Posted in Travel

South Africa

This is what you would call a teazer!
We are half way through our trip in South Africa, and I just want to give you a taste of what is coming.

Here is a collection of pictures taken on the first day in Kruger National Park.  Most of these will not make the final selection.  They were taken from our truck (you are not allowed to get out) with a standard zoom (only 135 mm) and are unretouched… 

Our first animal sighting – a kudu amongst the trees

teaser012.jpg

Next were elephants in the distance (we were really getting excited)

teaser02.jpg

Than we saw water buffalos having a bath, with a fish eagle looking on

teaser03.jpg

A giraffe

teaser04.jpg

Zebras really close to the car

teaser05.jpg

Monkeys in a tree

teaser06.jpg

Baboons crossing the street right on front of the truck

teaser07.jpg

Hippos in the Sabie River

teaser08.jpg

and a hyena, unfortunately too late in the day to get a good shot as the light was fading very fast… 

teaser09.jpg

Just wait for what is instore when I get back to Singapore and can pull out the rest of what we saw!

(664 Page Views)

Posted in Food, Sports, Travel

Exploring Bali from below

Several weeks ago, I received a note from Sinoto asking me if I was interested in a diving safari in Bali.  I immediately answered ‘yes’ without knowing what I was getting myself into.  I had already gone diving with Sinoto before, in Manado (also Indonesia) and we had an excellent time.  So I was looking forward to more of the same.

Sinoto, Su Li, Andy, Eric and I left on Tuesday evening (24 October) for Denpasar and an immediate transfer to Kuta Beach.  We arrived at the hotel after 10pm and immediately went in search of food and drinks.  Contrary to its reputation, the town seemed empty and quiet.  We stopped for Satay and a few beers in the only place that seemed to be still open.

Next day early checkout of the hotel.  We fill out all the paper work typical before going diving and we are off for a 3 hour drive to the north of the island. Our first diving day is in Tulambeh.  We leave from the shore and drop down a vertical wall only a few meters off the beach.  The first dive is an easy ‘refresher’ dive just to get our bearings.  I quickly discover that when some one points a camera at you underwater, you better hold your breath – Eric had obviously been there before…

pierrenotholding.jpg

The second dive is around the wreck of a WWII Liberty ship.  The ship was hit by a torpedo as it was delivering military hardware to Bali.  The captain had the presence of mind to ram the ship onto the beach so that it could still deliver its goods.  After languishing on the beach for many years the ship finally slipped down the wall after the eruption of a nearby volcano, creating a fantastic artificial reef.  It is full of life, from the tiniest nudibranch to a giant barracuda.  We do a third dive before heading towards our new hotel.

I have discovered that a ‘diving safari’ is an adventure where you change dive site, and hotel, every day.  The second day we were at Secret Bay – and I think the secret is safe with us.  Visibility was not very good and we saw more seaweed than anything else.  We were supposed to do a night dive, but all decided that it would not be worth it, especially since we still had to drive to the third hotel on the itinerary.  We did find a few interesting animals amongst the weeds:  a leaf fish, a unicorn fish and a beautiful seahorse.

seahorses.jpg

Day three and we do the first boat dives of the trip near “Deer Island” or Menjangan to the locals.  Three excellent dives along coral walls with small and large creatures everywhere.  At the end of the day, we drive back to Kuta Beach where there is definitely more atmosphere than the previous Tuesday.

By now, I have improved and can hold my breath, however, I do not appreciate when the photographer seems to take a long time to actually take the photo…

pierreholding.jpg

Day four will remain to me one of the ‘memorable’ experiences of my life.  We went to Nusa Penida by speed boat.  The first dive was at Manta Point.  As advertised, the water was cold, around 21 C which is low since we were all wearing 3mm wet suits more adapted to tropical water conditions.  Fortunately, we did not have to go very deep (only 9 m) and we did not have to stay down very long.  There is only one thing to see at Manta Point: giant Manta Rays – and I mean GIANT!  This was a rather technical dive as there was a very significant surge and one had to be careful not to get pushed into the rocks.  At first we marvelled at a large group of divers all moving in unison, as if they were dancing to some imaginary music.  We wondered why they were just floating there, doing nothing.  Than we looked up and saw two Manta Rays slowly circling overhead.  The larger of the two must have had a 3 m wingspan at least.

mantas.jpg

We joined the back-and-forth dance of the other group and gaped in awe at the majesty of the two flying beasts.  After 30 minutes or so, the cold got the better of us and we headed for the surface.

