NOTE: As I didn't make notes in my note book, I simply put the itinerary from TROMSØADVENTURE below. Added some notes as I remember the event, some pictures and some video's. This time Petra's sister, Elly, joined us. We booked this trip through Beluga Expeditions & Adventures.
Flights:
SK 4746 from Brussels to Oslo on December 29th [one night at the close by Comfort Hotel Runaway] SK 4406 from Oslo to Tromsø on December 30th [from there the below itinerary from the local representative, TromsøAdventures]
Whales, Huskies and the Aurora on Sommarøy
Dates: 30. December 2016 – 03.01. 2017 Customers: Petra Theeuwen, Josephus (Jos) De Bakker & Elisabeth (Elly) Theeuwen
30.12.2016 Transfer from the airport to Sommarøy
3 Adults, our driver will be waiting for you in the entrance hall Arrival time: 09:55 NOTE: We were picked up by the driver from the Hotel. Stopped by a place with ancient rock inscriptions. And then we stopped again: Reindeer crossing the street. We were hoping to see them, not expecting them being the first thing to see .... on the road to the hotel. Sommarøy Arctic Hotel 1 Rorbu apartment, incl. a 3-course dinner and breakfast Upon your arrival on Sommarøy you will get a briefing on the activities scheduled during your stay. Feel free to contact the reception anytime!
Three hours northern lights tour ...
... on Sommarøy with a local guide 3 Adults incl. some snacks during the tour Pick up time: After dinner Meeting point: at the reception
NOTE: We found out that Norwegians are not too fuzzy about a booking. So despite of having booked one night of Northern Light Tour, watching the - better to say waiting for the - Northern Lights, we went every night. And, except one, were brought and taken back every night. The excuse: "The light wasn't so clear last night ... ". And that wasn't our excuse, but theirs ;-). There was a little shed, just outside the small town that was behind a small hill and facing the sea - so very little light pollution. To make sure you had the best experience. At first we were disappointed it was 'just' one place to go, rather than a hunt for the light. Later, when we read the reviews of the northern light hunters from Tromsø, we learned that a) they never saw better lights than us, despite driving all the way to Finland (!), and b), when they had an excellent view, they did so in Sømmeray. And that's exactly where we were. Actually, maybe the best light we had seen was when stepping out of our Rorbu (Fisherman's cabin) when heading for breakfast. So at the Hotel.
31.12.2016 Sommarøy Arctic Hotel
1 Rorbu apartment, incl. lunch, a 3-course dinner and breakfast
Whale watching/Marine mammal safari
3 Adults Duration: approx. 2 hours Pick up time: After breakfast Meeting point: at the reception
1 Rorbu apartment, incl. lunch, a 3-course dinner and breakfast NOTE: New Years day we hadn't made any bookings for. A perfect opportunity to walk around Sømmeray and enjoy, the breath taking, scenery. Coral beaches (yes) and Håja is a good summary of the day.
02.01.2017 Transfer to
Dog-sledding (Villmarkssenter)
3 Adults Duration: approx. 1 hour Pick up time: 09:15
Please bring your luggage with you as you will be driven to Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora NOTE: As the itinerary says we're taken to the Clarion hotel, which is in Tromsø. Dinner at the hotel. An evening walk to discover downtown Tromsø completes our stay. Tomorrow morning we need to catch the flybus to the airport. Return flights:
SK 4411 Tromsø to Oslo SK 1469 Oslo to Copenhagen SK 1593 Copenhagen to Brussels FINAL NOTE: Before we went we were exited to see the Northern Light, the Humpbacks and Orca's and to do the dog sledding. And rightfully so, it was super. Beyond imagination. And mushing the dogs myself, wow. On the opposite side, we were not so sure about the Arctic Night, in other words, the sun doesn't shine - just two hours of not night every day. And yes, it is strange to loose all sense of time, as night - day, morning - afternoon, it's all the same. But the monochrome world was so breathtaking. As if the lack of color added to the drama. If you love nature, and aren't looking for anything posh, stay or food wise, a trip like this is a must do!
