Indonesia

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Indonesia

Crossing from Darwin to Indonesia: September 24-27th

Indonesia: September 27 - October 15, 2024

Our departing sail from Australia is a pleasant surprise. Anticipating no wind at all, we have a beautiful sail the first few hours. Followed by the stillness of a sea of glass and the hum of our diesel engine. And hot, heavy air (we miss the wind for more than just sailing!). To distract ourselves, we send the fishing lines behind us and quickly catch a nice size Bonito, which we release(we’ve become particular about which tuna varieties we’re willing to consume). About 40 miles out of Darwin, we hear from Rock Lobster, who departed just before us. Engine trouble. Meaning it’s quit completely and without any warning indicators. We motor to them to offer what aid we’re able. If not for the grim situation, the image of their sailboat on the still water is striking. The sea is so smooth, anything breaking the surface catches our attention. As we pull up to them, a dolphin appears, its dorsal fin breaking the glassy surface of the sea between us. A curious sea snake also skims the stillness near their hull and then dives. We circle them, contemplating if we could rig a way to pull them safely back to Darwin. Nick and Rob both decide to ditch that plan as not feasible. Instead, they fly their huge Helix downwind sail and gradually return to anchor outside the Darwin marina to await for consultation and repairs. Encouraging us to continue on, we putt-putted our way into the evening. So much motoring!

Some sappy night watch thoughts….

-As we pass through the Timor Sea, on a very still night - both sea state and wind are extremely calm. Before the moon has risen on this clear night, the stars shine, but the world around us is so richly dark. Almost as though it’s so thick it absorbs the light as soon as it’s emitted from Jolie. Our only dim light is the navigation equipment, set on night mode. I can’t see anything beyond the life line, as it reflects a vague shine from the nav gear. When I extend my arm outward, my hand isn’t visible. A complete blackness. Until the moon visits.

-Night watch from 8-10 pm. The sun has set. Everyone has gone to bed in an attempt to sleep before their designated watch time. There lingers some grays and blues reflecting on the water from the sky as the last of the sunset fades. The wind is literally 1 knot and the sea is liquid glass, flowing in smooth, undulating sheets. Solitude comes to mind. A deeply peaceful solitude. Not lonely. Spiritual. Or maybe it’s a sense of not knowing where you end and the nature around you begins. A peaceful oneness.

-Mesmerizingly beautiful, the manner in which the moon lights up the clouds from behind. They stand out against the deep darkness beyond, as though glowing from within, their borders radiating light.

-Immersed in the sea and sky for days, I sometimes find I look into the star-filled sky, or at our beloved light-casting moon, and feel a warmth in my heart. A kinship of sorts. Almost like I’m looking at a dear friend. Weird, right? But, there it is.

-God is everywhere out here. This is his creation. Pure. Unadulterated. Our circumstances make us acutely aware of being but a tiny molecule in His infinity. Once again, the bobbing rubber ducky comes to mind. Maybe this should be disturbing, but it’s somehow comforting.

Rock Lobster in No Wind.

Over the next 48 plus hours, we pass through the Timor Sea toward Timor-Leste Island. We begin seeing fishing vessels, not on AIS (Automatic Identification System, which transmits a ship’s position so other vessels are aware of it on their electronic charts. Especially helpful at night and with avoidance planning for cargo vessels.). Passing the coast of Timor-Leste Island off our starboard side, industrial areas of large metal buildings and tall cranes amidst a hodge podge of homes and other non-descript buildings pop up amongst the green landscape. Towering above the surroundings is an enormous golden head of an eagle. Or a giant chicken? Probably 5 stories high. Very large. Very gold. It rises out of a cage of sorts, like it’s under construction, but nothing’s been actively accomplished for ages. We continue motoring around the corner and, finally, the city of Kupang is in sight. About 450,000 people reside here, thus it’s a decent-sized city. And we appreciate that the customs check-in process is smooth with the use of a pleasant, local agent. However, the city is a bit of a disorganized mess - buildings half built and abandoned, side walks (sort of) which require constant vigilance to prevent catching a toe or stepping into a hole, small shops stocked with cheap knickknacks, very few restaurants. This is clearly not a touristy town. As ramshackle and haphazard as the town is, the people (especially the women) are very friendly in a humble, wishing to please, gentle way. However, we are happy to move on the following morning….

