Scuba Diving Tulamben (Jan. 31, 2015)

Wow, what a day! I went diving today and it was really fantastic. I organized the diving with the Centre that Reza freelances for. It was a good deal as it’s low time and they don’t have many customers these days. I arranged to do three dives, two during the day at an old ship wreck, and one at night, in the same place. 

We got up early as the driver came to pick us up at around 8:00 am this morning. Another person joined us, who was also a Dive Master from Uzbekistan looking for a job in Bali. He arrive three days ago, and was happy to accompany us on the dives. His name is Kanan, and he and Reza had a lot of conversations about diving on the two hour drive up to Tulamben, where we did the dives. He was a really good diver and nice guy.

The scenery on the way up here was fantastic. See for yourselves…..lol.

On drive to dive sight

Same

Rice paddies

Rice paddies

Me

Very expensive coffee that
comes 'through' this animal

Once there, we got our diving equipment on and went into the water from the shore. I have never entered this way before, so it was a new experience for me. You put on all your equipment, then walk into the water from the shore. It was easy and not a problem. I have exited from the shore before, so it was just the reverse.

Diving sight restaurant

Reza and me ready to go

All three dives were at the same site, but were all really different and super interesting. The first dive had fantastic visibility and there were so many lovely fish to see, so clearly. I saw Lionfish, Parrot fish, Titan Trigger fish (which scare me….lol) and lots of others. Diving beside a 120 meter long sunken ship is incredible and provides so many places for the beautiful marine life to thrive. It was great to be under the water again. I really love it, and find it even better every time I dive. I suppose it might also be due to the fact that each time I dive, I get a bit better with my skills, buoyancy and breathing. It makes it even more enjoyable when these skills improve. The two guys I was with were so good, and found lots of interesting things for me to take a look at. 

Ready for diving

Dive buddies

We were down for 63 minutes at a maximum depth of 25.5 meters. It was fantastic. When we were done, we walked back onto shore and had the included lunch that was offered. It was a rice and chicken/fish dish that was simple but tasty.

After we remained on the surface for the required amount of time, we suited up and went down for our second dive. This dive was even better than the first one. This time we went onto and into the wreck to see what we could see. Reza found a plastic bottle that another diver left down there, full of bread pieces. He started pulling out the bread when we were inside a shaft within the wreck. Hundreds of fish swarmed him to eat this bread and it was amazing. Some of the fish are so large, that I couldn’t really believe I was face to face with them. It was such a privilege to be present for such an experience. We examined the reef area that had so many wonderful coral and plant life on it. Then we saw a large, old turtle hanging out by the wreck. He was gorgeous and very large. It’s the first time I have ever seen a Green Sea Turtle so I was thrilled. We also saw a huge Barracuda and a Blue Spotted Stingray. All of these were incredible. We were down for 54 minutes at a maximum depth of 27 meters. What a fantastic dive.

Waiting for sun to fully set

Night ocean

Getting ready for night dive

Just before night dive

Then we came back onto shore and waited for it to be dark, so we could do the Night Dive.

This dive was fantastic. We saw so many interesting fish. I wish I could show you, but don’t yet have an underwater camera. We saw a giant grouper fish, about 15 kgs that was following us for quite a long time. Suddenly, I was shining my light on a lovely white Angel Fish, and gulp, Mr. Grouper came along and swallowed her up. Just like that. I was a bit shocked, but what does one expect? It was really quite cool, but surprised me. We saw so many other beautiful marine life as well. We saw these really large orange, spiky Star Fish that weren’t there during the day. Reza said that he had never before seen these in the area, so that was cool. We saw Cleaner Shrimp, a Red Crab, and two giant (about 7 kgs each) Napolean Fish. I’ve seen them lots of times before, but they were tiny, bright and pretty. These guys were huge bright and gorgeous. The size of the fish in Bali are way larger than I’ve ever seen before. Quite the fantastic diving here so far. I arranged with the Dive Center to go on Feb. 13th to Manta Point with Reza, on a trip they have going out. As the name suggests, this is a site that has many Manta Rays. That will be great. I think we were down for the night dive for about 63 minutes, at a maximum depth of 25.5 meters. 

