were open but quiet. Several properties were however seemingly long closed and in a decaying state … most probably victims of the strange times when the world had shut down abruptly …

None of the beach restaurants really caught my attention. So I eventually turned off the beach and continued my exploration and search for an early dinner on the main road leading north. Happy I was that the island was not as crowded as Sanur … in fact the island vibes reminded me largely of Thailand in the early 2000s … Koh Tao back then did not have a paved beach road yet, but this felt like the back roads of Koh Samui and Phuket in off season to me …

I ended up in Siki Poke House for an early dinner. The menu looked OK and the place as well. Choosing White Fish Ceviche and a Poke Bowl with Shrimp and Wasabi Mayo, I also ordered Watermelon juice and Mango Juice. I was thirsty. I cannot remember having a Poke Bowl before in my live, but it was very good and so was the Ceviche. Well, the Ceviche was nowhere close to the Peruvian Ceviche or any other version of it I ever had before … and I loved Ceviche! … But it was a good Indonesian version and in the end I had downed a second Watermelon Juice as well and I was satisfied.

On the way back to my room walking along the main road I was keeping an eye out for massage places. I really needed a good massage. Tomorrow after diving I would find one! In a minimarket I got some beer – they had it in the minimarket here! – and icetea … It was an interesting stroll … Houses were built of limestone blocks in the Balinese patterns and always included a family shrine as most inhabitants here were of the Hindu Balinese religion. I spotted many Ganesha shrines along the way … for Hindus of any kind a Ganesha figure was part of every household – Lord Ganesha brought luck for new beginnings, protected the house, removed obstacles, promised wisdom and success, he was humorous and loved pleasure. I had to admit, he was my favourite Hindu Gods as well.

Settling on my veranda to watch the sunset – it was a prime sunset spot, to be honest! – it was stunning! Later I posted some photos and just chilled chatting on the internet until the mobile batteries ran out. Before bed I prepared the GoPro and all my stuff for tomorrow mornings diving tour, updated the journal somewhat and then slept relatively early, because tomorrow was an early start and I had not been SCUBA diving for a few years really and was somewhat excited to go tomorrow underwater again …

 

04.12.2022

Diving Nusa Penida

Maybe it was out of this excitement that I was up very early this morning once more. I settled on the porch, soaked up the view and did some catching up on the journal. By 07:00 the restaurant opened for breakfast which was included and I went around the corner to order. Taking Dragonfruit Juice, Coffee, Toast and Jam, they assured me it would be served on my porch. And it sure was and it was very good. They had German style Bread! Believe it! It was so good!

By 07:30 I headed over to the dive shop to check the equipment. I had brought my own mask and snorkel, but needed everything else. I was the only diver today and they had booked me and their divemaster Putu on a boat share with another dive shop. Fine with me. There were 3 other divers on that boat and funnily enough 2 of them were the people I had met on the transfer and speed boat yesterday already.

It was a 20 min ride to the first dive site called Toyakapeh along the northwest coast of Nusa Penida and supposed to be partially protected from the usually strong currents through Ceningan Channel. Setting up my equipment and suiting up was a piece of cake –  eventhough I had not really been diving recently – the last times were one dry suit dive each in winter 2018 under the ice of Lake Baikal in Sibiria and the Silfra Fissure between the continents in Iceland in summer 2019. Warm water diving was somewhat easier and I did prefer it.

Toyapakeh was said to be one of the best dive sites around Nusa Penida due to good visibility and rich coral. In addition to the reef, there were supposed to be some very attractive coral formations that provided excellent places to find fish and other marine life. I was looking forward to it.

Getting in was a back roll and descending was easy as well. I was sure I would be floating a lot and had already taken plenty weights on the belt, but needed a couple pieces more do get down. In my best diving days I needed very little … muscles were negatively buoyant, fat floated … The rest was easily coming back. SCUBA diving was like riding a bicycle … especially with as many dives under the belt as I had done in my good 10 years of working as a SCUBA Instructor. Starting at 6m, the lovely reef of beautiful soft corals and thriving hard corals was pretty to look at. The visibility was good. After all it was low season.