After a two day sail-motor, we anchor at a remote area on the southern side of Rinça Island, nestled in a horseshoe shaped bay behind Motang Island. Arriving during the moonless dark of night, we are amazed by the bioluminescence stirred up by Jolie. Trailing behind us in the black water is the underwater contrasting glow of two, deep rows of sparkly fairy dust left by our two rudders and a central broader area of sparkles from the propeller. Is this where Disney developed the idea of Tinker Bell’s fairy dust? No other vessels are here except Aurora.

We aren’t crazy about anchoring at night, especially when the night sky is absent of a moon. The darkness can be so deep, we can’t make out our surroundings. It is only by the guidance of the electronic navigation charts/Navionics are we able to make our way. However, the following dawn can feel like a child’s Christmas morning. As the sun rises and highlights the breathtaking scenery surrounding us, we delight in our circumstances. Surrounded by steep, jagged hillsides, covered in tall green trees descending down to the white beach in front of us. Clear, deep, rich blue water greets the beach. Is there something moving along the sand? A black wild boar rummaging, followed by a pair of monkeys. On the other end of the beach, Aurora spots three Komodo dragons. We hop in the tender to get a closer look, then motor around the bay, peering over the sides to find possible snorkel spots. The only negative to this area is the garbage lining the shore. We saw it sailing over, believing it must come from Kupang. Deciding on the best spot, we rally Calvin and Ellie, as well as Bob and Gakyung from Aurora. There’s a tiny island situated on the inner side of Motang Island, called Pulau Uadadasami Kecil, all of which rest inside the horseshoe-shaped bay on the southern side of Rinça. This tiny island is where we snorkel and are captivated by the variety of hard and soft corals, tropical fish (another cute juvenile sweet lips) and other creatures visible in the clear water. Calvin spots a rare swimming feather starfish - google that one and watch the National Geographic video of it - like nothing we’ve ever seen! Although we planned on only spending one night here, we stay a second and reluctantly depart the following morning. This will be one of my favorite spots in Indonesia. If we knew what was ahead, we would have stayed longer and explored more of this bay of wonder, watching for the wild animals on the shore and seeking more snorkel or dive spots.

A short, several hour sail, to join Distraction and Ostara at Pink Beach on Komodo Island the following morning. Rinça, Komodo and Padar Islands comprise the Komodo National Park, along with a number of smaller islands. It’s hard to believe we only sailed a few hours to Komodo Island because the landscape is vastly different from the lush southern end of Rinça Island. While the islands are mountainous, they’re completely dry, brown, parched appearing. Quite desolate, really. Occasional puffs of green scrub dot the brown grassy hillside, along with the green mangroves along the waterfront. None of the lush green foliage is present this time of year (rainy season is November to March). Shortly after anchoring, we hear the slow, distinctive putt-putt of several single-stroke engine boats making their way over to us. The locals utilize long, narrow, colourfully-painted, very basic wooden boats, with a small covered “roof” at one end to shade the driver. Most of them fly the red and white Indonesian flag. These three cheerfully approach Jolie, selling their wares - local pearls, bowls made from shells, beaded jewellery and fabric bracelets. After much bartering and bantering (very little English is understood and no Indonesian on our end), we purchase some items from each of them and give them several pairs of gently used flip flops and tennis shoes(to their delight). After some effort required to hand crank their engines, they putt-putted into the distance. Sundowners on Jolie in the evening with Distraction and Ostara, and the pleasure of meeting Distractions new crew, Izzy and Sam. Izzy is a good friend of Ellie’s from her years working in Greece, so Ellie is especially happy with their crew selection. A little weary of boat talk (engines, water makers, navigation, etc), Mary, Emm and I snag a bottle of wine and go forward to sit on the bow in the darkness. We quickly realise we need to do this more often!