As always we are ready way too early. We can also wait at the airport, so we decide to leave anyway. A quick detour to ICI Paris for sunscreen and some other stuff. Bam .. scream ... aauuwwch. Petra hadn't seen the bike. He, the "hockey/Floris" type, didn't expect her to cross the road. And there she lay, in the middle of the street. Luckily they hardly touched. But this could have been a very ugly start of the holidays. On to Düsseldorf airport. When entering the parking it seems my new credit card is not recognized as having a prebooking on it. We'll see when we get and whether we need to claim the cost back. After a nice pasta we head for the check in counter. Our dive gear bag is deemed quite big and we're asked to drop it at "Sonder Gepäck". First time in a A380. Inside you have no idea that there is an additional floor on top. Space is nice, seat width as well as leg space. // I have a nice conversation with the Deutche Bank IT guy next to me. Middle East and Africa are his regions. Especially the latter is his favorite. The dozens of pictures he shows underline that. // Touch down in Dubai after a 6 hours flight. Clean, well organized airport. During the safety check to the connecting flight it proved that stopping at the ICI Paris was a good idea, as liquids - bought at the tax free shops in Düssledorf - can't pass through!
October 16th - 220
The Boeing 777 for the 2nd stint is a lot less clean and spacious as the A380 on the 1st stint. It's a short 4 hours flight and everybody tries to catch some sleep. The crew is very early serving breakfast. Not so handy, but I managed to catch a bit of sleep afterwards. Petra is woken up by the crew for landing (put your seat in the upright position ... ), and seems in a coma. Passing immigration / customs smoothly. And at the luggage belt our dive gear bag already arrived. The other one, with all our regular clothes doesn't show up. As it is just us and some Germans left at the end we think there may be an issue with the luggage from Düsseldorf. When I ask I am told there still one container coming. And yes .... there is our bag :-) Next stop: Water plane check in desk. 16.8 kg over-weighted sets us back $75. Auwch, but expected. In less than we're in our plane for our 20 minutes flight to Vilamendhoo.
On arrival we are asked to go to the bar, rather than to reception. Are we in for a an unpleasant surprise? Overbooking? No, just a special welcome and subsequent cocktail as being a repeater guest. Nice. And the room? 220. Which is connected to 222, the one we asked for as we liked it so much last time around. Can't be better. Time to quickly make some nice pics ... rain is coming. We are prepared for not the best of weather this time of year. Hopefully we're lucky.
October 17th - House Reef
Unfortunately yesterday's rain is still here. Some dry intervals in the morning, but after lunch it stops raining mildly. Wind and poor down. Nothing you can do about that. The day until now. First a long sleep. Very much needed after the long exhausting trip yesterday. 8 to 8, nice 12 hours of sleep. Delicious breakfast. And than for a walk. Which only takes us to the dive shop. Petra had great hesitation diving today, but when she saw there was a 2-Tank Manta trip on tomorrow, she wanted to get into the water ASAP to make sure all is working fine! Exit 7 or 8? I decide 8 as I want to make sure we reach exit 10. A good hour later we're in the water. O boy, quite a current. We need to plan many stops and take it slow, otherwise we'll be at exit 10 - the last one - in a blink of an eye.
Petra has some issues clearing her ears. And she has a free running regulator. All solved quickly so we can start our 1st dive of this holiday. So lovely to see the coral and fishes again. Missed them. I had preview while snorkeling yesterday afternoon, but the viz is better know and corals look netter at this side. The last part, with the cave, is the nicest part. Need to do this again before we leave.
Yesterday I thought today's story was going to be a sad one about wind and rain. October and November is the change of the season, making the weather unpredictable. And until now we hadn't been on the lucky side of unpredictable. Breakfast at the main - larger - restaurant today. We are arrive before they open. "You go diving?" tells me they are used to early birds like us. But where to sit. "Take any table you want sir". Okay. Although his colleague thought different, as he told Petra to move somewhere else. She ignored him and when I joined her at the table he gave up. To the dive shop. The "blond" dive guide is already there. We're on the other boat, with Roman. They have had a lot of cancellations, but still 2 boats go out. As per the briefing we swim slowly to the cleaning station coral block and wait for the Manta's to come. If they come ... . We wait. And wait. And wait. Nothing. Pity. Roman leaves and we follow him. We make a small round tour over the reef and return at the cleaning station. The divers from the 2nd boat, who were sitting besides us earlier, have left. TING! TING! Manta! Manta! It's "only" one Manta, but what a beauty. She will stick with us fore the next 25 minutes. Hanging upright. Circling over our heads, enjoying our bubbles tickling her. And back to the coral black. Again and again. Man, what a how! When we surface all smiles around us. The plan was: 1) If we see Manta's at Coral Hills, we dive the site twice. 2) If not, than we do a 2nd dive on Mahibadhu. The captain decides different. It's too bumpy to get back in the boat on these dive sites. We return to Vilamendhoo to dive Coral Garden, the opposite side of the channel around Vilamendhoo. Roman promises the dive site won't disappoint us, and he is right. Especially at the corner where 4 White Tip Reef Sharks are on patrol (rather than sleeping on the bottom as they normally do). A nice desert. As is the sun that shines when we surface. But short lasted. Now, 17:30, it is poring rain again.