At around 10m, we started to drift with a slight current heading south making for an easy and pleasant drift dive. We spotted schools of fish including Sweetlips, Jackfish, Clown Trigger and Wrasses. This site was apparently one of the prettiest in terms of coral rocks. My equipment did not have a depth gauge … it was broken … and no watch … my dive watches were long since retired … And although I had brought my antic Suunto Mosquito dive computer, I could not use it because the battery was long since depleted and I had not found anybody to change it yet. So I had to stick to DM Putu and trust him. Nevertheless I was happy.

Bali was part of the Coral Triangle – a roughly triangular area in the tropical waters around the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste – an area with the highest biodiversity of marine species, especially fish and turtles. In this area alone, over 500 reef-building coral species could be found. For comparison, this was about 7 times as many as in the entire Caribbean. We saw plenty small things as well. A colourful Mantis Shrimp, some Nudibranchs … and I found Nemo … the pretty Clownfish in its Sea Anemone …

I had brought the underwater housing for the GoPro and was trying to catch as much as possible just for the fun of it. There were huge Titan Trigger Fish and Starry Puffers. I was excited to be unter water again and albeit I was relaxed I was out of practice and was sucking air like nothing … I was totally out of shape … with a max 21 m depth I only managed 46 min on the first tank … gone were the times when I could do 2 dives on one tank …

From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders.
He is bolted to earth.
But man has only to sink beneath the surface
and he is free.
Jacques Yves Cousteau

There were plenty Moray Eels around. We saw them hidden in their caves or even swimming around. A highlight was also the Laced Moray – Gymnothorax favagineus – also known as the Leopard Moray – a large white to yellowish moray dotted with numerous black spots. It was indeed well carmouflages as well as the Stonefish – Synanceia verrucosa – the most venomous fish known – which I would have missed if Putu had not pointed it out … I was definitely out of practice!

No matter how much you travel,
if you don’t dive,
you cannot say you’ve seen the world.
Unknown

Surface interval was maybe 45 min and we spent it on the boat nibbling on the packed lunch they had send along. It was too early for me for lunch, though. I just had breakfast before leaving … but I had some cookies while the boat moved to the next dive site which was called Sekola Desar SD and was just just round the corner from Toyapakeh a bit further northeast along the north coast of Nusa Penida.

It was another easy drift dive. SD was named after the village primary school, Sekolah Desar. Seaweed farmers were living along this stretch of white sandy beach, while beneath the blue waters the coral reef ran parallel. SD apparently offered some of the best drift diving to be found in Indonesia. The currents here could range from non-existent to exhilarating and certainly made for an exciting dive. The site consisted of a moderately steep slope, covered in fields and fields of corals and sponges.

As we drifted along we encountered swirling schools of Trigger, Butterfly, Trumpet and Angel Fish. In fact, pretty much any other tropical fish imaginable … and the most diverse collection of corals and sponges in Bali. The dive was somewhat shallower than the first dive and I liked it better than the first one. Maybe it was because I was more relaxed now and got my underwater groove back … but also the coral was absolutely amazing and during the max 20 m and 51 min dive time we spotted several Green Sea Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. I loved it!

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle – Eretmochelys Imbricata – was critically endangered with a global distribution that was largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems. The Hawksbill’s appearance was similar to that of other marine turtles – in general a flattened body shape, a protective carapace and flipper-like limbs, adapted for swimming in the open ocean, but it was easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak and the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. Hawksbill shells slightly changed colors, depending on water temperature. While this turtle lived part of its life in the open ocean, it spent more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs.

The Green Sea Turtle – Chelonia Mydas – with a range extending throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world had 2 distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but was also found in the Indian Ocean. The common name referred to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace, not to the color of its carapace, which was olive to black. Adults usually inhabited shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. The turtles bit off the tips of the blades of seagrass, which kept the grass healthy. Like other sea turtles, Green Sea Turtles migrated long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands worldwide were known as Turtle Island due to Green Sea Turtles nesting on their beaches.

