October 1 – 2, 2012 Passage across the Java Sea From Bali to Borneo – “Dodgy First Night!”

We enjoyed beautiful sailing winds on this passage and enjoyed the familiar swish of water passing under the hull without the loud grinding of the engine. The closer we get to Singapore the heavier the traffic becomes out here on the open water and for some reason known only to perhaps God, it is always heavier and more challenging at night. Within 15 minutes after my taking over the watch large ships materialized on the horizon. For the most part they cut us a fairly wide path of a couple of miles, however, one cargo ship came directly at our port beam at 15 knots. I had been watching him on the AIS and as he/it came to within the 5 mile zone I began to hail the ship by name. I received absolutely no response to my persistent calling. Before long the large ship was within 1 mile sending our alarm into a frenzy as I attempted to maneuver out of its path. I continued to hail the ship to no avail and couldn't seem to shake him with my evasive maneuvers, for by now I had turned on the engine and had reefed the sails in order to move about more quickly. Eventually, when the other ship was just under ¾ of a mile away and as I had the engine revved to over 3200 PRM racing to get beyond its path (forget evasive moves now), it turned to starboard passing our port side within a half-mile.  Crisis averted. Now in hindsight, I should have recorded the vessel's information and made a report of his asinine behavior to the shipping company that owns the vessel. For anyone who doesn't sail/cruise ½ or ¾ of a mile doesn't seem like much and yet out here it is a hare's breath between a large fast moving cargo vessel and us.

Afterward traffic on the sea increased and before long I encountered another tug that did not appear on either radar or AIS, and an unidentified uncharted island off to starboard. Hmm, which way to go?  Eventually I broke down and went to awaken Frank. Two heads are needed now. He watched and then after a while said to me, "Barbara, that is not an island, that is a barge being towed about 3 miles behind that tug". Shocking that they are not required to carry some sort of transponder. The barge was completely unlit.  Had it not been for the light of the moon we would never have seen it's pale profile in the distance. For over half an hour we watched and tried to hail the tug. There was no way to get a trajectory of his path so we attempted to get beyond it, but absolutely could not judge his intent. We turned on all of the deck lights and continued to try to raise the ship on VHF. Eventually the boat shined a very powerful spot light at us. We realized there was nothing to be done but to turn about and try to get the heck away from this one. He had no intention of responding to us. We put the iron jib on high gear and completely circled three miles away to get behind the massive barge that looked like an island.

After that Frank was fully awake, and as we were discussing what had just happened we noticed on the AIS a fast moving passenger ship heading across our path. Here we go again. We didn't pussyfoot around this time. We pushed the RPM's until the poor engine sounded like it was crying for mercy and sped past the point of interception. By now I was completely worn out and went down for my sleep. Three hours later Frank awakened me with the news that after I went to bed he did not pass another ship. He had a quiet, easy watch.

The wind abated sometime during the second day as we noticed more and more local fishing traffic. In fact, by nightfall we were literally surrounded by 50 or more fishing boats with nets. They carefully avoided US and were very well lit so for a good while we traveled unmolested by commercial traffic. Eventually as we neared Borneo the cargo and towing barge traffic picked up again. We arrived at the mouth of the Kumai River at Kalimantan by 4 PM. We dropped the hook just inside the river mouth for the night rather than try to enter at this time because the river is chock full of traffic and a bit dodgy to navigate without full light. The air here is very thick with smoke; burns the eyes and makes breathing very uncomfortable. Wonder what they are burning all the time?

September 29, 30, 2012 - Last Day in Bali, A Very Early Departure for Borneo and Day 1 of Passage

Saturday was a workday for us to get Destiny ready for a three-day passage to the Kumai River at Kalimantan, Borneo. Our stay in Bali was obviously a short one, not long enough to do it justice and so we hope that sometime over the next year we will have an opportunity to fly back for a nice long stay.

Sunday we arose at 4 AM, and by first light we were off heading in the direction of Kalimantan. Our first day out was OK. We did bit of sailing and a bit of motoring, staying ever vigilant because of the many, many fishing boats, nets and traps all about. There was a good bit of commercial traffic as well, giving us an opportunity to be thankful for the AIS unit. Unfortunately and confoundingly, there are large boats our here pulling massive barges on 1 - 3 mile towlines. They not only do not carry AIS, they do not show up on radar. These were our worry points as darkness approached. For the most part, large ships gave us plenty of space, passing far to the port or starboard side of us but interestingly at night we were most definitely beginning to exercise some defensive driving techniques. Thank goodness we were traveling under a full moon. I went to bed at around 8 PM to try to force myself to sleep giving Frank the first night watch. When we awoke me at 11 PM, he reported that nothing much was happening so I should have a pretty easy watch. It did start out that way.

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September 28, 2012 – Driving Tour of North Bali – Temples, Kopi Luwak and More...