We finished diving around 8:00 pm, got our stuff together and headed back to Denpasar. The traffic was crazy, so it took us about 3 hours to return. The poor driver was distraught at one point because as he was passing another vehicle, a cat ran out in front of him and he ran over it. Rachel, stop reading…..lol. Anyway, he pulled over to check, but we couldn’t find it as it was rainy and dark with lots of traffic. In Bali, it is apparently really bad to hit a cat, but if you hit a dog, it’s ok. I am not sure why, but this is what Reza explained to me, and Kanan. Anyway, the poor driver felt bad. I’m just glad that he didn’t lose control of the van while trying to avoid the cat. Poor kitty, though.

When we returned, we were all really tired but happy. We went for some barbecued chicken with rice, and chicken livers and gizzards on a stick. They were delicious. Then home and to bed. It was such a great day. I love diving here and am so lucky to have a local view of Bali. It is pretty hard to get around here as there is no public transportation to speak of, and if you don’t have a motorbike, and know your way around, it’s really tough to visit many places. 

Rainy Wonderful Day in Denpasar (Jan. 30, 2015)

I had a great sleep last night. Went to bed around 10:30 and slept until around 9:30. It was a well needed rest and I woke up refreshed and revitalized. I slept on the floor, on a mattress with a thick blanket over it, and it was super comfortable, firm and great. The apartment is really small, a bachelor size, with the bed in the main living area. I slept alongside the bed, between the bed and the closet, which was like a private little space. I felt secluded and cozy, and that I wasn’t going to bother anyone if I got up for the bathroom, or turned a lot. It was really cool.

Reza at beach cafe 

Sunset at beach cafe, first night

The apartment

Opposite view, kitchen through doorway

Reza slept later than I did, so when I got up, I took the yoga mat they have, outside into the open air hallway, and did an hour and a half of yoga in the lovely cool breeze. It was very pleasant and no one came out of their apartments, or were already gone to work, so I had no disturbances. I think I remembered all the poses that I learned at the yoga retreat in Dalat, so that was cool. When Reza got up, he came out and saw me, and said he wanted to do yoga but didn’t know how. I will show him what I know if he wants to learn. I think yoga and meditation are of interest to him.

Then we got ready, and went to the Dive Shop where he works as a freelance Dive Master and Instructor. It is low time right now so although they don’t have many people to lower the price by group, they were willing to offer me a really great rate to do three dives tomorrow. Two during the day, then one after the sun goes down. I love night dives and the best part is that Reza will be my Dive Master, and it will be one on one. The trip includes the ride there, as none of the good dive sites are nearby, lunch, water, and a ride back, including all the equipment. I am really looking forward to going. 

On the way back, we stopped at a Cosco like place to buy some groceries. I said I would be happy to cook some food, and Reza was happy. I bought the groceries as a thank you for allowing me to stay with them, then cooked up some stewed chicken in vegetables. We put it over rice and it was really tasty. The store was so much like Costco, but I had to check my backpack and it had my camera in it, so I didn’t get any of the indoor shots to share with you. Since it is still the end of the rainy season, you can never tell when it will just pour down with rain. Then you wait a little while and it stops and life goes on as usual. It is never cold, and quite refreshing when it rains, providing you are not on the motorbike when it downpours…..lol.

The Costo type store

Waiting for the sudden downpour to stop

Here are some pics from today, around town, including the Dive Shop. The beautiful pink shots are from the balcony at Reza’s apartment at sunset, when it was also storming. 

Sunset and storm off Reza's balcony

Same

Back balcony over rice paddies

Independence Palace and Bail (Jan. 28, 29, 2015)

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY, JULIA! I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. YOU DESERVE IT!

Today I got up, had breakfast, then went with Van, and another girl from Australia, Thu, to see the Independence Palace. It’s the place where the President resided and conducted affairs. There were a lot of interesting facts about his time there, during the war, and what was going on at that point. There were also many rooms where they entertained, conducted banquets, enjoyed games, saw movies, etc. It was a nice outing for my last day in Ho Chi Minh City.

