Kuala Lumpur

• and back home.

When I was seated on the plane to KL and was on my way to turn off my phone I saw that I had a sms from Sarah in KL where she told me that she would pick me up at the airport in KL. Great, made me really happy that she had found a way to meet up. Sarah and I met last year in Kota Kinabalu when we where diving, did not speak much, but have texted a bit on FB and she said one time that she could show me around to for me new places in KL, and off course I said yes thank you to that.  I am a bit extra curious about hanging out with Sarah, since she not only is Muslim, but also religious and are practicing her religion. Met many Muslims, so that is not so strange, but I have not met anyone that takes it serious before. We could probably find many things to argue or disagree about if that should be the point, but for me it isn’t, I just want to learn more and get to know her better since she seam like a nice and decent person and to meet up with her was my main reason to stop in KL again this year, so it was good that it went in order.

And so she is. She picked me up at the airport and took me to my hostel, Red Palm, my home in KL, 3rd time I stay at this hostel in Bukit Bintang, KL. We agreed to met again the next day and go to Putrajaya, the administrative center of Malaysia. It was just the 2 of us going to Putrajaya, so we got to talk and get to know each other a lot better, nice and I enjoyed the company and to see something new in KL, and I also got to visit the Putra Mosque Putrajaya and get the history of the construction and building of the mosque and also a lot of information about Islam in it self from Sarah and a guide at the mosque, even got a private tour to the basement of the mosque, interesting. I can not remember visiting any mosque since I was in Istanbul back in 1989, and that is some time ago. Also looked around in more of the Putrajaya and got something to eat before we vent back to Bukit Bintang. Was a good afternoon, enjoyed it.

The rest of my stay in KL, I was just hanging around on the shopping malls in Bukit Bintang and killing time in airconditionated areas. Did some last minute shopping as well and had some good sushi lunches, just so good.

The flight back home, routine and tiring as always to fly home, but not any problems and got home in Stavanger on schedule and found my home as I left it, or a bit more dusty maybe. Have been a good trip most of the time, a bit bored in-between, but the main stops, Nepal and Flores, have been even better than I imagined, and I really enjoyed meeting the people I hiked with in Himalaya, dove with in Flores, to meet Heidi and Sarah again, to finally meet Maike.


Now it is just to plan some summer vacation, just home in Norway.  Will most likely also look into and start plan an other trip further away. S. Korea and Japan is still on my list, wander when get there, Ireland is a bit closer and for some reason I also want to go there. We see what happens.

Sanur, Bali

Back on Bali, in Sanur that is a new spot for me in Bali. Chose the place and the hotel because it is relatively close to the airport and that it have an pool. Seamed like a good idea when I booked, and it still is. Nice place, AC, hot water and TV in the room, first time that I have that. Off course, cold with the AC, so have to set it on 27 C to not freeze inside.

The hotel is also just a 3 minute walk to the beach, and as it turned out I have not used the beach, hot and sandy! I rather stay in the shadow by the pool when I want to swim and read, a lot more convenient. The beach, even if it is nice, is also the kind of beach that I truly dislike, lots and lots of sunbeds, annoying people trying to sell you something or constantly offer massaaaage. Can really ask why I go the a beach town, when I do not want to stay on the beach? Well, have used some of the restaurants, found someone with shadow and just been people watching and done nothing.

Have not been doing much here, looked for something to shop. Ended up with some spices and a haircut for 35 000 rupiah (less than 25 NOK/5 us$). I feel that I am at the end of the trip, and are not really up for doing much.

Earthquake again outside Indonesia with an other tsunami warning, almost so one can get used to this, since it it the third time in 3 years that I am close to an area that get the warning, still, will most likely be something totally else to be in the area that get the warning. Luckily, I have not experienced that yet.

Not sure about what I shall do the next 2 days in KL, 3 visit in 3 years my stop mainly to meet up with a girl that I met diving in KK last year, but it looks like that wont happen since she have gotten busy with some family stuff. Anyway, KL is a nice town, so it should not be a problem really to fill the days with something.

Labuan Bajo, Flores part 2

Last night on Flores, as you understand from previous post, the stay have been all about diving. Almost. Had a plan about doing something else as well, but can not really say that I have, or a little bit. Vent out for some beers with some divers and Dive Komodo crew at Paradise bar, just down the road, on Saturday when all my diving was done. My latest night for all of my vacation so far I think, not so many beers, but enough. Was fun. Was also a place for some anthropology studies of the the lady boys which I do not get and I must admit that I am not sure if I like, since they in a way are fooling men to think they are women . I did not do any mistakes, but I do understand that if you are drunk you can make a bad mistake that you might not discover before it start to be a bit late. Since they at first look look like some pretty girls/women, but when one look closer the proportion are not right, hands specially and on some muscles, and I will think the voice will give most of them away. Well well, people can do what they wont to as long as they don´t hurt anyone.

The town has not grown to be any nicer when I have been here, it is still kind of ugly, noisy and dirty, but still it might have some charm if you look closer. A good thing, no one is bugging you and try to hard to sell you anything, but I have not spent much time downtown, like my time at the hotel pool best when I haven´t been diving. Surroundings, when it comes to nature is beautiful and the people seems very nice. Had a trip on the motorbike 1,5 hours south of town today, fun roads and kids, and also some adults, are waving and saying hello when you pass by them. Coffee break at a small cafe/gas station/wedding organizer/kiosk and more, and the owner sat down for the company of a chat, and was really nice and open-minded, so I stayed quite a bit longer than I usually would.

The island have lot more to offer than the underwater scenery, so I would really like to come back and spend more time on the island and to see more of it, but also do a lot of more diving as mention earlier.

Bali for 2 nights is next stop....