At the end of the dive we drifted through clouds of Damsel Fish which hovered over fields of Staghorn corals and there were more Sea Turtles. I was mesmerized by Sea Turtles. I would have just hovered near them watching if there would not have been any current. Even during our safety stop at 5 m for 3 min I watched a Turtle munching away …

After the 2nd dive the boat returned directly to the dive shop where we reached by 11:30. After a shower to wash the salt off, I had the dives stamped into my notebook. I did not have a logbook anymore … I might have stopped logging at some 5000 dives or so … That done I had my afternoon … well … lunch time … nap until 14:00.

Then I went in search of a massage. Andrea from the dive shop had recommended Aloevera Salon & Spa, so I went in search of that. It was not far away along the main road and then down a side road. I found it easily, but it was empty … nevertheless I went in to ask and the lady of the house came running from the garden … Yes, yes, open! Open! … I chose a 1 hr deep tissue massage for IDR 200 000 and it was very strong and very good – exactly what I needed.

Going for another exploration, I wandered first along the main road south and down to the beach and from there up the path on the southern end of the bay and up along a boardwalk skirting the coast above Jungut Bay. There were several fancy villa hotels with beautifully sculpted gardens and stairs leading up into the hills to more places and view points. I had a cocktail with a view in mind and was looking for a suitable place. There sure were some places I considered … but it was too early for sunset and happy hour … so all were empty … I kept walking for a bit and enjoyed the view for now.

The Deck became my choice for the cocktail today and it was a good one. Perched on the hillside it had the best view of the bay and if the afternoon clouds had not rolled in over Bali, I would have had an awesome view of Mount Agung in the far distance. This morning from the dive boat it had been beautifully visible. I ordered one of their healthy juices – a Tropical Placebo with Mango, Pineapple, Coconut and Lime – plus The Deck Original Mango Daiquiri – frozen with Rum, Mango and Lime. Of course I needed some food with it … a Loaded Paradise Salad of romaine lettuce topped with Papaya, Avocado, Walnuts and Parmesan with a Dijon Vinaigrette. Everything was absolutely amazing and that view … alone that view was worth the IDR 247 000 total bill …

Heading back down to the beach I admired the view some more. I was a sucker for good views and the cocktail to go with it … I was tempted to have another one in one of the other places … but I decided against it. I rather sat on my veranda to watch the sunset … after all I had paid for a sea view room for that …

But there was much too see en route. All kinds of appalling myths were been attached to the Nusa Islands, due to formerly gloomy atmospheres and unrewarding conditions. Black magic was said to flourish here and Balinese from the mainland – Yes, Nusa Islanders called Bali the mainland! Believe it! –  were careful about what they said to Nusa people so as not to offend them. All evil on Bali, especially flood and diseases during the dry season, was said to come from Nusa, brought by the giant demon king, Jero Gede Mecaling. The Balinese Hindus were really afraid of him. Originally, Gede Mecaling lived in the small village in Bali, but he was chased away and exiled in Nusa Penida. Furious, he often went to Bali in order to spread epidemics and diseases there. I noticed the statues in front of the houses and the offerings looked somewhat different here than on the so-called mainland Bali … yet very interesting and captivating.

Temples were pinnacle to the day to day life of the island and could be seen everywhere … each family compound had their own temple or shrine and then there were larger village temples made up of several areas. The word for Temple in Balinese was Pura and the larger village temples were called Pura Desar – Village Temple. The temples were ornate and some had intricately carved wooden doors and roof.

Back at my accommodation by World Diving I got a beer at the bar and had a chat with the ladies from the dive shop about Koh Tao and the good old times before I settled on my veranda for sunset. It was no breathtaking sun down today … virtually it was none existent … there were just too many clouds over Bali … but it was good enough.

