Bandanese boys

In the morning the guesthouse is full of new faces just arrived from the Pelni ferry that came to port late last night. They are a handful of mostly young adventurous folk like Kevin and I. They come from Finland, Germany, France, Holland, and Brazil. On meeting them I immediately like them all immensely. Not wanting to waste any time we quickly talked most of them into sharing the cost for a boat out to some of the distant coral gardens to snorkel!


Chartering a small boat to the edge of Lonthor Island we snorkeled anemone covered drop offs and lazed on a sandy beach where local kids played in the shallows. It is all a little bit like being in a giant tropical aquarium, except with deep authenticity. Despite the sunscreen the day previous Kevin and I are deeply sunburned. It is painful to move around and do everyday tasks with our burnt backs and sore legs from the hike.

Under the sea it feels better -- like a weightless dream in a kaledeiscope of color and form. Later, we took lunch on a beach with the locals and gazed on the cone of gunung api across the channels of the islands. It was all so thoroughly relaxing I almost fell asleep.

When we returned to Allen's that night his wife had prepared us an incredible feast - grilled snapper, fried chicken, eggplants, and white rice. After dinner I layed down on the dock and just stared up at the stars listening to the waves lap against the pilings. Full belly and full mind.