Friday morning we met our driver at 8 AM. I had gone online to do a bit of day-trip research out of Lovina Beach, and highlighted the items of interest and places we wanted to see. Apparently he had another agenda and although when we spoke to him to book the tour he had a firm command of the English language his English speech and comprehension seemed to come and go when we asked him questions he did not want to answer or when I asked to go somewhere other than what he already had in mind. Based on this I am not sure why our French friends were so impressed with him. Our first destination was to a small village where we walked between narrow alleyways and through what appeared to be people's homes. It felt very intrusive! He didn't seem to know where he was going, and when I asked he said we were going to see the Ikat weaving. Apparently the weavers were not where they were supposed to be. OK. Eventually we literally walked into a house where a group of ladies were preparing food, flowers and gifts to be placed into the little temples about. It was quite an impressive sight. This apparently was the home of the weaver. Ah ha! One of the ladies stood up, motioned for us to follow her and then led us down yet another alleyway where she opened a large garage door to reveal a room full of weaving machines already set with cloth and thread, in various stages of works in progress. She gently uncovered them to show us each of the varieties of weavings and then placed herself into one of the machines. We watched her with stupefied looks on our faces. She worked so nimbly and the process appeared so complex that we couldn't get our heads around how she knew what to do and how to place those threads, and further, when she banged down the pieces of wood and bamboo to tighten each row, how she didn't damage a body part. It was a truly impressive process. We learned that these particular machines are hand made and over 200 years ago. The art of weaving is passed down through the family generation after generation. This young woman began learning almost as soon as she could walk and talk.

 

It is a dying art with the introduction of automation and because young women are not so interested in carrying on the ancestral traditions so much anymore. Watching her made it all that much more special to us and I motioned to Frank that we must buy something. These particular weavers work mostly in silk and use quite a lot of silver and gold threads as well. Their work is truly impressive. After watching the young lady weave for approximately 15 minutes and noting that she had completed about two-inches of cloth I was even more determined to make a purchase just to show our appreciation if for no other reason. We were shown several masterful pieces that were enormously expensive before Frank and I settled on a deep purple table runner for 500,000 IDR, (approx $50).

Leaving there our driver took us into a remote village to watch the silversmith at work. But when we arrived there was no silversmith. He was away at a festival somewhere. So we drove a bit further to see the glass painter. According to our driver (whose English was now very articulate), this man is the only glass painter in all of Bali. He creates beautiful paintings on glass. What is so amazing is that he paints the backside of the glass. This is difficult to explain but here goes: He first sketches the entire piece onto the back of the glass and then paints layers upon layers somehow working his way backward through the painting so that the back of the glass looks like a 2-year old's handiwork instead of that of a master artist. The front of the glass, however, reveals an incredibly intricate 3-D scene. Although extremely impressed, we did not buy a glass painting – wouldn't do for our yacht.

Next stop was a waterfall, and yet not the waterfall we thought we were going to. The one we had anticipated seeing was very high up, quite impressive with a hot spring pool in which we could swim. This was I think my biggest disappointment. We got out of the car and suddenly our driver could hardly speak English. He handed us over to a guide who simply walked us across the street and down a long path absolutely crammed with booths and stalls of vendors selling everything from clothing to spices, jewelry, pottery, paintings, carvings  - my gosh so much junk! As we were walking, the guide informed us that we owed him 100,000 IDR for his services. I noted dozens of other tourists walking to the waterfall without guides and so I asked him why no one else had a guide. He smiled and carried on about some silly nonsense and I realized we had been rooked because there was no "guiding" to be done and he offered no information or services he just walked with us and encouraged me to browse the shops along the way. I really don't like being played but there was nothing to be done about it. Eventually we came to a waterfall that was just a waterfall. I can't really say what was special about it other than that there was a small open temple at the bottom decorated with white and yellow silk drapes and scarves. OK, that done I needed a toilet. We stopped at a small café where I saw a sign for "toilet". I squatted over a filthy hole in the floor, nearly losing my balance. Thank goodness I had a tissue with me b/c there is no toilet paper to be had in most toilets around Indonesia (at least where we have been). I nearly gagged before I got out of there. When I emerged a woman stood there holding her had out telling me I had to pay her 2,000 IDR to use the toilet. That's it – we were ready to blow this popsicle stand. By the time we got back over to our driver I was fuming. Frank put a hand on my arm to keep me from giving our driver an earful. I don't know why because we are paying $50 for his services to take us on a tour that so far had only included one of the items on our list. I bit my tongue as we drove to a temple in the mountains.

We passed by a magnificent outdoor market and as we passed it I exclaimed – "Oh, I want to stop there!" It was the big market we had heard about that surpassed all others yet. The driver somehow did not hear me and we continued on. Coming to the temple we were astounded to see hundreds and hundreds of cars and large tourist coaches lining up to get into the parking lot. I again bit my tongue before saying that I had no interest in this overly crowded place.  The driver walked us up to a ticket window and then disappeared among the other guides and drivers around the corner. We paid our $10 each to enter and walked around pretty much looking at ruins and some pretty buildings over by a large lake. People swarmed about us and after about 5 minutes, Frank looked and me and asked "Are we done here?" I nodded as we searched for the exit. We had driven nearly half a day already just to get here and weren't the happiest of campers. Returning to the parking lot our driver was nowhere in sight. We located him after about 15 minutes of searching finding him shocked that we were back so soon. On the way out we approached the magnificent market once again, and once again, I called out to stop. The driver completely ignored me and rushed on past. As the day wore on, our driver became more uncommunicative. Sitting behind him I wanted to thump him in the head and ask him whose tour was this anyway? Frank, being the peacemaker just winked at me. OK, now I wanted to smack him in the head!

