THE LAST DAY
THE LAST DAY (12-13th May 2006)
Last day, our original schedule was fishing since Leo had the offer from his Menado friend, James. But what we thought as afternoon activity was indeed early morning, 5.30 am on the boat, since we still had two dives to go we had to forget about fishing.
Poopoh, consists of Poopoh I and II. Located half an hour away from the resort, we visited it on the last diving day for our two last dives. It was only four of us with DM Refly.
In Poopoh I dive site, I love these Poopoh for many reasons, we found fingered dragonet, school of squid and the squid nest. Every inch of the grassy landscape was full of bunches and bunches of squid eggs. Every bunch consisted of twenty to hundred of white transparent sausage look alike, and each of it consisted of six eggs and more.
We encountered strong current, so we advanced two hundred meters, blew backward, moved again, backed again. In here we also found giant size stonefish and scorpionfish. They were huge and hidden perfectly. One of them was completely black with scary skeleton look. No picture of him because when Refly showed it to me, others were busy behind with something else.
Refly told me that when we found the dive site at the beginning, they could find many color of rhinopias and frogfish were everywhere, but when the dive site became famous, those thing disappeared mysteriously, it could be human factor. In Lembeh, they used to be able to see Mandarin fish any time of the day, now they can only be easily found during dusk dive.
Sad things about environment is that human like to destroy beautiful things. One quote from Leo, not in exact words, Paradise is paradise until human discover it.
Poopoh II was a mini wall diving, we were at sandy bottom when we descended and found a cage full of trapped fish. Goatfish, trumpetfish, trevally and some other types. So we tried to free them, when we opened the cage with knife, most of the fish escaped, there was one who looked pretty messed up, it had its snout wounded as the result of continuously self banging to the cage. When I hit the other end of the cage with pointer, the other fish got the sign and swam to the other end where the escape was open, but this fish was stubbornly banged into the source of sound. No matter how we tried to direct it, it looked completely disorientated and aggressive. So we had to lift the cage vertically and finally it went out.
Poopoh wall was beautiful, because it was half slope instead of vertical wall. So we could really fly inside the landscape, we enjoyed our personal moment in these living aquarium scenes. Everyone around me enjoyed the scene as much as I was, they were completely still and every eyes was fixed into the landscape. I can’t compare the sight with something more colorful and wonderful.
In this Poopoh we found crinoids (star feathers) in more colors than we could find in big box of crayon. We saw a big school of bumphead parrotfish, few of them got very close to me when I was flying deeper. I knew they were friendly and harmless, but I still felt vulnerable with their size and their teeth.
Last dive, me and Cynthia broke our own record, we had 119 minutes dive, sort of one minutes because Hubby and Leo who had been waiting jumped down with big splash to meet us down there. We were surprised and busy laughing that we were carried up to the surface.
So holiday was over then. We enjoyed the last boat trip back to the resort, we left the gears in the dive center where they would wash and dry them for us, what a service!
Swimming for a while, then we went back to the room, showered and lazying around until 5 pm when James came and brought us to town for dinner. It was quite a long journey, we ate Menado ice kacang, susses and spring rool, then we continued with the real dinner, special Menado fish head and seafood. As usual, intentionally or not, we always ended our holiday with farewell seafood dinner.
James told us the story about fishing, when he and few other friends caught a 96kg tuna. They were fishing when they met someone in small boat, who was already being dragged by something at the end of his fishing pole. The poor guy had spent two hours holding to his catch, and he was tired. Even if he was able to capture it, the size of the fish was as big as his boat. So the man sold James and gang his ‘almost caught’ fish together with his fishing pole, the new owners were then being dragged for another four hours.
He also wanted to bring us to Menado hills where we could enjoy the whole view of Menado City, but we couldn’t go because of altitude problem, we had to spend twenty four hours flat before we could go to somewhere high or fly. He said there was a church on the top of the hill, and two thousands staircase up to it. It is used for annual Easter month, ritual of what Catholic knows as Jalan Salib, a journey that Christ went through before he was nailed to the cross he carried. Every one hundred plus steps there would be one stop.
