an entry somewhere else

These postings are getting far and few between, but that means nothing. A groove has been found, perhaps even a rut, that doesn’t include a speedy connection to the internet. It has gotten so terrifically slow that I can’t arrive after 10a and get anything done. Thus, I’ve only been checking email 2-3 times per week. It has given me a bit of a relief as I do have a reason for not responding immediately to email or comments on this site. I am flowing with the limitations that have been foisted upon me.

Last weekend, I took the ferry out to Pulau Weh. It was 60,000 rupiah for an hour’s ride from Banda Aceh. The ferry put in and the frenzy of transport touts started their jobs. The officials who were somehow connected with the port were even pimping out their own cars at extortionate rates. Hell, they were going home about the time I got there, why not give a guy a lift for some extra cash. I demurred and was the only one left in the parking lot when the shared van to Sabang left and made me some space. I thought one lift was better than nothing, even if I wanted to get to Gapang on the other side of the bay. As it turned out, the going rate was 150,000 - 200,000 for a trip to Gapang or Ibioh in the evenings. A foreigner colleague remarked that it’s easier to get a public minibus to those places off the morning ferry for about 50,000. After getting to Sabang, I looked for some way to get to Gapang. No luck until some guy said he’d take me on the back of his 125cc motorbike for 100,000. I didn’t have any other choices except staying in Sabang. So, we rode.

Forty-five minutes later, the driver dropped me off at the beach in the dark. I searched for the diving outfit I had set up a ‘discovery dive’ with. They were holding a room for me but let it ten minutes before I left, thinking I wasn’t going to make it. No problem. Next door was a fine place for 80,000 a night. I took a late dinner and was forced to bed by the heaving mass of mosquitoes buzzing round me.

The scuba class started with a DVD lesson followed by a divemaster repeating what the DVD said. It was fine. We were only going to go a maximum of 12 meters on this dive anyhow (we only ended up going nine). Suiting up was a bit of chore. It seems that their wetsuits were all bought in Asia. This means the sizes run a little small. I don’t run a little small. I ended up with a beat-up XXL short wetsuit and realized why I never used one in triathlon—they are just too much of a pain in the bum to get in and out of.

After gearing up and walking down beach with tanks on our backs, we did some safety drills. That took 20-30 as there were five divers and two instructors. Then we went deeper. I was having some equalization problems with my ears, so I was a little behind with one of the instructors. That turned out ok. Then I had some trouble getting the right amount of air in my buoyancy device, either sinking to the bottom or floating up. I never really got the hang of it. The instructor did take me round a bit and I saw some pretty cool critters on the beach dive. On a 71 minute dive, I saw ghostpipe fish, flounder, common lionfish, titan triggerfish, close fish, mimic filefish, Moorish idol, black-blotched porcupine fish, razorfish, nudibranch, cleaner shrimp, and mantis shrimp. Those are just some of the rarer fish. Plenty of other creatures were zipping in and out of the coral.

I’ll be heading out to Medan next week to deliver a few workshops and, maybe, drink a beer while I’m there. I’ll then come back for a few weeks before heading into the capital for a conference. There is even potential for a weekend in Kuala Lumpur soon as direct flights to/from Banda Aceh have just started this week. Or I’ll just go get certified to scuba dive for real.