We’re now a world away from work and our normal pace of life. Within less than a week all the work things that seemed so important are now a distant memory.
Overnight we sailed in to Saleha bay having passed through a storm. The boat pitching in the dark. We stopped around five in the morning just as we were waking. Moored to another fishing boat we all jumped into the water to see the whale sharks. The largest fish on the planet. Using the word huge, too simple to describe one of the most incredible creatures I have seen. Needing 90 kilos of shrimp a day to survive. Their flat wide mouths, large enough to swallow one of us. They are more than six meters long and so graceful as they move through the water.
Our boat turned and headed out of the bay. Mount Tambaro high above us. Famous for the eruption back in April 1815 that lead to the summer that wasn’t. So much volcanic ash and lava blasted into the air that global temperatures were suppressed and there was no summer the following year. The biggest such incident since at least the Stone Age. As we pass around her base, there is no hint of the catastrophe. Just lush green slopes covered in coffee plantations.
Later on in the afternoon we stop at an island. Because the wind was up and the sea choppy we went inland to swim in a lake in the middle of the small island. Jonny and I bored, decided to go back to the choppy beach and snorkel in the waves. We were rewarded with beautiful coral and fishes. Big blue star fish and many other interesting things.
There’s an eclectic mix of fellow travellers on the boat. Mostly younger back packers. Or as Alice and Jonny refer to them “flash packers”. All European with the exception of a couple from Schenzen in China .
A family from Paris who’ve been on the road for a number of months with their two young daughters. They have a programme of lessons that they do each day and they will rejoin their class mates in September. What a wonderful way to educate children really opening their eyes to the richness of our world.
A couple from Sweden, in the middle of university.
We are definitely the oldest on the boat.
Going further off the beaten track we’ve definitely found it to be mostly young people.
We’re continuing our journey east to Komodo island. First to see the manta rays and then the dragons.
It’s a wonderful place and way to spend a few days.
The choppy waves were worth it!
You forgot to mention our spontaneous beach clean up.
A wonderful few days.
Yeah lots of good times!