I have difficulty waking up. Slept 9 hours in one go, despite the heat and humidity (we left the airco on). In a coma. Today we have breakfast at our own restaurant (the smaller one, at the adults only side of the island). When telling our waiter, Shiraz, yesterday "see you at lunch as we are diving tomorrow morning". He said: "we open at 7:15 for divers". Okay. Nice. At the dive shop Leila is waiting for us. "Deutsch" or "Schwytzer"? "Holländisch". Okay, the language for the day will be German. As MV Kudhima was cancelled yesterday, they want to do that one now. The initial planned dive at the outside of the Atoll is not possible due to the wind and the waves. Okay, Kudhima Wreck was on the To Do list anyway. "I also speak Dutch" we hear behind us. It is Evelien from Rot Kreuz in Switzerland. She has a Swiss father and Dutch mother. And since she spent a lot of time at her mothers parents during her youth she speaks remarkably well Dutch. Later in the afternoon Petra tells her her sister works in the Löwe Hotel nearby in Zug. "Elly?" "Elly is your sister?" "Yes" Yep, it's a small world after all. Analyzing the Nitrox on the boat. Yesterday the percentage was already low. 27% to 28% in stead of the usual 32% O2. Todaay it's only 25%. Tja, so we are actually diving plain air. Leila explains that the membrane (to filter the N2 out of the air and hence get a higher O2 percentage) is already quite old and delivering the new one takes forever on the Maldives (ordered too late I call that!).
The viz at the wreck is quite okay. A lot better than 2 years ago, but nothing compared to what we had the 1st time around in March 2011. It is nice to do this dive again. The Stonfish' are still around, but I see only one Batfish. At the end of the dive we crossover to the reef. OMG. All is dead! This is not how I remember this place. Later Leile explains that they had 30°C to 31°C water this summer (El Niño?) and not all coral had recovered. Pity. The second dive is called Bopalli (or something like that), which means Batfish in Maldivian. Nice fish and a playful Nemo. But due to the lolw O2 percentage I hit my deco already after 30 minutes. No other option than to "hang" at the highest point of the Thila (~9 meters) for the rest of the dive. No problem as it is quite a nice view.
Afternoon nap. Tring, tring. "Reception. Are you okay for a management dinner tonighht?" "Okay, see you at the 7 @ the Sunset Bar". Let's see.
October 20th - New Manta (HOT) Spot
I still wonder what last night was all about. At the Sunset Bar Ivan (Head F&B) and Jens (GM) were waiting for us, accompanied by another 2 couples: 1 British, 1 French (we were thought to be from Nicaragua - guess that's why were picked) . Some drinks and chitchats. We continue at table in the restaurant. The 2 gents elaborate about their lives while we enjoyed the buffet. Strange, but nice evening. Today we are going to look for Manta's again. At Mahibadhoo (capitol of this Atoll) Madivaru (Manta Point). A spot they had discovered only 3 months ago. Followed by Coral Hills. Dive guide is Adria. After the current check she reports back: "small to medium current, many divers [yep, we had already seen that from the boat], and no Manta's". Hmmm bummer. I hardly had my head in the water and I see a Manta. Yes, they are around! When we arrive at the cleaning station we see many divers. But also many Manta's - Yes! We are in for another hour of Manta Show! Petra counts 8 Manta's! The number of divers starts to decrease and so does the amount of Manta's. There are only two left. Three. Four. ... The're back! When Petra enthusiastically signals "Nine" to me, I point number Ten out to her, just popping up behind her. Yep, we're staying to watch this. The Manta's are getting closer and closer. One of them seems to really enjoy our bubbles and hangs above us. Lower and lower. At one point the Manta lands on my head! I can feel it's belly bulging in above me. Ooh man, this is awesome! This never get's boring. Second dive is at Coral Hills. No Manta's this time around, but still a beautiful reef to enjoy. And that's what we did.