Diving the Komodo

Have been spending 9 days in a row in the water in Komodo National Park, 22 dives, which I think is a new record for me. It have been from good to awesome diving. It sounds like holiday, but it is hard work, getting up every morning at 6.20 and be on the boat and on the way around 7.40, spending from 8 - 11 hours on the boat and 2-3 hours under water, depended on if we did 2 or 3 dives. Get tired off it, and have most night been to bed at 21.30 trying to read but just have to give it up after a short time and just go to sleep. Are being ironic, it have been great, spending the time on the boat and off course mostly the time spent diving.

Have been diving all my dives with Dive Komodo, and are very happy with the company. Great guides, great crew on the boat and an awesome lunch after the second dive of the day, and other divers on the boat have been good company, some more than others. Not saying that anyone have been unpleasant, just that have talked more to some than others. Tried to get an short dive safari, but was fully booked, just to hope for a chance an other time, well, it is just go back down, not a big problem really. 
 
Dive sights dived:

• Castle Rock, 3 timers
• Batu Bokoy
• Manta Points, 5 times
• Tatawa Besar, 2 times
• Tatawa Kecil
• Saiba Kacil
• Pengah Island
• Crystal Rock
• Batu Bolong, 2 times
• Batu Sabun
• Police Corner
• Passage Calderon
• Kerang Makassar
• Waenilu Island

Some fish that have been spotted one or more times: White tip sharks, black tip sharks, Manta rays, turtles, giant moray, other morays, lionfishes, leaf scorpion fishes, scorpion fishes, frogfishes, orangutan crabs, unicorn fishes, mandarin fish, manta scrimps, crock fishes, Banda ribbon snakes, blue spotted rays, napoleon wrasse, eagle ray, pygmy seahorse, waahoo, cleaning scrimps, lobster, tuna, cuttlefish, bump head parrotfishes, greyspotted ray, flounder, clown fishes, marble ray, nudibranch and some 100´s other kinds of fishes.

Highlight of the diving have off course been to dive with the manta rays, and on 2 occasion had a big, a really big fish, swimming just a meter or so over my head when I have been laying on the bottom of the sea wanted to dig a hole for my self, and thy really look big when you get them so close. They are big, they are of the size of a small car, so it is just to stay calm and cool and lay still when the glide over you. Been awesome, best underwater encounter with animals since I dove with dolphins in Egypt years back. on the very last dive and after I reach my 50 bar we came across 2 mantas staying together, and in need of holding on to something in the current I was holding on the the hand of our eminent guide, trying to get some photos struggling to hold the camera steady in the current. Was also very cool to see to white tip sharks hunt for some fish under some corral, they where going under the corral for full speed, really cool and I must admit a bit scary to be up close to some hungry sharks going for their lunch.

 

When it comes to fish life in general and color of corals and amount of them, it have been plenty and I will think the best I ever have seen in tropical water, and I have been diving a few places in the last years. And for sure, it is other great dive sights as well around. Komodo have been totally amazing and not possible to record on any photos since the real thing is so much better than you ever can get on any memory stick in a camera. Will nevertheless try to show a bit of it on the Flickr album where the photos you see here are placed.

Have also been on some of the speediest drift dives I ever have tried, really cool, and have been dangling in a line after a reef hook in the current trying to take photos, which also was an new experience. Fun, when I finally made it even if the photos was not that great. But the fish life around us was amazing

 

 

I am very happy that I choose to come here to Labuan Bajo and dive in the Komodo. The price for the fun have been almost 7 million rupee, or a bit over 4000 NOK, and that is not bad. Got some discount, for many dives and for holding the black instructor card from Padi, always good to show that one when you come for diving somewhere around the world. At the moment I really want to get back here for an other time, and as mention above also do a live aboard out here and get to the south Komodo, time will show. Have been 9 very good days diving here.... happy happy happy.

Surface current.

 

    

Komodo dragons, Rinca

Komodo dragons, Rinca, a set on Flickr.

Visited to Rinca to see the Komodo dragon, was just an 1,5 hours trip on land before some more diving. But I got to see the dragons and made it out alive. All the dragons I saw was laying around the cabins for the rangers on the island, a little bit disappointing, but at least I got to see them. Did a hike for about an hour, saw the tail of on dragon crossing the path and a wild pig during the hike, and some nice nature. One hour walk was good enough, since it was very warm, not doing any more hikes to see them. Better to be in the water with mantas, sharks and other fishes.

Flores, Labuan Bajo

Flew into Flores and the little fishing village of Labuan Bajo from Bali this morning. It was a smooth journey, my transport from the guesthouse in Ubud showed up before time (like that) and the ticket that I had bought was an actual ticket, the plane was an jet an not a propeller plane, the weather and the view over the islands was good.

The Golo Hilltop hotel that I booked mounts ago is good, and the view from it is amazing. It have gotten a swimming pool since I booked it, which as just great, will most likely be a lifesaver many days. The town it self is not much to look at, and that was not much of an surprise, but it is not the town I am here for, it is what lays below the surface of the sea, and that I suppose to be fantastic, will get a look tomorrow. Wanted to go out with Reefseekers, but since I was the only one that wanted to sign up for tomorrow I went next door to Komodo divers, which is suppose to be a good company as well. Looking forward to get down below again. I do not have much plans here, expect the dives and the Komodo Dragons, but will check out if there is any tour that I can join somewhere as well. The room is cheap, so I can leave it empty for a couple of nights, and it is paid for anyway.

Got me a motorbike to use down and up from the town, since it is bloody hot and it is a km to walk, which is way to long. Only 50 000 rupi a day for it, and that is a good price, cheaper than the bus at home.
In Malaria land, so are on Malerone for the rest of my stay here, and for 5 days after I am out.
This stay will most likely be all about diving....