It was by now well after noon and the driver issued promises of a good stop for lunch, yet the next stop was a Buddhist temple. So far removed from the craziness of the Hindu temple we truly did enjoy this tranquility. We quietly and serenely strolled the grounds and gardens, stealing peeks inside the prayer areas. I felt such peace and serenity wash over me. Peering over at Frank I noted the same state of respect and awe. Clearly there is Divine presence here. We stayed much longer here than at the other stops. I was in no hurry to leave, and when we did I quite contentedly placed an offering in the donation box. Returning to the van I wasn't quite as angry with our driver.

Next stop was definitely on my list – the coffee plantation where the very expensive and rare Kopi Luwak is found. On arrival we were given an excellent tour of the plantation, beginning with a peek at the Luwak animal, otherwise known as a Civet (looks like a beautiful black cat with a long snout). Although the animals roam the coffee plantation this one was on display in a cage for us to have a look at one. The Luwak eats coffee berries and only chooses the very best ones to eat but cannot digest the bean inside the fruit and so it evacuates the intact bean in its feces. Piles of Luwak excrement were drying on a nearby canvas. They looked like little Baby Ruth bars! These very best beans have been carefully chosen by the Luwak so that the process of choosing the finest coffee beans falls to the animal rather than to the humans to hand pick them from the tree. Fascinating really. The beans are well cleaned, dried and roasted into an excellent tasting final product.

We continued our tour through the plantation where the process of growing, harvesting and preparing the coffee fruit was explained in great detail. There were also many other agricultural trees and plants about such as cloves, vanilla beans, cashews, and cinnamon. Again, no inch of fertile land is wasted. After the tour we had a seat in the small café. By now it was 2:00 and we were starving. The only foods available were "Bali Cakes", a variety of rice flour baked goods. We ordered that and then I had to try this Kopi Luwak so I ordered a cup. They actually brought me a small pot. The coffee was quite delicious! Very mild and aromatic (not from poop), I thoroughly enjoyed it. Frank opted for a Bintang, but did taste my coffee and agreed it was nice. We made some purchases in the gift shop, although I didn't buy the Kopi Luwak. It was tasty but not really worth the price for us.

Leaving the coffee plantation we had a long drive back to town where our driver dropped us at the traditional outdoor market. We picked up some fruits and veggies and then returned to Lovina Beach. It was now 5 PM and the gang was gathering for sundowners at 6:00. We hurried back to the boat, stowed our purchases and returned to shore where we enjoyed first drinks and then a traditional Balinese dinner and dance show. 

September 27, 2012 – Lovina Bay, Bali (north coast)

Arriving Lovina Bay, on Bali's north shore we were greeted by a man in a small local boat who led us in through the reef break into the anchorage where well over 25 rally yachts were already situated. Our man introduced himself as "Made" (pronounced Mod-ay). We arranged for the delivery of fuel and for a bottom cleaning of Destiny's hull. He was returning at 4 PM with out 300 liters of diesel, so Frank and I ventured to shore for a stroll on the black beach and a quiet lunch.

The moment our feet touched the beach locals greeted us amiably and began to offer their goods and services; tours, taxis, souvenirs, etc. We ran into fellow cruisers from the catamaran Ananda who gave us a business card for a driver they had hired to take them on a tour. Attempted a nice stroll along the beach toward the resorts in search of the perfect spot to sit and relax, but the sand was so hot it literally burned our toes where it kicked up onto our toes. I've never felt sand so blisteringly hot. We ran between a couple of buildings toward a sidewalk to resume our stroll with now very tender toes. We eventually came to a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean and surrounded by lovely gardens. Stopping for lunch we noted it was actually a Resort named Adirama. Very nice and the food was excellent (and very inexpensive). Afterward we walked a bout looking into small shops and just enjoying a browse. I purchased a few things and then it was time to get back to the boat for our fuel. The guys arrived promptly at 4 PM. The process took quite a lot of time because the diesel was delivered in jugs of all sizes so by the end of that we declined the invite to go to shore for Sundowners with the gang.

Sept 25th & 26th – Last days in Lombok, Visit to Senggigi

Visas finally in hand (we received them last night), we drove to Senggigi to return the rental car Tuesday morning. We had intended to drop off the car, do a little shopping and then, returning to Medana Bay weigh anchor and head out.  The weather was not playing ball, however and had turned to the SE making our intended stop at Gili Air a no go because the anchorage is on the SE side.

So instead of hurrying, we took our sweet time enjoying the little seaside, touristy village of Senggigi, where good restaurants and lots of shops line the boulevard. We stopped off at the Swiss Bakery to order fresh bread and then went about browsing and shopping.  We returned to Medana Bay in late afternoon to find an even smaller crowd of cruisers huddled in the little café. The stragglers, like us were either awaiting the return of their visas or for boat parts to be shipped in. They gave us news that all of the boats previous moored at Gili Air had evacuated after several had dragged their moorings and two had ended up on the reef.  So we figured we would stay here one more night.

 

Early Wednesday morning, (the 26^th) we set off for the island of Bali, and at first we enjoyed fabulous wind that pushed us at around 8 - 9 knots SOG for the first 7 or 8 hours. Then as we rounded the tip of Bali's NE side, the land blocked our wind. It literally dropped to just about nothing more than a whisper. Dodging fishing rafts that were placed every couple f hundred meters or so we wove our way as far as we dared in the diminishing light. Clearly we would not make our destination of Lovina Bay before dark so we anchored as soon as we could find a safe spot. There aren't many of those on this northern coast. We slept not a wink that night as very bad and off key Karaoke pounded the airwaves literally all night long from a beachside bar. It sounded as though they were sitting on top of us. Both of us dragged our bedraggled selves out of bed at first light to get the heck out of there. Lovina Bay was only 2 hours away.

