Kuta, Bali

Shipwreck

Our last two dives were to take place at the famous shipwreck site of the US Cargo Ship Liberty that went down in 1942. Many believe this to be Bali’s best dive site. I was very excited to see for myself.

My transportation came at the same early hour as the day before. I was quite happy when I got into the van and was greeted by two lovely Canadian girls. We hit it off right away and had a nice chat during the ride to Sunrise Dive. We were all excited to get to spend the day together since our personalities clicked and our journey throughout Southeast Asia was very similar.

The girls were heading to Malaysia the following day but would be in Thailand around the same time I was planning to be there. When we arrived at Sunrise Dive we received a bit of bad news. The girls were going snorkeling and I was diving so we would be heading to opposite places. With disappointment in our voices, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways hoping to meet in Thailand.

Serge lifted my mood with his friendly banter and all was well again while we prepared to head to the small village of Tulamben where the US Cargo Ship Liberty lay at its final resting place.

When we arrived, we departed the van and headed towards a beach that was covered in large boulders. There were many people selling T-shirts, hats, little trinkets, and many other things all along the beach as we maneuvered over the large boulders.

Dewa announced to the group that we would be gearing up here, on the beach, and walking out into the water. There would be no boats this time for the shipwreck lay just feet off of the coast. I was relieved that there was no boat and excited that we would be starting our dive right away. Patience still isn’t my strong suit and when it’s something I’m really excited about it just goes out the window so this was great news.

We all got into the water and went over the guidelines. Soon after, I deflated my vest and began to sink further and further down. Fish were all around me, full of the most amazing colors coming in all different shapes and sizes. Once again, it was a beautiful world underwater and I thoroughly enjoyed taking it in.

I saw a lot of the same fish from the day before but had the added bonus of being able to see a real life shipwreck from over 50 years ago. That in itself was a treat.

We made it to the shipwreck after descending to around 21 meters. It was old, rusty and coral had formed on and around it. There were fish swim through the many open wholes that were either windows or worn out places in the ships structure. I was amazed at how well preserved everything was. I swam in, out and through many areas of the ship all the while trying to avoid the heavy current that was present. At one point, I saw a large fish, bigger than me that just lay in the shadows watching me with the same curiosity as I watched it. I even found the vessels steering wheel and held onto to it to see what it felt like to be an underwater captain of the ocean floor.

The two dives lasted sixty minutes each with us once again having a quick lunch in between. During lunch, Serge decided to buy a blowgun from one of the touts to bring back to Russia for his brother. Once the other touts saw that Serge was in the buying mood, they swarmed him like a pack of hungry wolves. It was quite the sight to see.

When all was said and down, Serge was the proud owner of a blowgun, sword, bow and arrow set, hat, t-shirt, shark tooth necklace, and a pair of sunglasses. The touts loved Serge and the group got a kick out of watching him haggle for a better price and grin with each new purchase. He was like a kid in a candy store, loving every minute of it.

We packed up our gear, showered, had one final look at the sight that brought us so much pleasure and headed back home. It was another successful journey. It also meant I was now PADI Dive Certified for Open Water.

It was sad saying goodbye to everyone upon our arrival back home. We had all had a wonderful couple of days together. Sandra and Jaap were leaving Bali the following day and Serge was going back to Russia a few days after that.

When I arrived at my accommodation, Dewa gave me my certificate, dive book and some instructions on where to send my info to get my official license. I had a paper copy that would work until the real one was finished. We said our goodbyes thus ending the journey towards one more thing I wanted to accomplish in life. Now it’s on to surfing.

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Shipwreck

This photo was taken off the coast of Bali, Indonesia after completing my last dive to get my PADI Dive Certificate. My crazy Russian friend Serge is credited with the photo.

Bali... Such a Beautiful Island

Bali…..

What can I say? It’s been a real treat so far. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on a private patio viewing the exotic plants and animals all around me. Just last night, a lizard was hanging from the outside light fixture. Pretty amazing!!

Sure, the days are hot, but it’s intriguing beauty more than makes up for the heat and humidity. Plus, It’s sunny here everyday. You can’t beat that.

For the past two days, I’ve been combating jet lag. It’s become a real pain. It’s defiantly something I’m not used to. I made the mistake yesterday of laying by the pool, taking a quick afternoon shower, and then laying down to read a book. Before you know it, I was fast asleep and didn’t wake up till half past 11. It was a real bummer, given the fact that I had intentionally stayed awake to try and get my sleeping pattern more adapt to that of the Balinese timeframe (currently 12 hr. difference)… my world has essentially been turned upside down.

I usually wake up at around 4:00 am and read for a couple of hours. I then get dressed and take a stroll along the beach.

I hope to sleep a full night soon. My body is still getting acclimated to everything around me and it’s new time schedule. I’m trying not to rush anything. Getting sick is something I’m trying to avoid.

I have another night here, at Hotel Sayang Mahay Mertha, and then I’m off to the Gili Islands. I will be taking at least three forms of transport to get there. They are located off the island of Lombok, and are pristine and fairly uninhabited, from what I’ve been told. They don’t have any ATM’s or Cell phone service, so I have prepared myself with enough cash to make it through my stay their.

I plan on getting PADI Scuba Certified while I’m there. I’ve been told that the diving is great there. It will be nice to get to a new location. I’m already getting antsy, and want to head out of Kuta. There are too many people trying to sell you things here. It’s a beautiful place, but like all beautiful places, it’s been tarnished by commercialism.

I have lots of video and photos and I promise I will post them as soon as I get the means (time) and energy to do so. Island life has made me lazy.

Cheers,

rl(Tripp)

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I Finally Arrived...

Hello Everyone….

The last few days have been quite an adventure. It all started two days ago, when my family dropped me off at the Minneapolis Airport. Everything went fine there; it wasn't until my second connection flight, from Denver to San Francisco, that everything got a bit hairy.

It must have been the chicken I had at the San Francisco Airport that ultimately did me in. I got terribly sick before my next flight to Taipei, and it just wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t keep any solids or liquids down. Needless to say, it was a long 13 hr. flight to Taipei.

The good news was, that I finally started to feel better after 24 hours of singing praises to the porcelain Gods, and I was able the to board my last flight to Bali, Indonesia.

It’s been a real treat so far here. I made it through customs without any problems, my checked luggage made it here, and I was even picked up from the airport by a guy holding a ‘Rob Larson’ sign. After the long trip, it was well worth the little bit I spent to secure a room at a nice hotel in Kuta, Indonesia. (Less than $15)

With recommendation from the staff, I walked down to Kuta Beach to see the magnificent sunset. It was amazing!! I’ll post video and photos as soon as I get some more time.

Everything I have been doing takes time. We take for granted all the basic things that come so easily to us back in America. I spent most of my day unpacking and walking around the district I’m located in. The people are so friendly and helpful here and I’ve been trying to use what little I know of my Bahasa Indonesia to communicate with them. Everyone is more than willing to help you out.

It’s been a great experience so far, and I hope to update you with the many adventures that are sure to come. I can’t wait for a great night sleep that will contribute to a much needed rejuvenated body. They even have free breakfast here.

I just wanted to let you know that I’m safe, happy and pretty healthy at this very moment. I didn’t think I was going to make it for a while, but I guess you just never know.

Also, the temperature felt pretty good today and they sell three scoops of ice cream for under three dollars. What a country. I’ll post photos soon.

PS: Thanks for the ‘smiley ball’ Dad and I hope your move went smoothly.

Cheers,

rl (Tripp)

--The internet is dial-up and terrible slow so bear with me--