The following day, we move over to the entrance of the Komodo National Park. The rangers tell us early in the morning is the best time to see the Komodo dragons. As the day heats up, they tend to hide in the brush. Walking along the elevated boardwalk toward the information center, the view over the surrounding area reveals a low-lying muddy flat with dry hillsides in the distance. Monkeys meander about, seeming bored. A couple water buffaloes stand near the rangers’ quarters. Some deer walk through, their coats rather tired and worn looking. Once to the information center, we meet our friendly ranger. He is a tiny person, maybe 5 feet tall, with a slight build and a very calm, gentle nature. They all carry a stick with a Y shape at the end, used to fend off dragons. He will guide us through the park and protect us from Komodo’s, known to sometimes attack people. I’m not feeling super confident he could ward off an aggressive dragon. Or even a tired dragon. He’s quite petite. Walking out into the park, several Komodo’s lounge nearby. They look as though they’ve been heated up and poured out on the ground, they’re so relaxed in their slumber. One walks along in true lizard fashion… low-slung, long body with short, lateral legs, taking steps that make his body bend back and forth, as his tongue slides in and out of his mouth, assessing the air. Can he taste our presence? They’re ancient appearing, intimidating creatures. We learn from our guide when they attack their prey, a single bite is all that is required to kill. Their venom contains an anticoagulant and their mouths’ contain fierce bacteria. A water buffalo, for example, will live about two weeks after a bite. The dragons simply wait.

After our tour, we move to a different area of Komodo Island and anchor. We dinghied over to Moringa Snorkeling Beach on the tiny island of Kelor. One side of the island is a small beach with a pier and a number of meager shops set up under a low slung tarp and bamboo roof. Very basic hand made wares and some food/drinks for sale. No electricity here, so by the time we arrive in the afternoon, the beer is quite warm. And the beach is quite crowded, primarily with Asian people who have come over on the ferry. A number of the younger women are taking photos of each other as they strike supermodel poses. Many others are hiking up the trail leading to the top of the hill. It’s an interesting scene. Then, we are off to Badjo, a larger city on Komodo Island, where we’ll meet a college buddy of Rob’s, Mike Twitty (known as Twitty) and his adult son, Sam. They’re both laid back, avid water lovers and a pleasure to have aboard. We take the opportunity to provision and explore the town. Very nice dinner at Alto Mare, an Italian restaurant.

The following morning, Calvin and Ellie head out on some time off and the guys go on a dive. I opt out because my back has been acting up. A bit bummed I was missing a good dive, I made my way into town and had a lovely day to myself exploring, shopping, eating. All good - I don’t get alone time very often! Returning from the dive, the fellas are excited about seeing 6 manta rays! How thrilling! I don’t think it’s possible to become weary of seeing manta rays - they’re so large, graceful and fluid in their motions. In the evening, we met with friends for drinks and we went on our own way for dinner. Online, Rob found a burger joint with good reviews. In search of it, we hiked up (and up and up) a dark, sketchy path to a surprisingly well landscaped road. And there sat the restaurant, looking quite nice, but completely empty on a Friday night. Hmmm. We’re really hungry and about out of options, so we give it a go. Forty-five minutes after ordering, our burgers arrive. I wonder how long it takes when they’re busy?