September 22 - 24, 2012 - Road Trip Around Lombok - a Grand Adventure With Friends

Day 1 -
The 8 of us set off for Senggigi at 8 AM to pick up the second rental car. We stopped at the Swiss bakery for coffee and croissants while Frank and Peter walked over to the car rental place to pick up our wheels. They happily returned 15 minutes later with a large passenger van; proudly announcing they only paid 750,000 IDR (translates to approx $75) for our three-day rental. Nice going guys. We then loaded up into the two vehicles and set off for Kuta on the south coast of Lombok. Lombok's countryside is graced with mile after mile of rich farmland. We passed by large fields of tobacco, rice, corn, and peanut crops. Many of the farmers still use the traditional ploughs pulled by water buffaloes. The scenery was tranquil and beautiful, seemingly set hundreds of years ago and frozen in time. We enjoyed this scenic beauty for a little over an hour before hitting the main highway and being suddenly morphed into present day noise pollution from fast moving cars and trucks rushing by and blasting horns. After a while we sighted the international airport stuck out in the middle of nowhere before finding our way back to the country and a little more peace, although the blacktop roads became much narrower and occasionally pitted with large ruts. We traveled through some beautiful villages and some not so. Everyone we saw was working hard and for the most part the people here seem to exhibit great pride of ownership in their homes and villages. The streets are cleaner and tidier, roads and homes better kept. Eventually we arrived at the beachside village of Kuta.

Kuta has gained an international reputation as an excellent surfing destination and is less cluttered than Bali's Kuta. The beaches here are very pretty, the bay is tucked into a near circular landmass and is protected by a barrier reef. Surfers are taken out beyond the bay to the reef by boat. The waters are crystal clear yielding a view of the bottom as far out as the eye can see. Beaches are white sand and lined with souvenir huts, restaurants and bars. Prices for t-shirts, sarongs, ikats and beach bags are cheaper here then at Senggigi and Medana Bay. A bit road-weary, hungry and thirsty we sought out a good stop for lunch and not surprisingly ran into some of our cruiser friends who had made the trip with a personal driver. As we settled in to place our orders, gregarious children approached carrying long boards laden with little bracelets and necklaces they were selling for "I give you best price!" As soon as we waved them away the ladies peddling ikats "hand made from my village...it tells a story…I give you best price" bombarded us. We waved them away only to be approached by the t-shirt and sarong vendors. They see us all as very rich white people with money to burn. Compared to them, perhaps we are. After lunch we strolled the beach being trailed by chatty vendors who must have thought that if they persisted they would wear us down until we made a purchase. They have no idea how desensitized we all are by now. Eventually we realized we had better inquire about a hotel for the night to accommodate 4 couples. Frank and Paul set off on an exploratory mission to find us a hotel while the rest of us waited at a nearby bar. They returned to report that they had located a place that had 6 rooms available. Of the four lower priced, only two had double beds. Frank and I opted for one of the mid priced rooms with a king. We paid $50/night. The others paid $35. The hotel property was vast, with grounds that had once been magnificently landscaped but were now just barely surviving. Once upon a time this had been a top end resort. Who knows what has happened to it over time. Our room was massive yet spartan with only a bed in the middle of the room, a small table with a 10" 1980's model television and a built-in settee under the window. The bathroom was located through a locked doorway and completely exposed to the outdoors (no roof), where the heat was sweltering and the walls and bathtub were covered in mold. There were no towels and yet we had a bar of soap and a shower cap! Hmmm. Well we did only pay 50 bucks, and that includes breakfast.

After stowing our gear in the rooms and grabbing a quick shower (ours but a trickle of cold water), we all met in the lobby for drinks and then set off for dinner. The hotel manager had made us a reservation at the top restaurant in Kuta, called Warung Balu. Known for its fresh seafood we all feasted. The meal was outstanding and the best part is that, including all the drinks, it cost less than $15/couple. After dinner the rest of the gang wanted to go for drinks and smokes Paul and Glor have discovered clove cigarettes and everyone seems to be enjoying them. As yummy as they smell there is not a chance in hell I'm going to try one after what it took for me to quit smoking several years ago. I was also only on day 2 of my antibiotics and was feeling pretty run down so I retired to the hotel while the rest went on to party into the night. I returned to find LARGE ants marching around on the bathroom counter. I'm talking half an inch long large ants. I swatted them away and brushed my teeth, washed my face and trotted to the bed where I threw off the covers to reveal more ants in the bed. I swatted them away and crawled in anyway. I was too tired to care. I slept like the dead until I heard banging and crashing at the door. It sounded like the gates of hell had been thrust open. It was only Frank coming home after having smoked too many clove cigarettes and drank too much of gawd-knows-what. He forgot that the SLIDING glass doors actually slid and was trying to force them open by pushing and pulling with all his might. Thank goodness he didn't break the glass or pull them off altogether before I jumped up to let him in. Lord.