Broken Rock is our first dive site. We have been here before. I remember nice corals on the top and often current. And the "Channel swim through attraction". Filip is our dive guide today. Serbian and Tech Diver. The latter is noticeable, I have never ever had such a detailed briefing. [also nice: run through the event after the dive]. We are hardly landed on the Thila when Petra bengs: A Grey Reef Shark. Filip also pointed out a Napoleon when descending, but the viz is so bad that we couldn't see more than a big shadow with the shape of. As we enter the channel the Grey Reef passes by again. I push the wrong button (camera off). When switching the camera back on I see squirt of water. And again. And again. Damn, my waterhouse is leaking! The White Tip, the Eagle Ray and again the Grey Reef I let pass by with taking a video or photo. I leave the camera switched off and hope for the best when we return.
Back on the boat I open the waterhouse. The silica bag is dripping wet. I decide to leave the camera on the boat and not take it down for the second dive. O, Broken Rock. The top was a barren spot. By far not the coral beauty as I remember it. Sad. Second dive at Kuda Thila. A shallow dive. Little bit more current than predicted. Nice but nothing special.
Back in our room we see the big dark clouds heading our way. The next 2.5 hours it's poring down again. Good time to sleep. Something we do a lot here. And after rain ... beautiful sunshine. Time to get up and have a stroll around the island.
October 22nd - And Again!
Checked my camera yesterday. Where I first thought that one of the O-rings of the buttons was bad (still some leakage when checking in the Jacuzzi), it later on seemed to have solved itself. Maybe a grain of sand or salt in the button. So I am bringing the camera again today. Already on the boat the camera was fogging up. It's also very humid here. Quickly open, and close, and the fog is gone. Today we go to Reethi Thila. Filip said he would switch it to 7th Heaven (because he is dying to go there), but obviously not. Due to the bad viz Filip wanted to jump on Huddu Thila (as it's big so you can see it from the surface) and swim towards Reethi Thila, which is very close by. I jump. See Huddu Thila. But all swim away? During the briefing we agreed to gather under the surface before swimming towards the Thila. And than, we're all already at 20 meters, Filip cancels the dive?! A bit of a chaos but eventually we all surface. Filip is cursing at the captain. All back on the boat for another try. The captain had dropped us at the wrong side of Huddu Thila. This time we're dropped correct. Man, what a beautiful small little thila this is. Bummer, we can only do one time swim around the thila. With "Nitrox" of 25% you reach your deco quite fast below 20 meters. So we descent a bit, hook up, and watch the local White Tip cruise by. 50 bar, time to go up. The 2nd dive is at our doorstep: Vilamendhoo Thila. No, the local Eagle Ray family doesn't show themselves, the school of - more than a hundred - Batfish is hard to miss though. They are quite curious and one by one swim by to take a look at us. Again we need to descent early. So we hook up and look around. It's a nice reef, bummer that the viz is not that good today.
On our way back to the island Filip is still talking about 7th Heaven. "You can already put us on the list" [when we check later that night we're on, together with Switzerland]. The plan was to skip a day on Sunday and enjoy the champagne breakfast. But when a - mega - wind picks up in the afternoon we kinda forget about that plan. We also have no idea what to do whem the weather continues to be so bad. So we put ourselves on list for tomorrows 2-Tanker. Maybe we're lucky: Manta Manta. Fingers crossed.
October 23rd - Manta Manta
Today a perfect Manta spotting day. As Andy (Andrea) initially planned to go to Coral Hills followed by Mahibadhoo Madivaru, and the other time we did this (with Roman) we returned after the 1st dive, we had low hopes for today. Maybe she didn't want to go to the other dive site with the inexperienced couple that joined us? Even after half an hour at Coral Hills without a Manta I thought "is going to be such a day?". But just as we wanted to move on ... the Manta arrived (déjà vu). Yes, a lovely show ending our dive. Hee, we're not returning. We're going to MM as planned. Nice. Only one boat on the spot. Snorkelers only. Going there we saw Adria and Roman returning, signaling 2 or 4. From the snorkel boat similar signals. So they are around. Impatient we are waiting to jump in. Yes yes 1 hour surface interval. Tap tap tap. And ... in we go. Soon after we see 2 Manta's. But where is the cleaning station? Ah, there is Andrea. And there is the cleaning station. Man, what a show ... again. Four Manta's continuously circle the block. At one time there are even six. Skipping the champagne was a good choice.
We leave our room without an umbrella, as the weather seems to have cleared up. .... less than a 100 meters walking distance, just before we reach the restaurant, it starts raining again. Luckily a short shower only. Off to the dive shop. Today: 7th Heaven, with Roman and Andrea (her 1st time, to get acquainted with the dive site). Surprisingly no wind today. But the dark clouds are a clear sign. Halfway through the briefing we have to leave the sundeck and hide for the rain. Again, a brief poor-down only. The dives, 7th Heaven and Huddu Thilla, are very nice.