We’re excited to gradually make our way toward Lombok. Our next stop after Komodo Island is an anchorage near the Komodo Resort and Dive Club, on the southern tip of Pulau Sebayur Besar, off the far eastern tip of East Nusa Tenggara. A nearby rock formation, called the Seven Mushrooms, marks the area to anchor. We decide one side of the rock looks like Rosie O’Donnell singing passionately. The four of us have a nice snorkel along an island across the passage, recommended by a couple on a sailboat next to us. The magical snorkel was a drift one in the pass between the resort and the Pulau Sebayer Kecil Island next door. Gliding along the swift current above beautiful hard corals, plentiful tropical fish (including a Pacific Blue Tang! Dory from Nemo! First time we’ve spotted one. They’re a magnificent blue. Much prettier than I thought they’d be.) and groups of other schooling fish, along with a shark or two. And a big eel hanging out of its hiding place - not sure which one of us was more startled by the presence of the other, as I closely soared just above it. Rob and Twitty take turns picking us up in the dinghy as the current carries us out toward open ocean. Fortunately, we’re allowed to eat lunch at the resort and then off to the next anchorage a few hours away to spend the night. Squid boats begin to dot the seas around us. They’re very distinctive and unwieldy with large square structures jutting out each side of the narrow central boat, where the nets are dropped. They all venture out at night. Huge white lights to attract the squid make them quite easy to see from large distances. Which we appreciate, since they’re never on AIS. The following morning, one of the little wooden boats used by the locals putted up to Jolie. Not entirely sure if what was communicated was accurate, Twitty and Sam hopped aboard in the hopes to be taken to the park to see Komodo dragons. Watching them head off, Rob and I really aren’t sure we’ll ever see them again? In spite of our concerns, we enjoy a few hours working on the boat and snorkeling the area (no one is anchored here but us). To our relief, Twitty and Sam return in one piece, full of stories of their day. They did, indeed, see dragons, but not at the park. They were taken to the local village, where one of the men picked up a dragon stick and walked them up the hill behind the town where the dragons reside. After seeing a number of them, they returned to the boat to putt-putt their way slowly back to Jolie.

Our next day is spent travelling. The wind is too low to sail, thus we motor through the day and overnight to Mojo Island. Twitty and Sam graciously each take a night watch. More squid boats and cargo vessels highlight our night passage. Our main aim for coming to Mojo Island is to see the whale sharks. It’s a bit of a contrived setting - the squid boats feed them and we pay to see them. Not like seeing them swimming about in the wild, but this may be our only opportunity, so we go for it.

We have a short but action-packed stay at Mojo. Sundowners in the evening on Jolie embellished by Twitty and Rob strumming on the guitar and singing, accompanied by our motley crew. It’s freeing to bellow out songs across the water. Not sure how our neighboring boats felt. Fortunately, none were too close. We ate dinner ashore at the only restaurant in this tiny village. Bale Seafood received 5 stars by 17 people. Not bad.

We’re picked up by a fast boat the following morning at a very early 3:30 am, along with the crew of JaZoFi. It’s a two hour ride in the dark to reach the squid boats feeding the whale sharks. We’re the first vessel to arrive and we’re able to see the dark figures of the whale sharks circling below us and then rising up to feed by the squid boat. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, a large power boat approaches with about 50 snorkelers aboard. And then another. We hop in the water quickly to beat the hoards. These gentle giants are massive - some grow as long as 60 feet. Despite being huge, they somehow don’t feel the least bit threatening with their wide, broad face and toothless mouths. You do need to be aware of moving out of their way as they circle for food. As Rob learned, they approach so quietly you don’t realize they may be right behind you or come up underneath you. If you come between them and their food source, they’ll gently run right into you, as though you don’t exist. One rose up below me as it approached and I had to stretch out as thinly as possible, allowing him to pass below me. We took turns diving down deeply to have a closer look. The water was murky, making it difficult to see them clearly from a long distance. After feeding, they would circle around and dive deeply, then slowly appear out of the hazy blue below us to return for more. Many of the snorkelers are startled when one of the sharks comes up under or behind them and bumps into them. One would think we’d hear some type of sound from such a huge creature. Maybe a breath? I suppose one of the aspects of swimming in the ocean that makes it so thrilling is the silence of all the creatures residing there. Could there be something right below me and i don’t realize it?? Once seeing the dark figures arising out of the blue, the white polka dots of various sizes, which encircle their bodies in rows, is visible. Their bodies are long and sleek, with fins and tails very similar to a very large shark. Gracefully, slowly swinging the caudal half of their bodies, side to side, their movements are fluid and beautiful for a very large creature. And to be in the water, right next to them, is an unforgettable experience. In all, five of them circle around us. Rob, Twitty and Sam are all busy taking photos and video to capture this moment, we’re not sure we’ll ever experience again.