Day 2
We met for breakfast at 7:00 AM. Breakfast was a choice of an omelet or banana pancakes and fresh fruit or juice and coffee or tea. It was delicious. The coffee is excellent here in Indonesia, but prepared like the cowboys of the old west. It is roasted then pulverized to absolute powder. They pour hot water over spoonfuls of the coffee powder and then serve it to you. You have to wait until the powder settles into a sludge at the bottom of the cup before drinking, unless of course you just want to drink it powder and all. Nonetheless it is very aromatic and tasty.

We set a track for the hills driving up into the mountains and the land of waterfalls, rain forests and plantations of coffee, spices, tobacco (tabac) and monkeys. The countryside became even more beautiful the higher we rose in elevation, reminding us of our trip to the mountains of Flores. We stopped for mid morning tea at a quaint little place called Pondok Tetebatu Bungalows and Restaurant, nestled on the outside of the Monkey Forest. While enjoying ourselves in the little café we arranged a hiking tour through the rice fields and tabac farms and over to the waterfall. We inquired about the bungalows, they were $15/night and very cozy looking so we all booked a room, stowed our gear and set off for our hike.

Our guide literally walked us along the levees of the rice fields. We were fascinated to learn about the various forms of farming the different types of rice, including red, basmati, sticky and black rice. We touched and tasted all along the tour. The sticky rice, commonly called sushi rice, is the most expensive and arduous to grow. Other crops such as tomatoes, green beans, vanilla beans, and corn are grown in between the rice fields so that not an inch of this fertile land goes to waste. Even the rice stalks are harvested for cattle food. The cattle are even beautiful! We walked through clove and coffee plantations, into a village to see how they live and dry the harvested crops. We saw many fighting cocks, messenger pigeons and dogs. There are so many dogs. Our guide (whose name I could never pronounce) explained that the dogs are for security and are trained to guard against the monkeys, horses and other livestock that will eat the crops and raid the villages. At one small village we were invited to taste the delicious flesh of the massive Jack Fruit. It was so tasty that we purchased half of one and watched as the lady proprietor skinned it and carved out the bits of edible fruit for us, placing it into a bag for carrying. We also bought large bags full of chilis and tomatoes. We then ventured across some pretty rough terrain up and down and across creek beds to eventually arrive at a small waterfall. Being dry season the waterfalls aren't exactly majestic right now. We all refreshed ourselves in the cool clear water, snacked on the Jack Fruit and set off again traversing more slippery rice levees until we came to a tabac drying shed. We were given a quick tour and then finally led back to the B&B where we all fell into the café for refreshments. What an amazing day! Everyone cleaned up before we set off on foot to explore our immediate surroundings. We saw loads of large buses taking backpackers up into the mountains for multi-day camping treks. We were the only white people around here though, and as we walked through the tiny adjacent village locals came out to get a peek at us and to wave at the strange white people. We ended our evening with a delicious dinner back at the café and then retired to bed. The rainforest sounds came alive as we nodded off and the noises of the night nearly kept us fully awake. Finally exhaustion took over and we nodded off but rest was not part of the night's sleep. Early the next morning we feasted on banana pancakes and coffee, settled our bill and hit the road. I interject here that our total bill, including the room, meals and tour came to a grand total of $38/couple. Again, unbelievable.

Day 3
Paul, Glor, Colin and Marion had to get to Mataram for their appointment with immigration, so they went one way and we took off for the eastern side of Lombok to catch a view of the volcano, Mount Batu Jari. From the rainforest, the terrain became less lovely and the roads less passable. At times they were so rutted that it jarred our bones. Traffic on the roads was very heavy and we were happy that Peter was behind the wheel today. He seemed completely at ease driving in these conditions. We continued to see farmland but of a different nature. Here the main crops were cashews, potatoes, strawberries, onions and garlic. Unfortunately, being Monday all of the markets were closed so we had no opportunity to purchase any of these fresh goods. We mostly drove and drove, rocked and bumped along until by lunchtime we finally arrived at a small hostel that serves as a jumping off point for trekkers hiking the multi-day trip up to the volcano. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and a nice cool break (lunch: $1.50 per person), before getting back on the road. This area is a bit more remote and not as picturesque as the rest of Lombok, and just didn't have as much to hold our interests. We drove on down to the coast hoping to stop for refreshments along the beach, but strangely enough everything was empty and appeared closed. So we pressed on, making it back to Medana Bay by late afternoon. When we arrived Destiny appeared to be sitting over the reef. Yikes! We tumbled out of the van and sped over in the dinghy to find that she was perilously close to a large bombie (coral head). We quickly hauled up the anchor and moved her closer into the middle of the now nearly empty bay. While we were away apparently a lot of people had gotten their visas and had set off for Bali - lucky them. Returning to shore we joined a group hanging out at the Medana Bay café/bar. Chris and Liz from s/v Rumrunner II told us that a big blow had come through causing several yachts to hit the coral, ram each other and to drag all over the place. As a result there had been a mass exodus from the anchorage. And yes, visas had come through as well. Thank goodness no one had hit Destiny, nor did she appear to have hit anyone or anything else while we were gone.

