‘Twenty hours from Banda brought us to Amboyna, the capital of the Moluccas, and one of the oldest European settlements in the East. The island consists of two peninsulas, so nearly divided by inlets of the sea, as to leave only a sandy isthmus about a mile wide near their eastern extremity. The western inlet … [Read more…]
Maybe it is a good thing tht my little Gopro went dead on Lembeh. I was not able to shoot any photos and videos while diving Halmahera, but luckily I have good dive buddies. My friend Martine agreed to give me some of her photos, and they are indeed magnificent. Dear readers, find below some … [Read more…]
The sun is rising from a perfect, calm sea. It is shortly before 6am. Another beautiful day. The bird noises are really loud. The birdwatchers have left the resort already at 5am to see the birds of paradise, and whatever else they can find. I have pineapple pancake and coffee before the dive boat leaves … [Read more…]
What is the definition of bad luck? Starting the autumn diving season in Lembeh, and discovering at the first dive that the Gopro is dead. It was still blinking the night before. Some analyzing and internet search in the afternoon let me suspect that the batteries are (probably) ok, the cable is ok, the loader … [Read more…]
I’m on the road again, and I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes. So I take my time to sleep off the jetlag in Bangkok. Funny enough, this time I don’t feel any jetlag. At all. The more time I spend in Bangkok, the more I like it. This October , the city is different: … [Read more…]
After my spring escapades, it was time to settle down for a summer in Europe, gardening, renovating the house, watching nature. But of course, there was time for a few short trips and events as well… Like the trip to Alsace, to meet friends and eat and… drink: In our spare time, we visited Colmar … [Read more…]
I am writing this summary in Autumn, sitting sleepily and jet-lagged on the rooftop Terrace of my Bangkok Hotel, starting the Autumn campaign. Better late than never. Seriously, what was I thinking? So many flights? I had to change flights and spend hours or nights at Jakarta Airport four times. Crazy, isn’t it? Duration: 7 … [Read more…]
Gentle readers, if you are exhausted by all the ocean – and fish – themed recent posts, here is something completely different: culture. Well, some culture… Dancer in traditional Javanese costume. On my way back from West Papua to civilization, and ultimately, my home, I had a few days to burn. So I decided it … [Read more…]
Surprise: We are in West Papua, at the end of the world, and Sorong airport is small, but fairly new and comfy. And even decorative, in some places: I did not see any coffee franchise, but then I didn’t look for it – I am sure there was cappuccino to be had, somewhere. The toilet … [Read more…]
…well, in a way. I never wanted children. However, for a good cause, I’ve adopted a wonderful creature. Meet my kid: Isn’t she a BEAUTY? Melusine is a 4m wide melanistic female Reef Manta. I have adopted her and made a donation to the marine megafauna foundation. Why am I doing this? The MMF works … [Read more…]