Trip report to Sulawesi and Sing

Trip report to Sulawesi and Singapore - part 3(splitting them as otherwise it is a nightmare to load the pages)

I would have liked to show you some of the small videos that I made when the boys were singing at Two Fish divers but I don't want to disrespect their privacy so I won't do that. But it would have given you a better idea of how they were.

Have forgotten one remark which is valid for my entire stay: I would have thought that I find more mosquitos in Sulawesi. Had malaria meds with me but mosquitos came out only at dusk and for the rest of the time they practically didn't exist. That surprised me a little as I have known other tropical destinations where there are lots and lots of these monsters... (can't say I missed them though )

After two weeks with the Two Fish divers I was ready to move on but still sad to leave these great people. I decided to leave in the afternoon so I could do two more dives in the morning.

So I had my stuff mostly ready after the morning dives, just threw the rest into my luggage, said my good byes and then I was already on the boat back to Bitung. Over there I saw one man for the last time who - I think - handles all boat-taxi combinations. When I went to Tangkoko I saw my driver pass that guy something (probably a good tip because he got that tour to Tangkoko). The plan for my transfer to Minahasa Lagoon Resort was that we meet at the airport with the driver from the other resort. Unfortunately my driver obviously had no clue what to do with me (although he was supposed to have the other drivers phone number). Fortunately for me there was a woman who spoke a few words english so she understood that I was going to the airport but not flying. She called someone and afterwards for about 20 minutes she talked to the man and I understood only airport and Minahasa Lagoon resort. Half an hour later the man turned around and asked which airline I was flying. *argh*

At the airport we finally found the other driver and since I didn`t have any more indonesian money I went to the ATM. I pressed on the 1,000,000 Rupeeh-button and got only 500,000 (about 50 USD/40 Euro). That happened the second time but the first time I hadn't noticed so at some point I thought that money was missing from my purse. Thanks indonesian bank: in the end I paid 12 Euro (17 USD) fees for 80 Euro (about 100 USD). They must have good gainings if they do that with all tourists....

Minahasa Lagoon Resort is on a 60-90 minutes drive from the airport in Manado on the northern side of the Sulawesi mainland. I had chosen that resort because it had been recommended to me and I didn't wanna go to any of the other islands close by. They just didn't appeal to me enough when planning the trip.

The new car had not so dark windows so I could take pics along the way:

In Sulawesi you see a lot of churches. 98 % of the people are catholic but there are mosques as well. There are lots and lots of churches everywhere...

Typical small shop along the road. The roof reminds me of something that I still need to tell you... one evening in my room in Lembeh I heard shots. I am not easily scared but I felt uncomfortable that night and my cottage was closest to the path into the jungle. I was expecting haevy steps approaching but nothing happened. Didn't sleep well that night. The next morning I told Gizmo and he said that in Indonesia guns are not allowed. Only after a couple of more days it dawned on me that the cottages were under trees and fruits falling from the trees made sounds that sounded like shots... yeah, I know, I laugehd when I realized how stupid I had been.

Modern houses

Shopping center outside of Manado

That was the first time I noticed these flowers. I think now that in that house somebody had died.

Another typical shop

Lots of military buildings. There are military schools for children as well.

Fruit shop

The island of Bunaken

And this is where I ended up staying for another week...

And yes, the dark area is open so I had a half open bath...

Loved those lamps (why did I think about the Lembeh sea dragon when I saw them? )

The dive boats

The river

Minahasa under water

I went diving in Minahasa as well but took it more slowly. While I did 35 dives in Lembeh I did only 10 more in Minahasa. It was a vacation after all and I took the afternoons off. Most people went to dive in Bunaken every day but I didn't really want that but preferred to check out the local dive sites. One of them is called 'Bethlehem' (translated this means: better than Lembeh - but I can not confirm that).

The underwater world was different here. Of course some things were the same but visibility was better in Minahasa and lots of fish. I will leave the highlight of the dives to the next installment as that was so fabulous that it deserves a separate post.

A very rare species in the water...

shrimp in a feather star

Shrimp in a sea star

Sexy shrimp

Catfish

Not sure weather this is a nudibranch or a flatworm

Neighbours...

Isn't she a beauty?

Small one again (worm)

The only turtle that I saw on that trip

Clownfish

Never seen a grey nudi before..

Booooh... spooky, is it? A demon stinger hiding in the sand.

Moray eel outside of caves

Three seahorses

Stargazer

Sand eel

This grouper was swimming into my pic.

THIS is the pic I wanted to take...

Very small crab

Nor sure whether this is a lionfish

Frogfish - we were wondering whether this will be a hairy frogfish when it gets to adult age

No clue what exactly that is. Probably a spider crab.

Another sexy shrimp

See all the baby fish swimming around?

Flat worm

Flabellina

Don't they look like flwoers?

Sea star - this kind seems to loose legs a lot because I found a lot of single legs in the water...

Nice fan

Lots of fish

Pink wasp fish

Shrimp on sea star

Another shrimp on seastar - isn't it amazing how they can adapt to the colour of their host?

Nudi

Another beauty

Harlekin ghostpipefish

Pink anemone

Shrimp on seastar

Eggs of a spanish dancer

Another very small crab...

Not sure the transparent shrimp are visible

More transparent ones...

I think this is a small fish in a feather star

Here I was about 10 seconds too late. He was still swallowing the fish he had just caught.

Cleaner shrimp

Cleaner shrimp

Lots of fish

Another strange nudi - which turned out the be a sea cucumber....

Here is a report about something very, very beautiful. On my last dive in Lembeh I was in the water with Cassandra, the manager of the resort. The first dive had already been great as we found so many small things that we just forgot the time (we had enough air so I didn't really pay attention - wouldn't have happened otherwise) and came up after about 75 minutes. The second dive was okay but nothing spectacular... we were about to end the dive when in a sandy area we suddenly saw a cuttlefish. And another one. And one more. And one more... I started to turn around. They were basically EVERYWHERE. Cass started to count them but got confused when she was at about 60. They were mating and getting down to lay their eggs. Fortunately it was just Cass and me because with other people who might have started chasing them to get nice close-up pics they would have been gone in a heartbeat. Cass and I just kneeled down in the sand and enjoyed what nature was offering to us as a free show. It was unbelievably beautiful. I know that my pics lack quality. But I didn't care because having high quality pics were not worth the price, i.e. chasing them away. I love nice pics but I have come to a point that sometimes I prefer to just enjoy...

Although the quality is lacking I think the pics give you an idea of how beautiful this was. The cuttlefish changed colour all the time and the mating dance was spectacular as well...

Cass proposed to do a third dive that afternoon but after the first two it couldn't have gotten any better. Since we were late anyway I decided not to go in the water again that day. The mating squids were an absolutely worthy end of my dives in Sulawesi...

to Minahasa Highland tour