On our way back the sun is shining, and yes, we missed her. Great to have her back. We can have lunch outside, as it should be in the Maldives. Now, late afternoon, overcast again. Hopefully nice weather again tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
October 25th - New Captain
Okay, again another dive guide. Today Karo is our guide. It looks like she is in bit of a panic when we board the boat. The reason is becoming clear very soon. They have a new captain. And he has no idea where Kudu Rah Thila is. Next to that the GPS locates the site 12 meters off the jetty of Vilamendhoo. Not good. And as this is a small (Kudu means small) thila, it will be difficult to locate. 10 minutes later the actual GPS coordinates are loaded in the device and off we go. // The other captain - Mr. Cool - had dropped us at the wrong location several times, and I have heard several of the dive guides suggesting to ditch him. Maybe the did.// Kudu Rah Thila is a treat. Such a nice dive! Outgoing current, so Karo expects us to not be too lucky on Coral Hills, so suggests to change to Vilamendhoo Thila. Okay, whatever. Not a bad choice. Fifteen minutes in the dive we bump into a Manta. She swims slowly passed us, turns around and swims - slowly - away. Nice.
Jos: 25.9 [m] / 57 [min] | Petra: 24.1 / 57 [min]
Jos: 26.8 [m] / 61 [min] | Petra: 26.2 / 61 [min]
After lunch we go outside as the weather is lovely. At the dive shop we have a chat with Hussein. He is planning a trip up North (yee!). But already warns us it may end up in a 'Thila Trip" as the weather is not quite stable. Fingers crossed!
October 26th - Scooter
Last night Filip was already glowing like an exited little boy. Today he entered the dive site with a big smile: SCOOTER DIVE! Looks like he's looking forward to this dive even more than us :-) We have 11 divers on the boat, almost all new faces, and 2 dive guides. Filip (our 007 guide) and Andrea. She will guide the group after Filip has dropped us off at the right spot. Just like on 7th Heaven this is her first time to guide Lucky Hell. Same entrance though, as these sites are located back-to-back. Our plan: start with the group, torn around to do 7th Heaven and than return doing Lucky Hell. We enter the water first to get the scooters handed over from the boat and clipping them on the BCD. The dive is done as planned. At the back side of Lucky Hell (atoll edge side) we meet the group again. We continue to the start and turn around. Too much current. These scooters aren't super strong. The current wins.
Back on the boat we are trying to recruit some divers for tomorrows trip up North. Not really successful. We'll know for sure tomorrow. The 2nd dive was planned as a shallow dive. Two cozy White Tips dozing in the sand making it my deepest this holiday. Lunch time! Again soooo good. As is breakfast and for sure dinner. I need to watch my weight back home ... and loose some. I am sure.
October 27th - North Ari Trip
We couldn't believe what we saw when we checked the list last night. Another 8 diver signed in, so, with us, the minimum 10 divers! We're going North! According Filip Hussein and Leila would join. And yes, they did. Beautiful weather, no waves hardly any wind. Man, we're soo lucky. Next to us 3 Swiss (St. Gallen - 2 brothers, 1 girlfriend), a British family (mom, dad, daughter), a Danish guy and a very quiet guy (did hear one word from him the whole day). After 2.5 hours we reach Maayaa Thila. Our starter as Leila said. // For Hussein and Leila most likely their last trip North. They tell us they are moving to Kurumba where Hussein will be the dive shop manager. // The viz is not good, but still something to see. Especially the Eagle Ray swimming along was nice. And the strange Octopus who wanted to have his picture taken - very a typically he came out of the reef and showed off when the camera's flashed. Hide when the flashing stopped, And came back out when the flashing started again. Never seen this behavior before. After one hour surface interval we're at Hafza Thila (my 500th dive). OMG the viz is horrible. Okay, we see the Grey Reefs. But nothing compared to the "Shark TV" we had 2 years ago. Bummer.
Lunch, and than Fish Head. Again, horrible viz. Luckily Petra was stubborn enough to go deep at the end of the dive, because there the were: the Grey Reefs (and I gladly followed my dear buddy).
That's the diving done for this holiday. Back to Vilamendhoo enjoying a wonderful sunset from the boat.