So many things we missed!
We reached the resort about eleven pm and slept like a log, eh..logs.
Woke up early to pack everything, except the gears that were still in the dive center. There were groups of colorful dressed people, they were people from town attending the Easter celebration in the resort, actually it was already one month from Easter, but seemed like Menado people were very diligent in their religion.
When the clock hit number eight and there was no sign from our neighbor, we banged the wall (our usual morning calls), both of them showed up in front of our door in five minutes for breakfast.
One thing about Menado food. They are generous with pepper. I just love the pepper porridge, it’s hot! Love it! We enjoyed few meals in the dinning lounge on first few days, than one day, came back from night dive, the dining place moved to empty space under the real dining space, which was under renovation. It was decorated very nicely, and had sandy bottom and unique romantic look. : )
For our group, we received special servings of ice cream, too bad I missed it. Should have ta-pau. : )
So that was it. Holiday was over!
The blue, the boat, the wind, how I missed them even before I left. Until the next.
SAM RATULANGI AIRPORT
Travelling in the company of those we love is home in motion.
- James Henry Leigh Hunt
She sells sea shells on the sea shore,
The shells she sells are sea shells I’m sure
So if she sells sea shells on the sea shore,
I am sure that the shells are sea shore shells.
(Tongue Twister)
If I should die beneath the sea
What e'er the circumstance may be
I only ask that you not cry
For such a lucky one as I.
But, rather, weep for those alive
Who know not what it is to dive
Into the planet's liquid heart
And of God's ocean be a part.
For even Christ must envy all
Who dive along the ocean's wall
Though wind and sea His will obeys
He only walked upon the waves.
And may I ask for one thing more?
A simple cross beside the shore.
Below my name inscribe for me:
Lost to the earth, but found at sea.
- Carson Ray, 1989
Last day, our original schedule was fishing since Leo had the offer from his Menado friend, James. But what we thought as afternoon activity was indeed early morning, 5.30 am on the boat, since we still had two dives to go we had to forget about fishing.
Poopoh, consists of Poopoh I and II. Located half an hour away from the resort, we visited it on the last diving day for our two last dives. It was only four of us with DM Refly.
In Poopoh I dive site, I love these Poopoh for many reasons, we found fingered dragonet, school of squid and the squid nest. Every inch of the grassy landscape was full of bunches and bunches of squid eggs. Every bunch consisted of twenty to hundred of white transparent sausage look alike, and each of it consisted of six eggs and more.
We encountered strong current, so we advanced two hundred meters, blew backward, moved again, backed again. In here we also found giant size stonefish and scorpionfish. They were huge and hidden perfectly. One of them was completely black with scary skeleton look. No picture of him because when Refly showed it to me, others were busy behind with something else.
Refly told me that when we found the dive site at the beginning, they could find many color of rhinopias and frogfish were everywhere, but when the dive site became famous, those thing disappeared mysteriously, it could be human factor. In Lembeh, they used to be able to see Mandarin fish any time of the day, now they can only be easily found during dusk dive.
Sad things about environment is that human like to destroy beautiful things. One quote from Leo, not in exact words, Paradise is paradise until human discover it.
Poopoh II was a mini wall diving, we were at sandy bottom when we descended and found a cage full of trapped fish. Goatfish, trumpetfish, trevally and some other types. So we tried to free them, when we opened the cage with knife, most of the fish escaped, there was one who looked pretty messed up, it had its snout wounded as the result of continuously self banging to the cage. When I hit the other end of the cage with pointer, the other fish got the sign and swam to the other end where the escape was open, but this fish was stubbornly banged into the source of sound. No matter how we tried to direct it, it looked completely disorientated and aggressive. So we had to lift the cage vertically and finally it went out.