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Sept 16 – 21, 2012 - Island of Lombok and Anchorage at Medana Bay

Arriving at Medana Bay we grew excited to once again meet up with many familiar friends and to be getting some amenities. Our supplies were rapidly depleting. The "marina" at Medana Bay consists of about a dozen moorings and one floating metal pier that accommodated about 8 berths. It was so crowded there that we had no chance of getting onto either and so we found a spot to anchor among the bobbing yachts. Although it is marketed as an international marina in a well-protected bay we think the publicists were on mind expanding drugs when creating the brochure and website. This place was clearly not even close to what was advertised. It was in fact very rolly and at times the wind came blasting through there with such force that if everything on deck wasn't secure then it went into the drink. Lots and lots of yachts' anchors dragged during our time there, and in fact so did some of the ones on moorings! Often the waves were so choppy that the berthed boats seesawed violently against the metal framework of the little dock.

In spite of those shortcomings Medana Bay staff worked very hard to make us all feel welcome, offering laundry services, diesel, petrol, and water supplies while turning a very nice profit. We paid a 50,000 IDR per day fee to enjoy anchoring there. The café boasted free wifi but we could never get a connection. The biggest attraction for us all was visa renewal services. Everyone's visas were due to run out within two weeks. For some idiotic reason many of us had been convinced to get that done here instead of Bali, where we were initially scheduled to have them renewed. Once again we followed BAD information. Without going into it in great detail and in order to save myself quite a bit of whining, the bottom line is that we paid over 650,000 IDR per person here for that service and then had to wait here 8 days, from beginning to end of the process to get those visas. It entailed an hour and a half-long  trip to Mataram, a large town where the immigration office is situated. Had we gone on to Bali it would have taken only 3 days and the "service" would have been handled for us, costing less than half the price. I do not recommend doing it the way we did because we got stuck at Lombok for 10 days, causing us to miss our anticipated time in Bali. We were on a tight schedule now to be at the Kumai River in Kalimantan on Borneo by October 3^rd for our Orangutan tour.

So while in Lombok we made the best of our time. A couple of 5-star resorts were situated just around the end of the bay. We enjoyed a delicious dinner one night with "Renegade" and "Northfork" at one. Another evening Medana Bay hosted a blues and jazz concert and dinner for us all, costing a nominal fee equivalent to about $20/person, that was quite good!  We shopped in the large town of Mataram on the trip to immigration, picking up a fair amount of supplies. Then suddenly the ear infection I'd been fighting hit me with full force, settling into my throat and knocking me down for the count. I was in a tremendous amount of pain and ended up homebound for a couple of days with no voice and minimal hearing. We had thought of leaving Destiny here and flying to Bali whilst awaiting our visas, but clearly I could not fly. Frank managed to procure some antibiotics  (C-phat) at the pharmacy for me that worked wonders, getting me quickly back on my feet.

We were becoming increasingly bored sitting at this remote Medana Bay awaiting those visas when "Scallywag" and "Avant Garde" arrived, talking us and "Renegade" into taking a road trip to see the island of Lombok. Frank was worried that I wouldn't feel well enough for that but I can be sick anywhere – why not get off the boat and try to have some fun? So we rented 2 vans from the local village of Sengiggi and took off for three days.

Sept 12 – 16, 2012 On the Move to Some OK and Not So Good Stops En-route to Lombok

Leaving Gili Lawa our next scheduled stop was Lombok, and in order to get there we needed to get past a large island called Sumbawa. For whatever reason, this island was not a stop on the rally route so we didn't plan to spend any quality time there. We did not want to sail at night because of the many little unlit fishing boats that inundate the waters here and because of those crazy looking floating fish-attraction rafts inevitably littered about in the middle of whichever path we choose to trek. We can't, or rather don't want to, get close enough to snap a photo of one. They look like floating haystacks mounted on top of a bamboo raft.  It is all part of the charm of Indonesia. So we traveled as far as daylight would allow, finding a decent stop at a place called tg Djoeli.

Thursday morning bright and early we set off again, making it only as far as a place called Medang Island. It should be named just "DANG! ", because it was DANG rolly in there. Forget cooking dinner, we were happy to be able to sit without being tossed from one side of the boat to the other. Needless to say, Frank and I scurried out of there none too fast at first light.

We made it nearly all the way to Lombok, and in fact anchored in a well-protected cove just inside the small island of Gili Lawang on the northeastern corner of Lombok. Four of us huddled in there: Destiny, Renegade, Sea Mist and Imagine. The place was so quiet and peaceful that we decided to stay for a day or two to get some P & Q. Sheila invited everyone over for a Mexican Fiesta for dinner the next night. Saturday morning, we awoke to zillions of big black flies buzzing about. We quickly closed ourselves in and began fly swatting. They were into everything, for crying out loud. I told Frank if it wasn't for the fact that we had dinner plans with everyone that night my vote would be to make fast tracks out of there, but we stayed and were very happy we did because dinner on Imagine with everyone was a real treat. I had made homemade brownies, Evelyn brought homemade fresh-baked bread crisps and fish spread, Cheryl brought dim sim and steamed prawns and Sheila's Mexican food was as good as it can get outside Mexico. Another great night was enjoyed by all.  Sunday morning found us weighing anchor at the literal break of dawn. We couldn't take the flies another minute. Surprisingly Sea Mist and Imagine opted to stay one more day.