October 28th - Last Day in Paradise
There it is again, the inevitable day. The last one. Diving done. Time to stroll around the island. Shoot some nice pics. And dream about a next time (10th ... ). The mandatory credit card swipe. And than the Repeaters Cocktail (for which they had forgotten to invite us last week). Uncomfortable, fake casual, conversation with the gathered staff. But it was nice to talk to the British family we met on the boat yesterday. October 29th - Going Home Wake up call: 4:30 Luggage outside: 5:00 Breakfast: 5:15 Sea plane: 6:00 "We're very very sorry, some issue with the sea plane. You're now scheduled for 6:45". And at 9:10 our intercontinental flight leaves Male. That's going to be tight. Petra is not happy. Up too early and 45 minutes to waist. Okay, let's do another final round around the island. There is the sea plane. And the dhoni already left. Hmmm, I guess that's what they were really telling us at reception. We're on the 2nd in stead of the - initial planned - 1st flight. Petra is really not happy. Just when I want to walk to reception to check whether the people waiting have also been delayed I hear they are Dutch (from Heerlen). Strange, almost 2 weeks here and hadn't seen anybody from the Netherlands, and now, when we leave, we meet 7! No, they were scheduled on the 6:45 flight from the start. But also they need to catch the same flight to Dubai and also from there to Düsseldorf. Despite their later departure their wake up call was at 5:00. Okay, seems normal. But were still a bit worried as it really is tightly planned. And yes, it was tight. But with a little skipping the line we all caught our plane. A small delay leaving Make, but an on time arrival in Düsseldorf. This was our 9th time to the Maldives and it still tastes like more ...
We fly at 9:10 from Düsseldorf, so an early rise (4:30) to be on time. We check in: Diving Bag 23 kg, duffel bag with clothes 16 kg. Hmmm, did we really pack all we intended to bring? We'll see - no worries. The direct flight with Airberlin to Curaçao was quite comfortable. An hour before we land I remember I hadn't de-blocked my bank card for use outside of Europe. And we didn't bring enough cash for the taxi. Luckily the free WiFi at the airport works fine, so I can de-block using the bank app. The ATM is around the corner and the NAFs (Netherlands Antilles Florins) are popping out without an issue. We get in Juriena Frans' - a friendly lady - taxi and arrive at Scuba Lodge in no time. A very friendly welcome from Dalies at the desk. Ah, Petra and Jos. Oatmeal! On the way to our room Dalies smiles and says we have been given an upgrade. Nice! Curious what the upgrade will be? Where are we going? Totally outside? We first take the left, but there is some restructuring ongoing, which we can't get passed. What a noise and dusty mess?! The upgrade happens to be the owners apartment, next to the actual Boutique Hotel. Big, yes. Sea view, yes. But it's run down and lacks the special atmosphere the Hotel is known for and why we booked it. Not happy! As I start to slowly unpack, Petra is back to reception to inform for other room options. We are shown room 18. Nice, but a bit dark and no sea view. We don't know what to do. We are tired and feel cheated. We booked less than 5 weeks ago. No mention of any reconstruction and the room we booked is not available due to that reconstruction ... . // While Petra was gone I was trying to open our luggage. I found a small kitchen knife and used that to cut through the tie-raps I used to secure our bags. I use some force and direct the knife towards myself (yes, stupid - but I was tired .. ) and plant it straight into my other arm! Auw. A flesh wound and in this climate, in this climate and in combination with my medication. NOT good. We call for a doctor. F.D. Da Costa Gomez. He takes care of the wound. Cleans it. Glues the flesh together. Packs it in bandage. And finally, better safe than sorry, gives me a Tetanus injection. //
What to do? Room 18 or stay? We head back to reception. Dalies can also offer room 6. But that is a regular room. Not what we booked and not what we want. Finally we choose room 18. It feels like the best of the 3 - not so preferable - options. Had they given us room 18 from the start, I doubt there would have been an issue. The room isn't very bright, but clean, new, has a small kitchenette and is bigger than what we expected. Let's unpack. It's okay now.
April 24th - Bank Card - ATM
We wake up early. We decide to have breakfast at Bijblauw, next door. They open at 7:00 (iso 8:00). We pass by PM78 going there. Yep, we could have booked that one as well. Maybe next time? The breakfast is very good!
At 9:30 Patricia gives us a little tour / introduction of the hotel. We also drop by the in house dive shop to sign in. A nice, cozy, easy going atmosphere. Tomorrow we'll do our first dives with Daan. Starting at 8:30.