Poopoh wall was beautiful, because it was half slope instead of vertical wall. So we could really fly inside the landscape, we enjoyed our personal moment in these living aquarium scenes. Everyone around me enjoyed the scene as much as I was, they were completely still and every eyes was fixed into the landscape. I can’t compare the sight with something more colorful and wonderful.
In this Poopoh we found crinoids (star feathers) in more colors than we could find in big box of crayon. We saw a big school of bumphead parrotfish, few of them got very close to me when I was flying deeper. I knew they were friendly and harmless, but I still felt vulnerable with their size and their teeth.
Last dive, me and Cynthia broke our own record, we had 119 minutes dive, sort of one minutes because Hubby and Leo who had been waiting jumped down with big splash to meet us down there. We were surprised and busy laughing that we were carried up to the surface.
So holiday was over then. We enjoyed the last boat trip back to the resort, we left the gears in the dive center where they would wash and dry them for us, what a service!
Swimming for a while, then we went back to the room, showered and lazying around until 5 pm when James came and brought us to town for dinner. It was quite a long journey, we ate Menado ice kacang, susses and spring rool, then we continued with the real dinner, special Menado fish head and seafood. As usual, intentionally or not, we always ended our holiday with farewell seafood dinner.
James told us the story about fishing, when he and few other friends caught a 96kg tuna. They were fishing when they met someone in small boat, who was already being dragged by something at the end of his fishing pole. The poor guy had spent two hours holding to his catch, and he was tired. Even if he was able to capture it, the size of the fish was as big as his boat. So the man sold James and gang his ‘almost caught’ fish together with his fishing pole, the new owners were then being dragged for another four hours.
He also wanted to bring us to Menado hills where we could enjoy the whole view of Menado City, but we couldn’t go because of altitude problem, we had to spend twenty four hours flat before we could go to somewhere high or fly. He said there was a church on the top of the hill, and two thousands staircase up to it. It is used for annual Easter month, ritual of what Catholic knows as Jalan Salib, a journey that Christ went through before he was nailed to the cross he carried. Every one hundred plus steps there would be one stop.
So many things we missed!
We reached the resort about eleven pm and slept like a log, eh..logs.
Woke up early to pack everything, except the gears that were still in the dive center. There were groups of colorful dressed people, they were people from town attending the Easter celebration in the resort, actually it was already one month from Easter, but seemed like Menado people were very diligent in their religion.
When the clock hit number eight and there was no sign from our neighbor, we banged the wall (our usual morning calls), both of them showed up in front of our door in five minutes for breakfast.
One thing about Menado food. They are generous with pepper. I just love the pepper porridge, it’s hot! Love it! We enjoyed few meals in the dinning lounge on first few days, than one day, came back from night dive, the dining place moved to empty space under the real dining space, which was under renovation. It was decorated very nicely, and had sandy bottom and unique romantic look. : )
For our group, we received special servings of ice cream, too bad I missed it. Should have ta-pau. : )
So that was it. Holiday was over!
The blue, the boat, the wind, how I missed them even before I left. Until the next.
SAM RATULANGI AIRPORT
Travelling in the company of those we love is home in motion.
- James Henry Leigh Hunt
She sells sea shells on the sea shore,
The shells she sells are sea shells I’m sure
So if she sells sea shells on the sea shore,
I am sure that the shells are sea shore shells.
(Tongue Twister)
If I should die beneath the sea
What e'er the circumstance may be
I only ask that you not cry
For such a lucky one as I.
But, rather, weep for those alive
Who know not what it is to dive
Into the planet's liquid heart
And of God's ocean be a part.
For even Christ must envy all
Who dive along the ocean's wall
Though wind and sea His will obeys
He only walked upon the waves.
And may I ask for one thing more?
A simple cross beside the shore.
Below my name inscribe for me:
Lost to the earth, but found at sea.
- Carson Ray, 1989
posted by aping at 10:50 PM
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