Sept 7 - 12, 2012 - Onward to Komodo Island and Gili Lawa (Great Diving)

Our intention upon leaving Uwada Dasami was to head to the famed Pink Beach at Komodo Island which, is among the top anchorages. Because it is a National Park area where anchoring is prohibited public moorings are available. As we approached, however, we noticed the anchorage was jam-packed and were waved away by locals in small long boats. Instead we were directed several miles away, deep into a remote bay named Pantai Merah that is surrounded by mangroves. There will be no going to shore here. As soon as we were settled in the merchants appeared out of nowhere hawking their shells, pearls, carvings and so on. We smiled and firmly replied that we had no interest in more pearls, carvings or shells. Eventually a little man came by holding up a large lobster. Now this we can get our heads around. He wanted 500,000 IDR ($50!). I told him I would pay 100,000. We haggled and he came down to 200,000, but I held firm at 150,000. He left and went over to Sea Mist to try his luck. John bought a shell and managed to pick up the lobster for the price I had negotiated. He called over to us to say that he got the lobster for us if we still wanted it for 150,000 and that he would bring it over because Cheryl doesn't do lobster. What a nice guy! Frank BBQ'd it on the grill and we gave John a morsel. So this was the highlight of this place. We departed early the next morning for the island of Gili Lawa at the top end of Komodo. On our way out we caught Northfork on the radio and talked them into coming along with us since it had been a while since we'd seen them.

Approaching Gili Lawa, Imagine reported to us that the anchorage was filled to capacity with private yachts and dive boats. They were motoring around seeking an alternative spot. We opted to drop the hook at Gili Lawa Darat, the south side of the island in a small cove large enough for us, Northfork and Sea Mist. Although we were eager to get together with Mark, Dana and baby Walker (Northfork), our freezer had once again failed and was sending us into a tizzy trying to keep our food from defrosting. Borrowing a DYI refrigeration book from Mark, we stayed on board fiddling around with the freezer. It was such a pleasant night out that after dinner we took a stargazing break out on the back porch. The wind kicked up wavelets around Destiny causing brilliant sparkles to alight from beneath the surface of the water. As the sky continued to darken, the sea life beneath the water came alive with fluorescent blobs and streaks, sparkles and flashes. It was the most incredible underwater show we have ever seen. We stayed out there for hours watching the subaqueous organisms cavort about beneath us.

Early the next morning we received word that several boats were departing the northern anchorage of Gili Lawa and if we wanted to move over then we should head out before it filled up again. We reluctantly weighed anchor after breakfast to head over. It's not that we didn't want to stay here in this magical spot; however, current and winds can be fierce on this side. We didn't want to run the risk of dragging into one of the surrounding reefs by staying longer than one night. I really wanted to snorkel here and by the time we had left the area we did just that and were rewarded with amazing corals and sea life.

Once settled into the anchorage at the top of Gili Lawa we were immediately immersed in the hustle bustle of a dozen or so dive boats in sizes ranging from large live-aboards to small day craft, conveying great numbers of divers and snorkelers out to the nearby dive spots. This is THE place to come if you wish to dive Indonesia. Several of the best dives are but a short dinghy ride away. We enjoyed every minute of our time here. The water was so crystal clear we could stand on the bow and trace the anchor chain all the way to the hook. Shore offered a lovely sandy beach where we gathered for sundowners in the evenings. During the day we dived and snorkeled literally all over the 4 sides of the little island and at the famed Castle Rock. We swam with massive Napoleons, Grouper, Angel Fish, Mantas, turtles, sharks and many, many fish I've yet to identify. The colors were brilliant, and the corals very much alive and healthy. In fact again, we sighted corals we have never before seen. We could have spent a month here just exploring the underwater habitats that flourish here. Frank and I both found ourselves self-talking while underwater saying, "Wow! Look at That! How amazing! Oh My Gosh!" We just couldn't get enough of this place. Finally I had no choice but to stop because on my dive of Castle Rock with Evelyn and Peter I had great difficulty clearing my ears. As a result I developed a serious ear infection that worked its way into my throat causing me to seek medical attention and antibiotics, forcing me to stay high and dry for the next several weeks. It was well worth it to have experienced this incredible place. Frank and I are seriously considering coming back to dive with one of the Siren Fleet's live-aboards for an extended diving trip next year. It really is a diver's mecca.

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Sept 4 - 7, 2012 Uwada Dasami - Destiny Climbs Cannibal Rock, A Rescue and Wildlife on the Beach

After considerable tide and current research we departed Labuan Bajo at around 1 PM in order to catch the southward flowing tide through the pass between Flores and Rinca. Well, as Indonesian tides go we didn't exactly catch it right and found a 2-knot current pushing against us. At least it wasn't 6 knots against us. Our target anchorage at Uwada Dasami is located in a horseshoe-shaped bay at the lower end of Rinca. Imagine was just ahead of us and Sea Mist was following. Eventually the tide began to go with us giving us a positive drift. Late afternoon was sneaking up on us as we emerged from the pass putting us at the entrance to the bay at around 5:00 PM. Entering the bay we immediately noted that it was completely surrounded by mountainous shores blocking out the last of the afternoon sun. We were rapidly losing our daylight leaving the water black as pitch. Two very large live-aboard dive boats were bobbing on massive moorings in each of the small coves either side of a very large rock outcropping. Imagine went for the nearer cove, and as we watched them motor back and forth for close to ten minutes seeking a spot to drop the hook, we realized it may take them a while to find their sweet spot. If we wanted any visibility for anchoring we should move on around to the other cove.