Because we have only one day at Mojo, we chock the day full of recommendations by friends who’ve visited before us. After lunch, we head into the tiny town; narrow dirt roads lined with small, very humble abodes. Rob flags down a young man on a dirt bike and asks if he and his friends could drive us up to the waterfall. He finds a few other buddies, Rob negotiates a price and we each hop on the back of their motor bikes. Is this a good idea? These rusty, old bikes all look like they’re about to give it up. Clearly, the young men have extensive experience with the 15 minute, bumpy, jagged path through the forest and up the hillside to the trailhead for the waterfall. Not surprisingly, one of the bikes has a chain issue and another bike is fetched from town. Once all of us arrive at the meeting place, we hike up a path in the woods. Whoa. This area is magical. Tall forest surrounds us. As we approach the waterfall, we pass through an area of butterflies - 100s of butterflies fluttering and dipping around us, some a bright, iridescent blue. A short way further, we begin to really appreciate the wonder of this place. Limestone waterfalls of various levels spill from one to the other, leaving a pale blue pool at each base which drains down into a lower pool. Tall trees arch over the pools and stream, creating areas highlighted by rays of sunshine piercing through the canopy. No one is here but us. As we walk further up, the largest of the waterfalls opens up to us. The limestone drapes down from the top in large stalactites with water spilling down over them. The waterfall itself is about 40 feet tall. Not huge, but made gorgeously unique by the framework of tropical foliage and the unusual limestone formations. A refreshing swim in the chilly pool adds to the allure. If not for the scuba dive we have scheduled at 2:00, we would have lounged around much longer. Back on the little, bumpy bikes, to return to town and scramble back to Jolie to grab our dive gear. Andrew, the local dive guide, takes us to a very pleasant (trying to think of other words besides “beautiful”) dive site close by. The water is very clear and we’re surrounded by an abundance of tropical fish and corals, both hard and soft in a variety of colors. The water temperature here is much warmer and, thus, more inviting than Australia.

We conclude the day with steaks on Jolie and early bedtime. Knowing Rob and I will arise at 4 am to begin our 12 hour sail to Lombok lends to our early evening. Medana Bay Marina, on the northwestern side of Lombok, is one of those "sort-of" marinas. The small dock broke a couple days ago when Skana had to carry their boom ashore for repairs. Thankfully, there’s a little, adequate open air restaurant, but not much else. We enjoy our last evening meal there with Twitty and Sam. They’ll be leaving to Bali on the ferry the following day. Rob and I will depart on an earlier ferry. We really enjoyed having them both aboard. It’s lovely to see a father-son enjoy so many of the same activities, as well as one another’s company as much as they do.

On Thursday, October 10th, we catch a taxi to the ferry terminal on Lombok. Traffic here is interesting. Simple two lane roads with cars, motorbikes and horse-drawn buggies all jockeying for position. A police barricade stopped our taxi, checking if our driver has a driver’s license. Seeing as we needed to catch the ferry, but didn’t understand the language, we were relieved when the officer let us proceed and asked the driver to return after dropping us off. The ferry to Bali was just under three hours. Our flight from Bali to Wakatobi is early the following morning. Ramon, a friendly dive master from the resort, meets us at the Bali airport and walks us to a restaurant where we have a pre-flight breakfast with a number of others flying to the resort. We all board the private turbo-prop for the 2 1/2 hour flight to Wakatobi. A short taxi and ferry ride across a channel and we finally arrive….

We love our four days at the Wakatobi Dive Resort! Very professional dive operation from the camera room, to the equipment, to the beautiful dive boats they built out of wood on the island. The resort rests isolated on the southwestern corner of Tomea Island. The house reef which runs along the resort is extensive and healthy with crystal clear waters. The teak bungalows run along the beach immersed in rich, green tropical foliage. A winding path through the woods connects the reception, shop and dive operation to the spa, restaurant and all the bungalows. Somehow, magically, all the staff know us by our given names. And there is lots of staff! We are quickly spoiled by the dive team, who readies all our gear and assists us with donning our BCDs. We begin with a Friday afternoon drift dive along the house reef wall. Huge variety of hard and soft corals, green sea turtles, enormous variety of fish, along with crystal clear water. We drift one direction, then the current magically changes and we drift back to the dock.

