Road Rash

Yikes - I am thankful that I'm here to write this post to you all... I took a little spill off my motorbike yesterday for the first time... and hopefully last.

I was pretty darn lucky!  The entire lane was full of oil and I don't think there was any avoiding what happened...  The bike lost all traction, and all I had time to think was "Oh shiitttt...", then my head bounced off the pavement and I proceeded to skid on my chin for about 50m along the road with an unsettling view of oncoming headlights. Before I had even skidded to a stop I jumped up and ran the 50 more metres that the bike slid, picked it up and got it off the road, and then I checked myself over for missing appendages etc.  I was fairly shocked to find I was pretty much in tact, minus some major road rash that hadn't started to sting yet (side note:  post-adrenaline let down they have proven insanely painful!)  Apparently I was the 4th bike to slide out on it - and after I made sure they covered it with dirt to soak up the oil and avoid anyone else going down!  But I drove myself home, cleaned out the wounds and am hoping for a quick healing process.

I am not big on taking a lot of hard-core chemical drugs in general... so I'm hoping the good ole magic cream will do the trick!

Can't fight fate!

Well, so much for the Best Dive Job...

I was under a time crunch to complete the application, but put something pretty good together considering the limited time, and went to submit it... and the internet on the island went down!  For the better part of the day I ran around to all the internet cafes, and wireless spots I know trying to get a connection to upload my application...  Finally, at almost exactly the deadline hour, I got a connection and thought I got it uploaded... I sent it separately in an email, just to be sure it went through.  Alas, it seems the online form didn't work, and the email was passed the deadline.

Aahhh, what can you do!?  Instead of get upset about it, wail and moan at the incredible opportunity lost, I decided that it just must not be meant to be this year.  Perhaps next year...

The Best Dive Job in the World!

I just found out about this "Best Dive Job in the World" in the nick of time - applications are due on Feb 28!  I consider this deadline a fortuitous sign, since it will be absolutely the perfect birthday present for me!  A really do lead a life of luck - honestly, I think you'll all agree, this is the perfect job for me, and I'm the perfect person for this job!

Entries were supposed to be video or written, but since I found out on such short notice, I didn't have time to put a video entry together... so am relying on my savvy written style of prose to clinch the deal!  ;)

I will post it here for you all to see, but for now I'm off to package myself up into "500 words or less"...

Wish me luck!

Best Dive Job

Penida & Lembongan

For the last several months Martin was in Indonesia he was working as a Dive Guide on Nusa Lembongan Island in Bali.  Lembongan is the smaller kidney-bean-shaped island that is part of the group of islands collectively known as Penida, just to the east of southern Bali.

When I was not on the Kalabia, I would join him there... it is a beautiful island, and although the rate at which development has taken off in the last few years is sad, it still has some of the best diving around Bali.

I only got to dive a few times with him (you can see a few pics from one of the dives here), and mostly I worked while he dived... but at least we enjoyed the beautiful sunsets together.

And one day, we had a chance to go on a little exploration of the three sets of islands, from motorbike, to walking, to rented boat, to another motorbike, we used every kind of transportation possible on the islands and got to even the most remote corners!

stairway to heaven...

We also found out a lot more about the main economic activity on the islands, which I wrote about previously... seaweed farming!

Leapin' Lizards!

LITERALLY!

I was trying not to squirm too much as Martin fumbled to get the camera out quickly to catch this funny moment of a gecko climbing up my arm... he didn't get it.  Anyway, as the gecko got to my neck, it was too ticklish to restrain any more, and I squirmed... the gecko leapt... and Martin caught him in mid-air!!!  He landed as if there was nothing to it, and skittered off.  I guess they're used to it... at our old house, there were always so many of them along the ceiling beams... and they were always dropping from the roof with a great 'splat' onto the tile floors (again, no harm done!)!

Dream

Mimpi means 'dream' in Indonesian.  It's also the name of the resort where I spent a weekend on the north coast of Bali a few weeks ago, and the subtitle I'm giving to my life for that weekend.  They definitely made no mistake in naming this place - it is seriously like being in a heavenly dream.

The coastal property is sprawling, complete with several natural thermal pools, at least 3 regular swimming pools (although regular is anything but what they are!), spa, mangrove forest, with several villas tucked away amidst it all.

The most stunning area is the beach-front... complete with infinity pool overlooking the ocean and the sunset over the mountains in East Java... We enjoyed a beer here after several nice dives... aaahhh.  Doesn't it sound like a dream!?

I thought I was in a dream underwater as well, as we glided along a very healthy, colourful, fishy wall along the 'back' side of Menjangan island, and I saw turtles, and a spotted eagle-ray.

Dragonfly Delicacies!

Yes, dragonflies... although I can't imagine wanting to kill one as a food source, since they have much greater value as mosquito-eating machines in my books!

Here, the Balinese use dragonflies as one of the ingredients to one of their special dishes:  Pepes.

How do you catch a dragonfly?
Well, with a long thin strip of bamboo covered in the sticky sap of the jackfruit tree... not to be mistaken for a fishing pole.