For dinner … yes, I needed dinner, of course … that salad had just been a late lunch … I was in search for Lobster. I could not leave the island and the coast without have had a proper seafood dinner. I had asked around and Warung Pancer up the main road seemed to be my best bet. And they advertised Lobster on the board outside as I had seen yesterday.

When I reached there it was empty, but I asked and the lady said they were open and they had Lobster. It was in the menu for IDR 250 000 for one piece … They brought it out to show me … they were sure iced from this morning and really little … tiny in fact … but they looked good and … WTF … I ordered 2 pieces grilled with raw sambal and vegetable. Papaya Juice and Tonic Water to hydrate I took as well.

The food was excellent indeed and the raw sambal was just delicious and very spicy. The vegetables were something like green beans in a creamy sauce … not sure … could have been anything … it was complimenting the Lobsters and was lip smacking good … well worth the IDR 545 000 total bill.

Back in my room I chilled, sorted and posted photos as usual and slept early. I was tired from diving and walking today and was looking forward to Manta Point tomorrow! While when planning this stay I had really contemplated to only come here for 1 night and 2 dives, in the end I had opted for 2 nights/4 dives. The only reason I had come here was to see Manta Rays and they had not been able to guarantee the trip to Manta Point. A few days ago, Andrea had sent me an e-mail asking for my decision and she had been happy enough when I confirmed 4 dives. Tomorrow was the trip to Manta Point! I was excited!

75% of the Earth is water.
Divers live on a much bigger planet.
Unknown

 

05.12.2022

Diving Nusa Penida

Today I was up early … nothing new here … however, today Manta Rays were calling me! I had only once in all my years of SCUBA diving seen a Manta under water. That was my 3558th dive … On No! The 3558th dive was my first Whale Shark – at Chumpon Pinnacle Koh Tao! The Manta Ray – the one and only I ever saw under water – was on dive … mayby on dive 5424 or so … I had stopped counting by then … at Hin Daeng off Phuket … The photo of it was still the wallpaper on my mobile phone and my laptop to day … My first Hammerhead Shark I spotted another 500 dives later at Rangiroa in French Polynesia … So I had something to look forward to today!

For breakfast I took the same as yesterday only with Watermelon Juice. I took it tranquil – because the dive meeting was today only at 08:00 and my equipment had been sorted yesterday already.

The good thing was – there were 8 divers today and they took the bigger World Diving boat around to the southern side of Nusa Penida where the Manta dives sites were located. Large plateaus created the ideal cleaning and feeding stations for Manta Rays. Although not as rich in diversity of corals and marine life as the northern side, the plateaus promised some interesting topography – the main reason for diving in this area was of course the chance to encounter Manta Rays.

It was a good 1 hr 15 min ride along dramatic limestone cliffs that felt like the set of Jurassic Park to Manta Point. The vistas along the islands were breathtaking. But I had an idea and was on a mission now. Yesterday I had checked my Suunto Mosquito dive computer once more … not being able to monitor time and depth under water by myself had been really annoying … It turned out it used small CR 2032 cells and I did remember I had several of those in my camera gadget bag for some remote controls or such … To open the back cover of it should not have been too hard with a coin, but I still asked one of the divemasters to help me open it. It had been closed for almost 15 years since I used it last and was stuck … it needed some power … Putting the new cell in was easy and I even got it shut by myself again … and … it worked! I was so happy! Now I just hoped it would be water proof and survive the dive! … I can report … it did and it was still working!

Manta Point was Nusa Penida’s most famous epic dive site … and therefore we were of course not the only boat around … Weather conditions and sometimes big waves on the exposed south side of the island meant that it was not always possible to dive this site. I was lucky! This site provided year round the opportunity for a magical encounter with the majestic Manta Rays! I was ready!

I got paired up with 3 French speaking Swiss guys with huge cameras. Fine with me … I just tagged along. And as soon as we descended we just had to follow the crowd of divers and peer through the clouds of bubbles …

The main attraction of this dive site were the cleaning station and large rock formation found at a shallow depth. Here, the plankton rich waters attracted circling Mantas waiting to be cleaned and often swooping in for a closer look at divers. There was no current today, just some surge in the shallower waters. We were not deeper than 10 m for a start and spotted the first Manta cruising to the station to be cleaned by the smaller reef fish.

