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| Van Holidays Diving Dreaming |
April 3rd - Arriving at Lotus Bungalows
After a long drive we arrived at Lotus Bungalows. Hmmm ..... that's a few levels down comparred to Kajane - the place we stayed the previous days. Also the food is quite simple. Of course this was to be expected, after staying at your all time favourit first. So let's make the best of it and hopefully the diving - the main reason we booked LB - is lots of fun.
Tomorrow our 1st dive @ Nusa Penida!
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| Van Lotus Bungalows - Candidasa 2010 |
April 4th - Mola Mola [Easter]
How different the next day can be! Okay, we didn't sleep super - the bed is small, the airco noisy and so is the fridge (which I unplugged in the middle of the night) - and the breakfast wasn't either. BUT ... the diving, the main reason, or better 'the one and only reason', we decided to go to LB is very very good organized! Everthing (yes everthing - except the diving itself of course) is being done for you. And the boat is extremely good (best boat we have ever been on!). And that's only the part above water ....
Going under it was a real treat. Beautiful coral reefs (we didn't know what to expect - and this is for sure better than what we hoped for!), good visibility and than - totally unexpected, as it is by far not the good season to see them: A Mola Mola!
Our first dive in Bali, and than to see a Mola Mola. Wauw. The huge fish came slowly up to about 27m, and stayed there quite some time (to be cleaned by butterflyfish). In the mid of the dive another Mola Mola come up and close. Seeing these fish feels like being in Jurasic Park. It also feels cold, brrrrr. These fish are normally only to be seen in August - September, when the water is much much colder (16-19°C), when they come in with the Antarctic undercurrents. Also now they came up in a cold upwelling. The water temperature dropped from about 27°C to about 20°C around the Mola Mola. And that's COLD if your only wearing a 5mm dive suite!
Back on the boat we enjoyed our lunch: Nasi Goreng. Which tasted good (and so did the sweet sambal), so they actually know how to cook. Back at LB it's time to relax on the big lounge beds at the sea side and enjoy a Watermelon Juice. Dinner was tasting good: Hunger? Adjustment? Or ..... it may not be so bad after all?! Tomorrow: Manta Point - we really hope they will be there - fingers crossed!
[I finished my 1st book: Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum]
April 5th - Manta Point
After I good sleep (putting the airco on "quiet" helps!") we headed to the boat with the following dive plan: 1st dive 'somewhere around "Nusa Penida", 2nd dive "Manta Point" and 3rd dive again "Manta Point" if the 2nd one wasn't successfull. The reason is that, due to the Manta mating season, they hadn't seen Manta's for more than a week. The obviously were doing 'their own thing' and didn't want all the diving paparazzi around.
The first dive was according plan. During the dive we saw a nice turtle. On our way to the second dive spot the sea was getting rougher as we had to pass the channel between Nusa Lenbongan and Nusa Penida. We were todl that 70.000 liters of seawater every second is passing this channel (the Pacific Ocean pours into the India Ocean 'through' Indonesia as she is a few meters (!) higher).
Petra was already feeling a little nauseous due to this. During the dive we had a constant surge, making it even worse. After a long hour of waiting and searching for the manta's, we had to conclude they weren't there. But we were lucky to see quite a big (significantly bigger as the 1.04m Wikipedia reports!) Brownbanded Bamboo Shark. Due to the surge I almost 'fell' on it, and she swam away. And than our dive guide found an Octopus (and they are soo lovely).
Back on the boat we decided to skip the third dive (we all agreed that the chances of seeing a manta didn't outway staying on a rocky boat during lunch and than getting back in the surge .... for an hour).
The boat headed for a calm bay for lunch. In the bay we met the other boat of Gangga Divers (the owners of LB). They had the big (14 persons) Spanish group on board that stayed at LB. [our luck, as we were 3 divers - the 2 of us and Karoline, a German woman, and 2 dive guides!] All the empty tanks were put on our boat to make some room on theirs. We understood they were going to have a try at Manta Point for their third dive - we wished them the best off luck. Maybe tonight, during the "Balinese Evening" we will hear if they were successfull.
April 5th - Springrolls with Satay sauce
What a lovely day! First dive with a lot of current. Nicely 'flying' over a beautiful and colourfull reef. The seccond reef was a little less nice (some dead patches), but still, a very nice dive!
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| Van Lotus Bungalows - Candidasa 2010 |
During lunch we ordered Springrolls with Satay sauce. And that Satay sauce was soooo goooood. Makes you wonder why they served satay without sauce yesterday evening during the Balinese Evening?!
In the evening we made a night dive. And what a night dive. Superduper. So many nice things to see, to much to mention. Also our favourit, the Sepia (or Cuttlefish) and the Octopus, as well as a bright orange frog fish!
April 6th - Snapping straps
The last full day at LB. Today 2 dives near two small islands just off Bali (known as Shark Point). O no, Petra's fin strap snaps. What, also the next one snaps!! Strange, one dives a 100+ dives without issues, and now they both snap in a few seconds??!!
Luckily we could use a pair from the dive shop which they had on the boat. They were actually too big, but it would do for a day.
The dive site itself was very nice, but visability was bad (peasoup). The second dive was supposed to be current dive according dive giude Putu (our dive guide of the previous days, Wayan, didn't join last night and didn't come along today - no idea why?!). Karoline didn't fancy a struggle in the current and decided to stay on the boat. She was kind enough to borrow Petra her fins: much more comfortable, as they were the same brand and size as her own. Underwater we found out that there was no current at all. We did see a Whitetip Reef Shark.
In the afternoon Karoline invited us to join her for a small drink. She brought a Bailays like liqueur from South Africa (with an Eliphant on the label, made from a flower they obviuously liked). We chatted all afternoon. Very nice!
Looking back we really enjoyed our stay at LB. Also to food seemed to improve by the day. Funny though that they mastered Italian food better than Indonesian (the Pizza's were good!). As so often, number 13 was with me again: Room #113, Dive Box #13. Yep, it was okay.
The dive shop was very very good, with a 2-tank dive EVERY day. As we prefer it.
April 8th - A little ripped off
The last breakfast at LB (jammy, bacon and eggs). Quickly pack the dive gear and than settle the bill ...... auch ..... that's a big disappointment! The exchange rate was very very bad (should be 8.x Rupiah per Dollar, it was 10 Rupiah per Dollar), so the Credit Card bill, which was in Rupiah, was quite a bit higher than expeted. On top of that they added 2% Credit Card cost. Well, what can you do. Swipe the card, close your eyes, sign and move on!
After saying goodbye to Karoline we left for our next, and last, stop in Bali.
To be continued .......
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