Time to get some cash so we can do some shopping. Hmmm. Transaction not possible! I try again. And again. And again. Nothing. The Dutch folks behind me, same bank as us, have no issue. Strange. Back at Scuba Lodge I contact my back via their app. They can't find any issue. All should work. When I ask if they can activate Petra's bank card for use in Middle America, they say they can only do that Online or by Phone. As we forgot the bring the Bank Dongle it will be the latter. I call them and 5 minutes later all has been arranged.
Back at the ATM, this time with Petra's Card. Again, no money! Damn. What to do now? We find another ATM, from the same local Bank, a little further down the road. No issue - money! Hmmm, maybe the Dutchies in front of me took the last 400 NAF, and the 500NAF I tried simply wasn't in the ATM anymore? We'll never know, but it doesn't matter now.
Lunch and chilling at Scuba Lodge. The day slowly passes by. We both haven't found the holiday feel yet. Maybe tomorrow when we go diving. Otherwise maybe rent a car and have a look outside Pietermaai.
April 25th - 1st Diving Day
Meeting at 8:30. Two-tank with Daan today. Another 5 persons are joining today! After a quick briefing all stuff is shoved into a minivan and off we go. Marie Pampoen is the 1st dive site. Once underwater we are happily surprised. Nice reef, and soo clear - great viz! As we are joining a group the dive is not to deep and we still have plenty of air when we get out, despite starting with 180 bar only.
2nd Dive is at Tugboat. Also a beautiful site with lots of life. The dive ends under a pier, which is gorgeous.
Yes, we have the taste of it now. So back at Scuba Lodge we ask for the plan for the coming days. Thursday is no issue, but after that they are FULLY BOOKED! What? After complaining for a minute or 3 we decide to let it be, rent a car and dive with the two of us. We do 'book' for Saturday afternoon however, to go to thé dive spot: the Superior Producer!
The rental car is confirmed soon after. A Kia Picanto in stead of the Suzuki Jimmy we asked for. That one was not available anymore. Bummer, but can't help that. We go to Bijblauw for dinner. Excellent! Let's do that again before the holiday ends.
April 26th - West Point
Today the "West Point" Day Trip. Adriaan is our guide today. And it's only 4 of us. Next to us 2 and Adriaan MaryAnn from Toronto joins. Nice and relaxed, such a small group.
The 1st dive is at the West tip of the Island: Playa Grandi (Piskadi). This place is famous for its Green Turtles. They are attracted by the spills from the local fisherman that clean the fish, and throw the cut off bits and pieces in the water. Once you stick your head under you can spot at least one. Safety Stop playmates. We first do a tour over the nice reef. Back at the beach we see the baitfish in the shallows being hunted by the Jackfish. We spend some time with the beautiful turtles. Than I remember Adriaan talking about a brown seahorse on a piece of rope. It took some time, but we did find it! What a bonus! A long and nice dive.
For lunch we drive to Playa Porto Marie. A few photo stops later we arrive. Once we have finished our burger and most divers have surfaced, it's time for us to go under - searching for the Frogfish. It doesn't take Adriaan long to find it. A very beautiful yellow one. After an hour checking out the reef we return to see if Mr Frogfish is still around. He is, but decided to go for a little walk. Such an odd looking fish.
A very short visit of the festivities. Towards Punda and back. The both of us are way too tired (up at 5:00), so back to Scuba Lodge for dinner. At the time the party really started (22:00) the both of us were already tucked in and dreaming of turtles. Zzzzzz
April 27th - King's Day
Today is a good day to sleep in. (well it should be, but ... Petra was awake before 5:00, I myself at around 7:00) Breakfast at Scuba Lodge today. Maybe not the best day as it took long and wasn't that special. They did make Petra's oatmeal though, with cinnamon. Even I liked it! Time for a pre-siesta (for sure Petra needed one) and than off to the Nieuwstraat.
It's hot and busy on the Nieuwstraat, with all the King's Day festivities - mainly for children. We browse through until we reach the Pondjesbrug. It just opens, so we have to wait. We check out the other side (Cruise ship side), not so our thing. We return after 2 hours back at Scuba Lodge. Tired and hungry. Time for a late lunch. The rest of the day we spend doing as little as possible. Floating in the pool, staring over the ocean ... as the day slowly comes to an end.
April 28th - BBQ
Today Bob will be pour guide. Next to us another 4 ladies join, Swiss (2 divers) and Dutch (1 diver 1 snorkeler). Looking around it is clear that Jan Thiel is the Dutch hotspot on the island. Bob used to work here for a few years, so he can find his way blindfolded if needed.
After a long swim out we go down and to the left. Again a very nice dive site.