I'm sure I've mentioned that there are MANY uncharted reefs and obstructions throughout Indonesia, so as a precaution we had sonar and radar on as well as Google Earth overlaying our chart. Cutting a wide path around the jutting rock formation we were registering 141 feet of depth when suddenly Frank called to me, "Barbara the bottom is coming up…real fast!" The sudden crushing grinding noise was enough to tear our guts out as Destiny slammed up onto the top of a pinnacle remarkably named Cannibal Rock. It happened so quickly. As soon as Frank had noticed the depth changing he had instinctively neutralized the engine and then slammed it into reverse. Nonetheless, we had climbed straight up and were squarely sitting bow up at about a 15-degree angle. It was horrible. Oddly, instead of freaking out, Frank and I both stepped into assessment mode, more level-headedly than either of us could imagine. I quickly gave him a report that from the foredeck we were surrounded by (stunningly beautiful) coral but the hull did not appear to be breached, and then while he was working the throttle and helm, I dropped below and began flinging open all the bilges to check for leakage. Within minutes, 3 tenders from the dive boats descended on us and began a well choreographed and extremely organized rescue under the very well composed direction of a tall American named Alan Collins. Frank never left the helm and never stopped working to free us. I dug out dock lines, secured them to cleats and tossed them to the dive staff. Two of them boarded Destiny and directed the efforts of the others. They worked unremittingly and extremely cautiously for nearly an hour to free Destiny from the pinnacle without causing her hull any additional stress or damage before the tide really did a number on her. It was surreal.

By the Grace of God, and the incredible structure of Destiny, the keel took all of the hit - no hull damage to Destiny. We have never felt so much gratitude and I know that nothing short of a miracle saved us. There is no other explanation for it. I kept telling the dive crew that they were our Angels. As soon as we were free, the crew and their tenders departed as quickly as they had appeared, leaving only Alan aboard who directed us safely around the obstruction into a secure anchor spot in the next cove. After we settled our shaking nerves, we asked him what we could do to repay them for their incredible efforts. He said, absolutely nothing. They were happy to have been able to assist, and then he further explained that there are other such unmarked obstacles out here that the dive operators know about because they are popular dive stops, but are not noted on the navigation charts. Of course I asked, "So why don't the charts show them?" He shrugged and said he didn't know the answer to that. Returning him to his ship, The Palau Siren, in the other cove he invited us aboard for a tour and to meet the captain. This dive boat was top of the line and this trip is her maiden voyage. After cruising Indonesia she will head over to Palau. Getting us off our boat and giving us this little tour, offering us something to drink worked wonders to settle our nerves. Alan informed us that they would be pulling out in the morning but that he would be happy to dive our hull for us before leaving. We kindly thanked him but assured him we would be diving the hull at first light ourselves. He assured us that if we needed anything to let them know ASAP.

The next morning before I could wipe the sleep from my eyes, Frank had already been down to check Destiny's hull. He popped back up with a huge smile and the good news that in spite of that horrific episode, Destiny only bore scratches to the underside of the keel. She was intact. There is really no explanation for that, other than we have experienced yet another miracle of fate. I have been too shaken up by it and Frank too upset with himself to relate this to anyone else. The only people who knew about this are the dive boats and the two yachts (Sea Mist and Imagine) that were there with us. It took me several weeks to share this to anyone, and even at that it was to only 3 other people. Frank is still not ready to talk about it. Now I feel a little bit insecure, and we absolutely will not sail these waters anymore without the full light of day. As soon as we had internet I downloaded the dive sites for Indonesia. Interestingly, this season we have more resources at our fingertips, including the overlay of Google Earth on the charts. How we missed knowing about that reef is unnerving.

Although we are divers and according to Alan, Cannibal Rock is one of the best dives in Indonesia we didn't do it. Frank snorkeled it with Stuart and John while we were there. I thought about it but by the time we motored over there in the dinghy I had talked myself out of it reasoning was that it was too cold, but I think it was really the knots in my stomach that formed as soon as we got back to the spot of our accident.

In spite of the shake up, we had a great time at Uwada Dasami. Shorty after Frank had dived the hull, both dive boats departed, leaving an available mooring in each cove. We moved onto the one by us, and Imagine took the one in the other cove. After snagging our mooring, Frank and I enjoyed coffee and breakfast in the cockpit. Whilst sitting there we spied 4 large Komodo dragons emerging from the bush. They sauntered out onto the beach and settled in for a warm up in the sun. WOW! We called the others who jumped into their dinghies and rode over for a look. We got within about 10 feet of the dragons and snapped some photos. After a short while, the dragons slinked back into bush and then a trio of black wild boars tumbled out onto the beach. They were soon joined by a troupe of monkeys. Frank remarked he felt as though he was at the San Diego zoo. Later that afternoon, at around dusk several deer appeared on the beach, balancing up onto their hind legs to eat foliage from the trees. While they were munching away out came the dragons, followed by the monkeys and the hogs. Surprisingly they all seemed indifferent to one another. This behavior conflicted with everything we had heard about the interaction of the Komodos with other wildlife and yet here they all were as though acting a scene straight from Dr. Doolittle.

After enjoying this spot for a couple of days mostly watching wildlife, we sailed over to lower Komodo Island.

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