Day 168 Bunaken Island

More of the same today, we relaxed, we ate and we snorkelled. We also decided to book two dives for tomorrow morning so we are both excited & a little nervous since its 7years since I left NZ and did my dive cert in Australia, and for Rachel who has no cert but did a fun dive years ago.

Day 167 Bunaken Island

A little disappointed yesterday that if we could only get out over the coral at high tide to snorkel it meant only  one per day so we asked and thankfully there is a man-made gap in the coral which they use to get the boats in and out so we had two snorkels today. Straight after breakfast we got one in on the falling tide where we got to see a turtle it came from deep down and swam off out to sea neither the photo or the video I got were very good. We saw many bigger fish as well as bigger versions of all the typical reef fish but in huge numbers. The snorkel after lunch was just as good as the morning but we had the clearest most beautiful water we had ever seen the change in the current direction had a huge effect on the water clarity.

Day 166 Bunaken

We are staying in a nice resort and have one of the two waterfront bungalows although the view is a little tidal its very nice. Staying here is a Christmas present from my parents, its more comfortable and the food is much better than what we may otherwise be experiencing here on Bunaken.
After breakfast we got in the water and tried a snorkel but because it was just a little less than half tide we could swim the grassy shallows out to the coral but couldn't get over it without damaging it and probably us till the water was a bit higher.
After lunch nearly 24hrs after our arrival the tide was high and we went snorkelling finally seeing what all the Bunaken fuss was about. The coral was fantastic with so many colours and the pretty tropical fish were plentiful. The puffer fish have become a favourite of mine with loads of different ones including this one in the picture I chased after who was all black & white dots till he saw me and lit up blue as in the photo!
   

Day 165 to Bunaken Island

Feeling a bit more alive this morning I jumped up had breakfast and we checked out the port where we would get the public boat to Bunaken since the boat transfers the resorts provide are too expensive. In typical 'this looks dodgy' fashion after asking around we were led by a guy through the market round a few corners from the small port to a filthy river with a few boats. One had Bunaken written on the side and he said it leaves at 2pm, so all was well!
We sat back in the hotel out of the blazing sun for a few hours waiting since neither of us had much interest in  discovering the city in the heat.
The boat was fine and took only an hour, the walk from the beach where we pulled in to the resort had us in bits, it was stinking hot and we were in the water within minutes of arrival. In our rush to the water we did grab our masks but didn't ask about where to go. The water was about mid tide and quite shallow with sea grass for the first 200mts till coral and a drop off to the depths of 70+ metres. On this first snorkel we saw a few fish in the grass and some cute shrimps in a sea anemone but didn't go out far enough to see the coral. When we came back in I was sitting in the sandy shallows when a sea snake gave me a fright and a quick exit from the water. Rach thought it was fantastic and got back in to take photos!

Day 164 Manado

Huge exciting day today! I was sick and stayed that way for the day, we had eaten the same foods recently & Rachel was fine so we put it down to her Indian strengthened stomach.
We had this day as time to see Manado but its a dirty city we were not missing anything and Rachel enjoyed hours of Greys Anatomy on a fuzzy tv while I was sick.

Day 163 Rantepao to Makassar then Manado

Took a lovely comfortable bus back the 8hr trip to Makassar where we got dropped outside the airport, got a taxi in to it, then got a bumpy flight in a stretched 737 full with Indonesians except the exit rows which westerners occupied. Presumably because there was not a hope I would fit my legs in a normal row without putting my knees through the seat in front & I'm not tall by 'westy' standards!

We pulled up to a rather nice looking hotel in Manado prompting fears it wasn't the right one but it was and the room while not looking the same standard as the entrance it was ok with a/c & hot water! Perfect for a sleep after a long day travelling. 

Day 162 The walk around Rantepao

We got up a little later than we should have and headed out on an adventure. Got a Bemo(public van or 4wd) to the main bus terminal where we waited for 2hours for the next shared taxi to fill and set off finally at 11:30. The road was dam rough as per usual so the hour long trip just took us maybe 15km up the hill we would later walk down. From Lempo we walked past some great scenery with bright green rice terraces to Batutumonga where we should have stopped for lunch but kept walking through to Lokomata where we saw a huge rock with loads of family graves carved in to it. After cursing the LP not for the first time, for suggesting this route and a shortcut we never found even with local help we made it to Pana down the hill with many graves in a rock face and some baby graves in a tree above. Then it was another 5km down to Tikala where we decided it was time for a coke and something to keep us going to get a Bemo home and we passed some lovely villages, more fantastic scenery but when we got there, there were no Bemos and very little traffic at all passed us as we kept walking another hour towards home till we flagged a push bike taxi who accepted the task for 10,000IDR so we weren't that far out when a bus and two taxis went by also! We must have walked 20km on today's travels.

Day 161 Around Rantepao

We asked the hotel for a guide so one came as we finished breakfast. After the usual sales technique aimed nowhere near our budget so we took out luxuries and settled on 650,000IDR for a basic car,driver,gift for family of funeral,entrance fees and guide to visit 3 villages and there was also a funeral on which was lucky for us as they are one of the highlights in this area. We left at 10.30 when he came back with the car stopping first at Lemo where we saw some traditional houses with massive boat shaped roofs. One of the stories is their ancestors came by boat up the river & used that boat as a home so the shape was kept as a reminder. At the first village were graves in holes which had been carved in to a big rock face. Each grave was for one family so could have many bodies not in coffins but wrapped in cloth. An effigy is made of some(the more important some) and placed on a balcony also carved from the rock face.
The second village's show piece was coffins in caves, they had two caves which we were shown in to. Many of the coffins were damaged or rotten so we could see the skeleton of some including a number of children. Each family had an area to use but most seem stacked or placed haphazardly and piled high.
Next stop was the highlight the area is famous for, elaborate funerals and just to clarify first this person died a year ago the family spent this time saving and making arrangements for many people to celebrate his life in their special way its not like crashing a western funeral where family & friends are grieving its more of a party.
The first sight that hits us as we get out the car just past the entrance are two pigs with a mans hand inside being cleaned out and the other just finishing bleeding out when two guys with gas torches take to it to burn off all the hair as they do the pig squirms with its last bit of life. This funeral is over 3 days and family and friends numbering thousands will come from everywhere bringing a sacrificial animal either a pig or a buffalo. We had a look about then sat watching the family (who were all dressed traditionally) greet new comers in one of the temporary bamboo structures. Another 10 pigs were killed just while we were there and the head of a buffalo was left on show from earlier in the day. We were offered food and we ate with others fresh pork, veg and rice.
The last village on the tour was a good example of their traditional style, each house with its massive boat roof and it's rice store a 1/3 scale version of the house set 20metres in front of each. This village was preparing for a funeral in July with many temporary bamboo buildings being erected for an estimated 10,000 guests.
Check the background of the two photos showing the guys cutting up the pig, one has caught a blood spurt from the dying pig behind and the other is it being torched moments later.