Pepes Preparation?
The legs and wings are removed, and the insect is ready to cook!

Only one of the ingredients?
The cooked dragonflies are added to a pounded mixture which also contains:
coconut paste
fermented fish paste
garlic
chilis
tamarind juice
basil leaves
ginger
and lime juice

The complete mixture (paste) is wrapped into individual banana leaf packets and grilled to make pepes.  I tried pepes once (before I knew of its special ingredient), and I must say, I really didn't think it was anything special... and I certainly couldn't taste the dragonfly flavour!?

Tumpek Landep - the Day to Praise the Metal Gods

So after posting the previous blog about the "Metal Gods" in Bali, I opened my weekly Bali Update Newsletter to see that the holy day is called "Tumpek Landep".  It is celebrated every 210 days (according to the Balinese Calendar), and indeed it is to pay homage to all things metal, including cars, motorcycles and tools of trade.  You can read the story on the occasion here... a very well-informed source for all sorts of news and information about Bali.

The God of Metal Machines

Today is the day of the God of all things metal that aid us in our lives…  How do I know that?  Well, no, I haven't yet learned to read the Balinese Hindu Calendar (as only very few elite Balinese holy men are ever taught to do)...  Today, all the cars, motorcycles, escalators, elevators, and other metallic equipment that help humans in every-day life are decorated with offerings to the special God who presides over such things.

I love that in Bali there is a day dedicated to the worship of everything and anything… the Balinese have all their bases covered.  There are more Gods in Balinese Hindu that I think exist in any other religion.  Every day is another special 'day' in Bali

This reminds me of the book "The God of Small Things" - I should read it again, I remember really enjoying it...

Catching on?

Yes, everything and anything can be carried on a motorcycle... they are not just the asian family mini-van anymore, but also the moving van...

Yay, Martin - you're catching on!

Fast Food

And by fast I mean, often seen speeding along the road at 50kmph!

This is the 'fried things vendor', and there are many more like him, displaying their wares on the backs of their bikes!

SeaWeed

Aaah, the wonders of this 'weed'!

Not only good for making jello, medicines and make-up anymore...

It's best use:  accessorizing any costume!

Seaweed farming is on par with tourism in the islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida, the area of Bali Martin is calling home for now, while he enjoys showing guests the natural wonders of the seas.

This seaweed stuff is pretty incredible, really, and new uses are being discovered for it all the time, specifically with regards to new medicines...  and in fact, if done properly and sustainably, seaweed farming doesn't have to be destructive to the marine and coastal environment.  Unfortunately, in Nusa Penida, a great deal of mangrove forests were cleared and coral reefs were lifted in the creation of these expansive seaweed farms.

Hashing in the Balinese Hinterland

I've written a little about my Hashing experiences previously here and here...

But I've rarely showed you pictures...  Well, I got brave and took my camera on the Hash a couple weeks ago, and then the other day I was also given a few pics by friends... so now you can see for yourselves what Hashing in Bali is really about!

This last picture captures pretty well the state of relief I was in when I finally stumbled back, in the dark, from the Super-super-super long run for Sari/Inul's birthday run - it was actually set as an extra-long, but due to a slip-up by the 'hare' (the guy setting the trail for the run), I ended up doing it at least once and a half - 20+ kms in the most mountainous area of Bali - seriously... I scrambled up and down at least 6 different ridges, crossed at least 4 rivers (or maybe the same river a few times!?), and started to get paranoid that I was going to be spending the night somewhere out on the trail once it started to get dark and I was still in the middle of absolutely nowhere, having seen neither another hasher nor a local for at least an hour!!!

Yes, I still like to play in mud puddles!

Mola-mola and Manta Magic!

The five intrepid Bali Female Divers had a magical day of diving on Nusa Penida island in Bali yesterday.

It was my first time seeing the mola-mola, and we saw 6 of these funky fantastical creatures... and had them all to ourselves!  So lucky!

Sari Flying with the Mola!

Mola a la Macro!

Sunfish Silhouette

Is it a bird... is it a plane... ???

Up Close and Personal

Even though I had seen pictures, and heard stories, I wasn't prepared for the encounter, and was happily blown away!  These are the largest bony fish in the ocean, and probably also the wackiest!  From their profile, side-on, it's obvious where they got their common name, oceanic sunfish (or moon fish, as in french (poisson lune) or spanish (pez luna))!

Wacky creature

But they all-but disappear if you catch them directly head- or tail-on!?

Where'd he go?

We also held a little underwater flag-raising ceremony for Indonesian Independence Day (17 August)!  Thanks to Sari for organizing this fabulous day, and to her and the other ladies for making it so much fun!

Two weeks ago I joined Martin on another magical dive on Nusa Penida (where he is currently working as a super-awesome (constantly smiling) dive guide) - to see the always-magical Manta Rays.  Sorry, I don't have as many photos, because we made mostly video that day...

I love it inside the ocean!!!