Nov 2011
Indonesia continues to captivate us. The crystalline waters of Indian Ocean are filled with tropical fish and healthy coral some of which we have not seen before. The rugged volcanic islands are dramatic against the blue sky. The diversity in their religion, art, dialects and rituals make this area unique to us. We continue to see differences as we move west. There is so much to learn. We have left Benoa Harbor on Bali and are
heading east toward the island of Lombok. The people here are mainly Muslim and Sasaak. They share the island peacefully. Skies are a bit overcast and the wind is just able to fill the Genoa. About an hour out we can see a fog bank in the distance. It’s hanging along the coast of Nusa Lembongan. We haven’t seen fog since New Zealand. As we approach the fog the temperature drops about five degrees. It feels wonderful but is short lived. Our adventurous friends Bill and Monica have joined us aboard Blaze. We like to provide excitement so we decide to take a drift dive. We clamor into the dink and head out to the “wall” on the edge of the reef. We adjust our snorkels, masks and fins then drop into the warm water. The current moves us effortlessly through the sea. We are weightless and submerged in silence. The sea swiftly glides us along at 2-3 knots. We drift staring down at the world below. The vivid colors of the coral and sea life are brilliant with the sunshine. The ocean floor is in Technicolor. 
The night is spent anchored off Lembongan. This particular bay is very quiet. On the hillsides we spot red, blue and green “spots”. With the binoculars we can see they are plastic tarps. The locals are mining for gold. The conditions are heart wrenching. The tarps protect them from the sun and rain. The tools they use are rudimentary. Atop the hill is a small camp where they can sleep and eat. It is brutal work. Large foreign countries have come in with major equipment to mine in some areas. The locals seldom see the benefits of the big business. They have gone to mining on their own creating a wealthy class within these outer islands.
We sit down and realize we need to move our dilapidated chairs. There are holes in the wooden planks just waiting to swallow the legs. Despite the sorry deck the setting is beautiful. The Bougainville is in full bloom and frames our view of the water. Ann has packed a few bottles of wine. (not served in predominately Muslim country.). We have a problem…no bottle opener! Desperate measures are in order. Peter and Luiz are not deterred. First they try a very long screw driver. Next a pliers. (Yes, I did say desperate!). Finally a nail. After 10 minutes we have success as the cork is pushed into the bottle. (Sailors are not picky.) Along with our wine we are treated to fresh Snapper. Enough to easily feed 10! Halloween in Lembongan has been complete. It was a Trick to open the bottle and aTreat to dine on fresh red snapper.
Today we head north along the coast of Lombok to the Gili Islands. The Gili’s are made up of 3 islands. Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. Blaze is anchored off Gili Menos. The islands are ringed with white sand beaches and dotted with bungalow type resorts. Colorful boats line the shore. All food and provisions are ferried in and out by boat. The ‘fast’ boats bring day trippers to the islands.
Peter is keen to scuba dive and goes with a local dive group. The waters are known for coral reefs, manta rays, sharks and turtles. Bill, Monica and I head ashore. Our visit is blistering hot. There are Muslim women in traditional long dress and scarf covered heads. My body temperature jumps 10 degrees just looking at them. There is not a breath of air. We stagger through the heat on a sand and rock road. Occasionally we step aside as a mule drawn cart passes by. These carts are the only mode of transportation. (No cars allowed on the islands.) The carts are used to haul food, water jugs, supplies and people. The beach is lined with restaurants some with thatched roofs, bamboo supports and often a sand floor.
Time has come to say good bye to our intrepid guests. Bill and Monica are off for even more adventure in Bali. Blaze sails on to Tulamben on the northeast coast of Bali. We are headed for the ship wreck of the USAT Liberty. The ship was torpedoed by the Japanese in WWII. The Captain ran her around so supplies could be off loaded. It sat on a beautiful beach until 1963 when Mount Agung erupted. The magma flow pushed the 394 foot long Liberty back into the sea. She lies at a 90 degree angle in depth of 10-120 feet. This is referred to as an "easy and friendly" wreck dive.( I’m not sure how a wreck is friendly.) The shallow end at 10 feet makes this a "GO!"for my first wreck dive! Geared up we drop in about 30 feet of water and follow the ship down into the deep water. At midship there is a huge opening. Peter goes inside as I intelligently remain where I am. After a short wait I peer inside wondering where he went. Suddenly there is a knock on my tank. I turn around and Peter is smiling with his regulator plugged in his mouth. Such a clever guy. We continued our exploration of the ship staying on the outside. The sheer size is daunting. And to think it has been sitting here since 1942! We decide to head back following the ship toward the surface. Peter points up and
there is whirlpool of fish just above us. There are hundreds and hundreds racing in a circular motion as one unit. It was intense to see this huge vortex of silver fish. As they whirled around they appeared to be a single mass of flashing fish. The sphere moved up and down above us. They usually do this to protect themselves from a predator. Which got me to thinking? Who and where is that predator? Time to surface!
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Captain Molly and Swabbie Peter