Northern Sulawesi

Finishing up a very quick two weeks in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Overall I was blown away by the beauty and culture here. Never once did I meet hostility (well except perhaps when I took a car ride and we banned the driver from smoking, as he said nothing for the entire ten hours!), just smiles, "hallo mister"s, and inquiries on California living and Obama.

Flat tire #1 on my journey from Manado to Gorontalo

Flat tire #2 on the Manado - Gorontalo journey

Every time we stopped, this is how we had to get going again!

Being a little farther off of the backpacker trail, I didn't meet as many travelers as I did in Thailand and Malaysia, but the ones I did were so enthusiastic and hungry for exploring the world (both above and below the sea) that it was hard to part ways at the end of our journeys.

The only downside to being so far off the typical tourist scene is that I ended up spending quite a bit more than I am used to and had anticipated. Whereas in Thailand and Malaysia I could usually find a place for under $10, the cheapest room I had here was $20 per night. That usually included all meals, plus I shared with other people most of the time so it wasn't too bad.

My boat driver doing some spear fishing while I snorkled

As for the diving, it was also more expensive but worth every bit as the coral and sea life is stunning. I experienced my first wall dive on Bunaken, which was pretty sweet. And the creatures found in the Lembeh Strait were out of this world!

Scorpion fish

Scorpion Fish #2

Nudibranch

This is the real thing, no Photoshop!

I only managed to explore the north part of Sulawesi, as my hopes to get to the Togean Islands and then continue on through the south were put to rest when I met a family from Germany. When I asked them why their clothes and other personal belongings were strewn about the common area, they replied in a nonchalant way that their boat from the Togeans had sunk on the way back! You see, before heading to the port town of Gorontalo, I had heard that the ferries were not running due to bad weather, but I had no idea to what extent! So I decided to hold off until another day :)

Boat from the Togeans on its final journey

So now it's back to Bali for some more diving and exploring since last time I didn't have my certification. Have heard good things about the neighboring island of Lombok as well, and of course the Komodo National Park is not too far either. Only have two weeks left on my visa though, so will just have to see how far I can get!

It amazes me how rare solar systems are in such an ideal part of the world. Most homes and resorts could easily meet their energy requirements with a small initial investment.

A tarsier in Tangkoko National Park

Warning: Do not bring your white children to SE Asia unless they LOVE attention and being constantly touched!