Adventure awaits!

A long-awaited, much-anticipated entry… or maybe you’ve all given up on me since I’ve been so lax in the ‘blogging’ department!?

Since Martin and I will be heading out of Manado on Friday for an extended period of time, now seems an appropriate point to give a quick update on recent happenings, and overview of where we’re headed! And maybe a word or two on some more gastronomical delights (time permitting), considering it does seem to be developing as a common thread throughout this blog!

After our month of fun with the kiddies in Bunaken, we came back to home-base and began to look for ways to go back there! In other words, we’ve been looking for donors, and writing proposals to search for more funds in order to run a longer, more complete program on the island. So the last two weeks have been spent bringing Bintang Laut into the IT-age… I have been making a webpage for the organization (of course, I had to make them an email address first!) – which you can feel free to check out in Bahasa Indonesia or in English if you so desire. We have had some success locally; it seems that the NSWA (North Sulawesi Watersports Association – a ‘cooperative’, if you will, of dive and tour operators in the area) is very interested in us and our ideas, and have tentatively agreed to fund an ongoing immersive environmental education program!

So, where are we going on Friday??? Well, first stop: Makassar to visit our friend Cecilia (also a CUSO Cooperant) and buka puasa (break the fast) for Idul Fitri, the culmination of the month-long holy month of Ramadaan in the Muslim faith. The inverse of the rest of Indonesia, Manado is 90% Christian, so although there is a Muslim population, Ramadaan has not had the effect on daily life in Manado as it has in most of the rest of the country. Cecilia said that any store selling alcohol in Makassar was forced to close for the month, and even non-Muslims tend to adjust to a different rhythm during the fasting month. We will only have 4 days in Makassar, but it will certainly be interesting to be there for the fiestas at the end of Ramadaan, as well as to see Cecilia’s digs and meet some of her co-workers.

From Makassar, the three of us will fly to Bali. We have 2 weeks before the CUSO Cooperant Conference, and we have no defined plan as yet. Martin is craving waves, considering there are NONE in North Sulawesi, but other than that we don’t have any constraints… We will hopefully tour some of Nusa Tenggara, and at least go visit the dragons on Komodo (what… you thought dragons were mythical creatures?)

The CUSO Conference is being held in Seminyak, just north of Kuta (the tourist trap) in Bali… on the beach! After a week there, we fly back to Manado for 2 days (just long enough to do our laundry!) and then head to W. Papua New Guinea (where we will spend a LOT of time next year) for our orientation with Conservation International.

Phew! I imagine after all that, it might be a few days before I get it together enough to post again, but I hope you’ll all stay tuned! And keep on commenting, or emailing! – It’s great to know that so many people are keeping tabs on us, and to get news from home! Haha!