Independence Palace

Conference Room

Me by a lovely tree

Area for receiving guests

Games room

First Lady's diningroom for wives

State of the art kitchen in basement

Drooling Jon, Mike, Rachel?

Totally 70's couch in game room

More kitchen

Incredible, eh?

Then we came back to the hostel, as Thu and I both needed to check out of the room by noon. I was able to store my luggage in the main area, which was great. Then Van and I went to find some lunch, and ended up having some rice and seafood, at a street vendor. It was simple, but great.

After that, we walked around a bit, went to the park and sat for a while, then to the supermarket and pharmacy so I could buy some snacks, Tiger Balm, and more Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. It was a relaxing morning and early afternoon. We wandered back to the hostel so that I could get my stuff ready to go to the airport on the bus, around 4:30. My flight to Bali is at 9:15 pm, with a stop over in Singapore for three and a half hours. That gets me to Bali around 6:25 am tomorrow morning. That works, because at least I’m not arriving at night.

My friends, Rebecca and Jacek told me about Couchsurfing, which is an organization for travellers to meet one another while travelling, help each other, share info, offer to host, or be hosted by other travellers as well. I joined this group and searched for some Couchsurfing hosts in Bali, to meet up with and perhaps attend a get together on Friday evening. I received two very nice replies, one couple and one girl, who live in Bali and would be more than happy to help me out. The couple offered to pick me up from the airport and go for coffee to tell me about places to see, diving sites, etc. The girl emailed me back saying that she had just quit her job, has a car, and wants to explore Bali for a while. She said that I was welcome to join her and split the travel costs if I wanted to. I will meet her first and then decide.

I am so happy to have found this group of people. It is a well organized website where everyone must be a signed up member, and is not able to contact or respond to others, unless they have a completed profile, including references from other Couchsurfers that have met them, been hosted by them or have hosted someone at their place. Therefore, you can read the reviews that people leave on each profile stating what kind of experience they had. There is a place to leave a Positive Review, Neutral Review, or Negative Review, so if you read them carefully, and look at the photos, you can get quite a good idea of the type of people you might meet. There are also group events in every city that you can attend to meet other travellers, get information and tips for places to go and cheap ways to do things. Also, where to eat, group dinners, parties, etc. It’s really great.

Rebecca said that they have been hosted many times, and also hosted others, and have never had a negative experience. You are never obligated to host or accept any meetings with other people, so that gives lots of comfort room. Anyway, I will see how it goes and let you know about my experiences. 

More tomorrow, when I get to Bali. 

Jan. 29, 2015

Well, today has seemed like one long day……. I guess it has been, really. I left Saigon yesterday at 5 pm, took the Airport bus to the airport with no issues. I caught my plane to Singapore and then waited in the Singapore Airport for a few hours to catch the connecting flight to Bali. While I was there, I traded in the last of my Vietnamese Dong for some Singapore Dollars. I received 9.35 in Singapore money, enough to buy myself a wonderful Starbucks coffee. It was a Grande, and cost 7.00 at the airport……but mmmm was it good! Then I broke into the snacks that I brought from Saigon, and sat at one of the free foot massagers that are sprinkled throughout the airport. I stayed there for about two hours, getting my feet and lower legs massaged. It was totally civilized.

Looking down at the foot massager

When I arrived in Bali, my Couchsurfing (CS) couple were there to meet me at the airport. We ended up going for coffee and some food at a local restaurant. I had some yummy goat soup, boiled eggs, and rice cooked in banana leaves. It was great, and they are so sweet. They offered to have me stay with them for a few days while I get my feet on the ground. I accepted and they took me to their place which is small but comfy and very clean. We went for massages at a local place that was just excellent. It was $15 CAD for a two hour massage with Jasmine Oil. Apparently this is their favourite place and I can see why. You can have a shower afterwards, so I brought clean underclothes and did this. I felt so good after traveling for so long and then being hot and sweaty in Bali.