The Reef Manta Ray – Mobula Alfredi – was one of the largest rays in the world only surpassed by the Giant Oceanic Manta Ray. The species was described in 1868 by Gerard Krefft, the director of the Australian Museum. He named it Mobula Alfredi in honor of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the first member of the British Royal Family to visit Australia.

All in all we saw 4 or 5 Mantas … but only once 2 at the same time … so maybe they were not all different, but the same ones returning … I was over the moon! I had not really planned on going diving and that for 2 days during this trip. However, since I had to stop over in Bali anyway, I could not really bypass this opportunity. And now I was so happy I had done it and seen Manta Rays!

Manta was Spanish for cloak which probably referred to their large blanket-shaped bodies. Reef Manta Rays were typically 3 to 3.5 m in disc width, with a maximum size of about 5.5 m and found widely in shallower coastal habitats of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. They had evolved from stingrays but unlike other stingray species, Mantas did not have a stinging spine – they were completely harmless – they were filter feeders and did not have teeth for biting or chewing and fed on plankton and occasionally on very small fish. Their only known predators were large sharks and humans. Mantas looked like they have horns – but these were actually large fins which they used to direct plankton into their mouths when they were feeding.

Of course there were not only Mantas here. Swimming into the deeper water brought different encounters. There were huge schools of bright yellow Common Bluestriped Snappers – Lutjanus Kasmira. The color was probably the most diagnostic feature of the fish – 4 bright-blue stripes ran longitudinally on the side of the fish. Like many snappers, it inhabited coral reefs, occurring in both shallow lagoons and on outer reef slopes frequently gathering in large aggregations around coral formations, caves or wrecks during daylight hours.

Somebody pointed out a small octopus on the corals … I could hardly make it out it was so well camouflaged. There were Blue Banded Surgeonfish – Acanthurus Lineatus – territorial fish with a large male defending a feeding territory and a harem of females. The reef was full with all kinds of colourful reef fish and it was a beautiful dive. I sucked my tank completely empty and had to buddy up with another group from our boat to do the safety stop, because the Swiss guys were much better on air. Yet, I managed max 18 m depth for 55 min.

I love scuba diving
because for one hour,
everyone just shuts the f*** up.
Every scuba diving instructor – including me – when asked what made the job so great

With a maximum dive time of 60 min anyway, the rest of the divers came up shortly after as well. The surface interval was 1 hr and again I got a lunch pack. I was not hungry so just nibbled on some cookies and reflected on the Manta sightings and generally just enjoyed the ride back along the coast of Nusa Penida. The next dive site was Crystal Bay – also known as Penida Bay – located at the south end of the channel between Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan. Apparently this bay deserved its nickname of Crystal Bay as the visibility here was said to be often 30m+ … not today, though.

To my horror I got paired up with the beginners on this dive, because I was sucking too much air … unfortunately the beginners sucked even more than me and in the end I came up after max 17 m and 47 min with still much air left … oh well … The visibility was not that great here today and it was overcast for a while so it was rather green and gloomy under water before the sun came out above again. Still there was much to see … the site was full of macro life … Nudibraches, Sea Stars … and we even found a Seahorse – Hippocampus! It was very hard to spot, though, but it was relatively big … maybe 5 cm …

One of my favourite sightings on this dive site was the White-spotted Boxfish – Ostracion Meleagris – with a distinctly angular appearance … it had been formerly described as resembling an ottoman. The Moorish Idol – Zanclus Cornutus – which got its name from the Moors of Africa, who purportedly believed the fish to be a bringer of happiness, was plentyful around here, too. Various colorful Butterflyfish were to be spotted and clouds of Damsel Fish hovering over the coral. There were huge Puffer Fish and a school of Yellowtailed Barracuda flying by and I found a couple of small Red Lionfish hiding in a piece of coral.