The following day, we head out in the dive boat for two morning and one afternoon dive. Our dive master is Denny. An easy-going, friendly, attentive young Indonesian man, who is also very knowledgeable of marine life and has a tremendous eye for finding hard to see wildlife. Before each dive, he sketches a colourful map of the dive on a white board, explaining the plan and basic landmarks. The dive sites are a short, 10 minute ride from the resort. Our first dive is called Tanjung Patok. Again, the underwater scenery is gorgeous, not only the structure, but also the variety of colors and textures. Along the wall, Denny points out a black and white Pygmy seahorse, less than a half inch long at the most. I don’t know how he spotted it among all the details of the reef. Huge green sea turtles with perfectly patterned carapaces - no sign of damage or algal growth - slowly swim past us. One moves between us to take large bites out of a sponge. We see another lying atop the opening of a huge barrel sponge, resting, unhindered by our close proximity. Our second dive is called The Zoo. And with good reason - so much wildlife!! The creature standing out most in my memory was a very large (about 3 feet), dark brown cuddlefish, hovering in a single spot, watching us warily from distinctively large, half-hooded eyes. As we swam around him, maintaining a respectful distance, a variety of changing colors would wash down his body, most notably a gold pattern streaming down his dark background. Really cool, other worldly. Varieties of schooling fish, as well as a couple Finding Nemo Dory fish and hard-to-spot, well-camouflaged stonefish (thanks to Denny’s keen eye) highlighted the scene. After returning to the dive boat, Denny would make Rob a cup of hot chocolate and me a cup of peppermint tea. There was also a bathroom and warm shower aboard, which was very pleasant to rinse the saltwater off our chilled bodies. On the ride back to the resort, a large pod of melon head whales bobbed and weaved around the boat. They looked and behaved exactly like bottle-nosed dolphins, but without the nose.

Each evening, for sunset, we’d make our way to the end of the long dock to the Jetty Bar. Relaxed after dives and a spa visit, the perfect ending to a wonderful day. All the meals were served in the beachfront open-air restaurant, buffet style, with good fresh food options, as well as the option of ordering meals.

We continue diving the following day with only two morning dives, since we’ll be leaving the following morning. Again, beautiful dives, colorful hard and soft corals with a vast variety of textures and shapes. All healthy. No signs of any bleaching. Denny points out a hard-to-find ghost pipefish, which I can’t see even as he’s pointing directly at it. This is the first one we’ve ever seen. Another first is two large schools of Moorish Idols - also a Finding Nemo fish (Gill). We usually see them alone or in pairs, so to see a hundred of them swimming together was quite dramatic. Many pairs of a variety butterfly fish swam in their synchronised fashion all around us. We then enjoy an afternoon snorkel at the house reef.

On Monday, our departure morning, Wakatobi’s live-aboard dive vessel, Pelagian, is available for us to tour. It’s an old, refurbished trawler which is available for 7-day bookings. Thus, they explore areas further from the resort and see a larger variety of marine life. Many people stay at the resort for a week and on the boat for a week. Maybe next time? Or a dive trip to Raja Ampat? We do feel like we could easily stay here longer, but we know we have to return to start our sail to Cocos Keeling Islands.

After flying back to Bali, spending the night in a big Indonesian hotel - Prime Plaza Hotel - imbibing in their enormous breakfast buffet (normal breakfast food plus fried chicken, spaghetti bolognese and many other dinner entrees), ferrying 2 hours back to Lombok and taxiing to Medana Marina, we finally arrive back home to Jolie. Because Calvin and Ellie have been working hard prepping for our departure, we relaxed under the big tree by the marina restaurant and caught up with Altaia and Poco Loco over lunch and dinner. All the other boats on the rally had already departed to Cocos. We were a little delayed because of our Wakatobi trip.

In the evening, around 10pm, we pulled anchor and began our 7-8 day journey to Cocos Keeling.