During the safety interval I get a notice from the local diveshop owner as I left my tank standing on the table. "Next time you have to bring apple pie for all!". When he learns we are from Maastricht he rather has Rijstenvlaai. The 2nd dive is the same, but now we do the reef to the right. Nice.
We're still full from lunch, so we skip the diveshop's happy hour. We do join the BBQ, which is very good.
April 29th - Rental Car
As of today we are going to go our own way with 'our' Kia Picanto. It may be a small car, but all our dive gear fit in without a problem. Off to Directors Bay, a gorgeous dive spot. It even has a real wall. Again the water is super clear. The reef is beautiful and full of life.
On our way back we spent a lot of time - really a lot - to search the seahorse that may life here. We didn't find it. Bummer. In the evening we drive to the super market to get some nice stuff for diner and to snack. Yes, very handy to have car!
April 30th - Superior Producer
Now that we have a car we can take care of our own breakfast. Not so adventures having your 'home' breakfast from the dutch supermarket, but o so relaxed. As was our morning at the pool.
As planned, Bob takes us to the Superior Producer. There is a huge ship moored right next to the dive site, and the sign says it's not allowed to dive in such case. Bob says that to his knowledge only cruise ships and marine vessels should be avoided. And since this ugly big thing is neither of them it should be no issue to dive .... . Okay?!
Man, what a site. Soo beautiful. Huge wreck, overgrown with corals. The hull full with Tarpons. A big school of baitfish hanging over the bow. On the return squid, octopus and a turtle on the reef. And again, super good visibility.
The perfect day it seems. But than. Roosendaels, Bob's tip for dinner, is closed. Okay, can happen. Back at Scuba Lodge the gate doesn't open. Ah, your key is expired. This was quickly fixed. But than also the room doesn't open. "There is something wrong with the lock. We're trying to solve it already for some time now". The only option is for the security to open our room. (they try very hard, but several things still go wrong .. ).
We decide to leave Scuba Lodge for a diner and end up at Ginger, in the middle of Pietermaai. Good choice! Back at the lodge the guard, Jimmy, hands over the master key, so we can open our room. Just before we enter the room we bump into Patrick. If we could hand over the key to Gea tomorrow morning at reception. She will take care of the issue. Okay, but first sleep.
May 1st - Pick-Up Trucks are Overrated
I can't get over the practicality of our small car. Whether it is doing our own shipping, or being able to dive when and where ever we want - flip down the back bench and all our stuff can be put in without an issue. It does the job perfectly! First dive is at Snake Bay, a 20 minute drive.
Back for lunch. Baked eggs with tomato. Than for the 2nd dive we go all the way to West Point, Alice in Wonderland (Kalki Beach). An other very enjoyable dive - pity the sun is not out today. On the way back we take a small detour to see the flamingo's. 17:30 we are back at Scuba Lodge
Last full day at Scuba Lodge. We do our last shopping, full up our "dive truck" and return it - which is nothing more than just dropping the keys at reception, how easy can it be! The plan is to do the House Reef, but there are sizable waves. So we ask Adriaan for advise. He walks to the shore with us and points out where to enter and exit, how to do that and what to look for to find the exit under water. Great! Looking at the waves he admits it will not be easy, but he's sure we're okay.
Once we're back with all gear on it is not to bad at all getting in. And boy, is this again a nice dive site. Lovely corals. Plenty of fish. Ting ting. Petra spotted a lobster. And a Giant Barracuda. And a HUGE coral crab. Another lobster. And another one. If we ever go back here we for sure need to do this site again. A very nice finale of our diving in Curaçao. But now ... we need to get out of the water. And that is not easy at all. The closer we get to the shore the stranger the surge. Once we are trying to climb out on the small beach we are both grabbed by the waves several times and pushed over. Final I am out so I can drop my gear and help Petra out as well.
With a few scratches, but big smiles on our faces, we walk back to the dive shop. The rest of the day we spent at the swimming pool, and a walk to the Pondjesbrug. We'll have dinner at Bijblauw.
The holiday is coming to an end.
May 3rd - Going Home
It is that day of the holiday again. We start with a breakfast at Bijblauw. When paying the bill is NAF71 where it was NAF55 every previous time. Coffee isn't included anymore and not so cheap it shows. But it was good so .. .
Packing. Settling the bill. Taxi to the airport. Two coffee, a pie and a sandwich with croquet later we're on the plane. Direct flight to Düsseldorf.
Nine and half hours later we land. Pick up the luggage and drive home, back to our two furry friends.