Coto Makasar - goat soup

Reza, one of my hosts

Shot out their apartment balcony

Another shot off balcony

Street shot

Street shot

Street shot

After the massages, we went to another local place where you get brown rice, and then pick from a large number of dishes, and they add whatever you choose, to your rice. Then they weigh it and you pay for it. It was called Nasi Champur which means rice and ‘mix’. It was fantastic. Enya, the woman, couldn’t come for lunch because she had to work, so it was just Reza and me. She works in another part of Bali sometimes, so she left and will be back in a few days when she’s finished working. Too bad, but ok, as the apartment is quite small. I was glad that there was a girlfriend though, as it was Reza who responded so I didn’t know that he had a partner. It was very relaxing to find this out and I felt comfy enough to stay with them. They host many travellers so I guess they are used to it.

My lunch

Reza's lunch

After lunch, Reza and I went to a beach cafe that he likes, to have a coffee, and wait for the sun to set. Also, to use the WiFi, as they don’t have WiFi at their apartment, only 3G, so I can’t access unless I am out somewhere which is a bit of a pain, but ok.

I emailed the girl who responded to my CS note that I left, saying that I was in Bali and wanted to meet other CS or travellers. She’s the one who just quit her job and wants to explore Bali. I told Enya and Reza about her, and Reza suggested that we invite her to the beach bar to meet up, and if not, to invite her to the Friday night event for CS at 8 pm tomorrow night. That way I can get a read on whether she might be a good person to see Bali with.

More tomorrow. A great start in Bali! It's beautiful.

Fine Arts Museum (Jan. 27, 2015)

Today I got up after a great sleep, and showered, then got ready, went downstairs and had my included breakfast. It was coffee with milk and sugar, and a bowl of noodles which suited me fine. I met Van, another guy staying in the hostel, down at breakfast. He’s a Vietnamese man, who fled the country in the 70’s, on his own, and ended up in Canada. He’s lived all over Canada, but presently resides in Toronto, so that’s cool. He is now a Canadian citizen and needs a Visa to come here, as I do. He is about 55-60 years old, and very interesting. I told him I was going to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts and he said that he had not seen that yet. I invited him to come along, and off we went. It was great because he knew the way around the city a lot better than I did, so I didn’t have to refer to the map all the time, just followed him. The museum was really cool and we saw art from all the eras, including modern art, Vietnamese artists, and much more. It was a great outing. 

Either Sun God or Longevity God

Van and me at the Art Museum

View from terrace at Museum

Sun God and Moon Goddess

Courtyard at Musuem

Protective Lion

Modern art painting I liked

Another one I liked

After the museum, we went for a walk and got something to eat. It was so great that he speaks Vietnamese and could ask for things, directions and costs. We ended up getting a kebab type sandwich and taking it to the park across the street to sit by the lake and eat. It was lovely, with a cool breeze blowing and people walking by. Van showed me where to catch the bus to go to the airport, and said he would walk there with me tomorrow to be sure I found it ok. That is fantastic because it is very expensive to take a taxi to the airport and since there is a public bus that goes directly there, I would prefer to see the sights along the way and save the money.

Looking to the left in the park

Looking to the right in the park

Looking into the trees from the park

Alley down to my hostel

 Then we walked to a supermarket that I had heard about, and marked on the map. I wanted to see if I could get some more sunscreen for Bali, as it’s usually hard to find and expensive. I still have a large tube left from buying it in Pnom Penh, but think I will probably use that up quite fast, and wanted to get some more. Anyway, we found the place, and I did find some 50 SPF sunscreen for a decent price. I bought that plus some munchies for my trip tomorrow. Then we walked back, sat again in the park and had a glass of sugarcane juice, talked and enjoyed the weather. We went back to the hostel for a little rest, and I blogged, while Van watched a movie on his computer.

Van and me eating dinner

Street view from pub

Another street view from pub

Apartments above the stores across from pub

Later, we went out for some dinner, then for a beer on the street, and then Van got his guitar from the hostel and played for a long time in a nearby park. It was great and a totally enjoyable evening. Tomorrow, I take off for Bali in the evening. More news later.