The second dive was even better! After lunch and relaxation, we went to Chrystal Bay and plunged initially into 25 C water.  I was pleasantly surprised as I was expecting colder given what we had been told.  Than, somewhere between 8 and 10 m depth, the temperature dropped to 19 C suddenly, as if we had suddenly swam into a refrigerator.  We kept going down and swimming against the current for a while, until our divemaster decided to turn around.  He signed for us to wait for him at about 22 m depth and he went deeper.  After a few seconds, we heard him banging on his air bottle and signaling for us to come.  We did as we were told with much anticipation.  Out of the depths came one, than two and ultimately four Ocean Sunfish, or Mola-Mola!  These are fish with no tail – the body is roughly shaped like a rugby ball with one large fin on top and another on the bottom.  One Mola-Mola came directly towards us, passing right in the middle of the group.

molamola.jpg

We stayed as long as we possibly could, until our dive computers were beeping at us to indicate that we were close to our no-decompression limit.  We slowly rose back towards the surface, and warmer waters.  It is only at this point that I realised that I was shivering uncontrollably.  It took us a long time to warm up even after we came out of the water.  A very memorable dive!

Saturday evening, we had a great seafood meal on the beach in Jimbaran.

dinners.jpg

From the left: Myself, Andy, Sinoto, Eric and Su Li.

The meal, for 5 of us, with a bottle of wine cost a grand total of 1,200,000 rupiah, or 135 US$.  That by itself would not be worth reporting. However, on Friday night, we stopped at a shop along the road and had a complete dinner for seven (including our divemaster and driver) and spend a grand total of 100,000 rupiah!

On Sunday, we had a late evening flight and therefore we decided to go explore Ubud and a few craft centers along the way.

Before we arrived in Ubud, we visited the Monkey Forest, where we found (Oh what a surprise) …. monkeys! This sleeping family group was particularly touching.

monkeys.jpg

In Ubud, I found a very nice painting.  I though to myself that I was ready to pay up to 100 US$ for it.  I asked the price and was told 80 US$.  I know I should negotiate, so I did and we settled on 70 $.  Now I need to frame it, but I think it will look really nice in my apartment.

painting.jpg

(3683 Page Views)

Posted in General

Just for Fun

Live, from Singapore, it’s the Comedy Hour!

Something funny happened to me yesterday, 3 October.  I was running late for my usual Wednesday evening teleconference that starts at 8:30 PM so I started the oven and threw a frozen pizza in it.  Just as I was leaving the kitchen, I noticed a large cockroach so I got my can of “Raid” and zapped it.  Since the smell was bad, I closed the door between the kitchen and the living room, and relaxed while getting organised for the phone call.  After 15 minutes, I went back to the kitchen, only to find out that the door, some how, would not open.  It seemed locked as the handle refused to turn.

No problems, I have the key to open it.  Tried one key labeled ‘kitchen front’, without success; tried the other key labeled ‘kitchen back’ with the same lack of result.

Only solution, since now there is smoke coming out of the oven, is to go out the front door, in through the back door and into the kitchen from the “maid’s room”.  However, since I have been running, and just took a shower, I better put something more on than just the robe I am wearing.

I get dressed and go out, than back in and rescue the pizza.  When I try to get back into the living room, the door still will not open.  The handle refuses to turn from the other side as well.

It is now time for the call to start, so I rush, with the smoldering pizza, back out the back door, and back in through the front door and dial in to our weekly call.

An hour later, and most of the pizza eaten, I am back where I started – with a locked door between my kitchen and my living room.  None of the keys (I try them all several times) work.  I go back into the kitchen (out the front door, in the back door again) and try from the other side still without success.  I try to take the lock apart, but there is no way to do that.  I try to take the hinges apart, but that too is impossible.

In desperation, I decide to try again the following day – today by now.

When I get back from the office, I try several ways to open the door but still without success.  I repeat the maneuver of “out-the-front-in-the-back” and back again several times to prepare my dinner and finally call a repair man, who fortunately can come tomorrow to try and rescue me.

It is not until you cannot do something that you realise how much you need it.  I never realised how often I end up walking into the kitchen over one evening.

Now I sit here and write this post, pondering if it is worth going “out-the-front-and-in-the-back” and “out-the-back-and-back-in-the-front” just to get a piece of chocolate from the refrigerator.  Knowing me, the answer is obviously “yes!”, so I better go now.

I wander what my next-door neighbours think of this strange behaviour?

Added on Friday 5 October

Saved by “Magical Mr. Mestofeles” – aka Mr. Lam.  He is a do-it-all repairman who works for the agent managing my apartment.  I am very happy that I kept his number and he was very happy to get a little money on the side.

The lock is replaced – the door works, and for now, I plan to leave it open ALL THE TIME.  I am not ready for another episode of “out-the-front-in-the-back” and back again any time soon!

(740 Page Views)