For most people,
this is as close to being an astronaut,
as you’ll ever get.
It’s leaving planet Earth behind and entering an alien world.
Mary Frances Emmons

I completely ignored the beginners group I had been paired up with and only every now and then glanced at the dive master in the distance keeping him within my visibility range. Every time I came too close to the group they annoyed me with flapping around too much and kicking up the sand all the time … scaring the marine life … I had put up with that when teaching diving, but since I had paid for this now … It pissed me off …

So keeping to myself, I also spotted a big Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait – Laticauda Colubrina – also known as the Banded Sea Snake – a venomous sea snake found in tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters. The snake had distinctive black stripes and a yellow snout with a paddle-like tail for use in swimming. It spend much of its time under water to hunt, but returned to land to digest, rest and reproduce. Because of its affinity to land, the Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait often encountered humans, but the snake was not aggressive and only attacked when feeling threatened … I did not get too close …

When the beginners had already sucked their tank empty, I still was well on air, but I had to go up with them as well … those were the rules … at least we spotted another photogenic Green Turtle in the shallows and I spent my safety stop observing it before it swam off into the blue … a nice end to my SCUBA diving stint in Indonesia!

The ride back to World Diving was not too long and by 13:40 I was back in my room. I had been granted a late check-out and still time to grab a shower and finish packing. I ordered a quick lunch of Fried Noodles with Chicken and Egg and while I waited I went over to have my dives stamped and pay my bill by credit card. They charged the package in 2 goes – it was IDR 2 670 000 for the 4 dives including the supplement of IDR 150 000 for the Manta Point trip this morning. The accommodation and food was charged separately with IDR 1 578 000 including the few beer I had from the bar. That done I had still enough time to enjoy my lunch on my porch.

While eating and waiting for my ferry pick-up, I watched a boat come in on the beach next door – it was fully loaded with a seaweed harvest. Prior to mass tourism, seaweed farming in the waters surrounding Nusa Lembongan was the primary source of income for many on the island. Once tourism arrived, many residents gave up farming to work in the more lucrative tourism industry. A few families, however, remained farming the seaweed, but not in the numbers that once did. But when the pandemic hit, many of the residents saw resuming farming as a way to support themselves and their community. 2 distinct varieties of seaweed were grown – a fast-growing brown variety and a more valuable, yet slower-growing green variety. The fields could, however, only be accessed during the low tide. Was the seaweed ready for harvesting, usually within 3 to 4 weeks, it was collected in narrow wooden boats and returned to shore, then laid out on large tarpaulins to dry naturally in the sunlight – which I had seen on my first afternoon exploring along the beach. The dried and sorted seaweed was then sold to buyers from Java. It was used for food but also an important ingredient in soaps and cosmetics.

 

Another Bali Stop-over

My Rocky Fast Cruise boat to Bali was scheduled for 16:00 and I was supposed to be picked up at 15:00 … or shortly after … They did not come … Andrea called them and checked up on it … they said they will come … just be patient … I am German … I had to be on time by nature … Eventually the transfer arrived at 15:40 and the guy hurried me up … yeah yeah … I was on time! So do not rush me now!

At the pier I had to go and check in at a waiting hall. I had received a ticket to hand over when checking in to come over a couple of days ago. So my name was on the list and I got not only the luggage tag but also a wrist band this time.

The boat was already there and there was no time to hang about … I had been liberated of my bag when reaching the beach and now a guy basically ripped the luggage tag out of my hand to put it on and hurry my bag on board. This time I had to take my shoes off … I did not want to get water inside of them … so I bit in the sour apple and undid the laces …

Getting in the boat was not such a big deal. Some people got wet up to their hips … I was not going to have that … I waited out the waves and timed my climb up the ladder to the lowest water level … so I just got my feet wet really … The ride itself was uneventful and quick … I waved Nusa Lembongan farewell and we arrived at the new Sanur Port Terminal by 16:45.

