Gili Trawangan (Lombok, Indonesia)

For a revised version of this post, go here.

March 16th, 2009 - There is no escape from the inane rantings of Gallus gallus domesticus. Their timing sucks and they cock-a-doodle-doo their asses off from about 4 am to 10 am and sometimes all day just for shits and giggles. They are a force to be reckoned with. You cannot stop them. You can only hope to contain them....or nibble on their breasts with a side of fries and a cold beer.

So I am in Lombok, the Gili Islands to be precise. I was planning to head to Mt. Ringani straight away but as it turns out they will not start guiding climbs until at least the 26th of March. So to Gili Trawangan I have come. It is a fine place. 

No vehicles on the island, just bicycles and horse-drawn carts. This is definitely a good thing. Now if I could just start shooting the damn chickens the picture of peace and calm would be complete (Of course I jest. All creatures are beautiful....probably).

Island Vortex (Gili Trawangan, Indonesia)

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March Something, 2009 - What the hell day is it? Still on Gili Trawangan. I've been scuba diving my hindquarters off. My chosen dive shop, Dive Buddha, is excellent. Professional, laid back, and financially sensitive (They accept credit cards). Super. On any given day visibility is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 100-150 ft. Fortunately, they also have a tall dark Russian woman working as an instructor. Yes, this dive shop has it all. They provide lodging so all I need do is roll out of bed onto the dive boat. All dive sites are minutes away on the boat so there is no wasting time traveling from point to point.

I’ve seen all kinds of fish and coral I have yet to identify. If I return for my divemaster certification I will spend much of my time determining what the hell I am looking at. I have seen numerous octopi but they have all been a bit antisocial and refuse to come outside and cavort with me. It is possible (and not dangerous) to play with them a bit (if I can coax them out of their abode). I have also seen a close relative, the cuttlefish. Amazing creatures are these. They hover in one place and pulsate, often changing color instantly for camouflage. The octopus can do this as well. Damn cool. We have also spotted large Green Humphead Parrotfish. It is difficult to get close but the visibility is such that you can still get a decent peek even at a distance.

What else? The sunsets are quite nice, as one might expect. I am sure the sunrise is equally impressive but I have yet to drag my ass out of bed. I was hit again by another stomach ailment that screwed me up for days. Not sure what the problem is but it is starting to get on my nerves. A few beers in the Irish Pub here on St. Patrick’s Day probably did nothing to help my cause. Fucking leprechauns! I have recovered but my appetite has vanished for the most part.

Me vs. Titan Triggerfish (Gili Trawangan, Indonesia)

For a revised version of this post, go here.

I was attacked by a f^%;*ing Titan Triggerfish today. It hurted. The SOB got my wrist and took a chunk out of my finger. Little bastard. Another diver was pointing out a bumphead parrotfish and as I swam over to take a look I was ambushed by the trigger. Apparently, when they are nesting they are extremely territorial. Needless to say I will not make that mistake again.

When it first struck I thought one of the other divers was screwing with me. I turned to see said triggerfish swirling around me in a mad frenzy, at which point it went for my middle finger. I then began to thrash around like a lunatic until it backed off. Good times.

That was my afternoon. My morning was punctuated with the scariest moment I’ve had diving. We went to a place by the name of Shark Point (didn't see any) with a fairly robust current. This was a blast at first as I found myself somersaulting gayly in the underwater current. But not long after the thrill ride I unknowingly began to drift away from the gang. The visibility was bad and they were almost out of sight when I made an attempt to rejoin the ranks. Exerting yourself in a current 100 feet underwater and losing your breath provides an excellent path to freakoutville. I did see two of the guys looking around with the 'Where the hell is he?' expression. It was at this point that my ‘Oh shit’ meter began to flash. I thought that I was going for a ride by myself. Not really that big of deal because I knew that eventually they would find me. However, this did not prevent me from coming dangerously close to loosing my shit. If you panic underwater away from another diver you are pretty much ‘F’ for fucked. I narrowly avoided panic and one of the guys leading the dive corralled me in and brought me back to the group. Phewwww!

No Escape (Gili Trawangan, Indonesia)

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March 25th, 2009 - I’m trying to leave this island. I really am. Yesterday I bought a ticket for the boat to the mainland and last night I packed. I didn’t make it.....again. The spectacular dive I had this afternoon may have been influential. Fortunately, another diver brought along a camera and let the guide do the shooting. It was super. Super duper. That's me trying to hump a turtle (below).

We also spotted a Stonefish, a Leaf Scorpion Fish, a Moray Eel, and a species of nudibranch. No clue how the guide can spot Stonefish. They blend perfectly. The other day I spent three minutes looking directly at one before I realized what it was. Since they are also extremely poisonous it would be nice to be able to pick them out of a line up.