I had told them to have the transfer drop me at Abisha Hotel Sanur again in lieu of a better idea. I had a hotel reservation for Kuta, but the transfer there would have been much extra and a Bluebird Taxi was sure cheaper. At this time of the afternoon it was also easier to get one further away from the port … So I had the transfer guy drop me off on the opposite side of the road from the hotel and waited right there by the gas station for the Bluebird I quickly ordered via the app. It was just 5 min until it arrived and the fixed price was IDR 113 000 to Bali Summer Hotel Kuta.

I had chosen this Bali Summer Hotel not only because it was cheap, but also because it was located in Kuta near the Hard Rock Café … Since I was in Bali I needed to visit Hard Rock Café … The hotel was just around the corner from it. I arrived approx 17:45 and check-in was quick. I paid IDR 295 000 in cash for the night … all of € 18. It was a good room – big and with a porch and garden view. I took a tiny break and downed half of the Summer Pale Ale I had brought from Lembongan as an emergency stash …

My main objectiv this evening was a cocktail at the Hard Rock Café, so I got going directly after a few minutes break. Located in the south of Bali, not far from the airport, there was little to no tourism here until the 1960s there, but in just a few years, Kuta had then grown into a prestigious city. Holidaymakers from all over the world flocked to Bali’s vibrant west coast for surfing, shopping and nightlife. However, each city in the south of Bali had its own quirky vibe that attracted unique travelers and personalities – whether beach bum or a wild child, foodie or yogi – there was something for everybody. Seminyak was for foodies, shopping sprees and a little party, Canggu for keen surfers, barefoot wanderers and iced latte lovers, Uluwatu for surf pros, beach babes and panoramic oceanfront views, Ubud for spiritual seekers, yogis and digital nomads … and Kuta … Kuta was for searching for souvenirs and wild nights.

In Kuta were countless restaurants, bars, clubs, surf shops and shopping centers located. Already in the first few minutes walking down the main road to Hard Rock I was happy I was only spending tonight here and was leaving early tomorrow morning. Kuta was a very touristic place … worse than Sanur … more big resort city … I quickly found an ATM and pulled in 3 stages IDR 6 250 000, because I would have to pay my next tour in cash. Then I went directly to Hard Rock Café.

They had a Hard Rock Hotel here, but also a Hard Rock Café. This is were I went. They had Happy Hour at the moment, so I took 2 Strawberry Margaritas for IDR 235 000 and really enjoyed it. I studied the Lonelyplanet Indonesia while sipping on my drinks and also pre-ordered my Bluebird taxi for tomorrow morning 05:00, hoping it would be on time. I guessed, in a party town like Kuta it would not be too hard to get a taxi if it did not show up … at least I hoped …

Of course, this time I did not forget to buy the pin! I had learnt from my stupidity in Jakarta … but even if I had forgotten, my hotel was just around the corner … The pin was IDR 350 000 and I liked it very much.

Wandering around some I was looking for a seafood place to have another Lobster … There were numerous large touristy restaurants lining the streets and none of them was cheap … Kuta sure felt like Patong Beach in Phuket to me … I had not been since 2007 there, but it had the same vibe … Anyway, I decided on a large open air restaurant which had the seafood displayed outside and chose a big fresh Lobster. It was expensive … probably I had tapped into a right tourist trap … but I did not care … I wanted that Lobster! At least they already told me it would cost IDR 740 000 minus 15% discount including a free soft drink plus the service charge. Oh well, I wanted it! I ordered it grilled with black pepper sauce, Singapore Sauce and Sambal. It was very good and very tasty! I picked out every little bit of flesh before I gave it up. The final bill came to IDR 761 000.

On the way back to my hotel which was not far, I found out that here they sold beer in the minimarkets. Nice! I bought a couple to take away and also more icetea. Then I fell into my evening routine of sorting and posting some photos, updating the journal and sleeping relatively early. Tomorrow was going to be a long travel day and I had to get up by 04:00 …

Java and the volcanoes were awaiting me!

There’s so much more to Indonesia
than just Bali and Jakarta.
Tony Fernandes