November 22, 2012

Learn to Step Back





"....It's hard to see you down, 
but sometimes I have to step back 
and let you stand up by yourself...."

(I dedicate this to my lovely teen's niece)

November 21, 2012

I See Komodo Dragons!

....and finally here are the famous Komodo Dragon!

These photos taken during our last day dive. After completed our second dive, we were heading to Rinca Island. It's about an hour away by from Labuan Bajo by our diving boat. The island, is also known as Rincah or Rindja, is a small island near Komodo island in East Nusa Tenggara. The island's area is about 198 square kilometers or 76 sq mi. Being less known and less visited than Komodo, this island is an excellent place to see the Komodo dragon in its natural environment with fewer people to disturb them. 

Komodo dragon, one of the oldest living lizard and direct ancestors of the Komodo lived 50 millions years ago. She runs up to 18m/h, swim up to 500m, and she can detect scents up to 5km away. Carnivorous and strictly eat meat in any form! She lives with about 60 types bacteria in her saliva and cause septicemia! 

She is cool. She is calm. She is dangerous!





Underwater Life in The Komodo National Park

What I like most about diving and the underwater is seeing the behavior of the marine creatures. I may seen their similar types in my other diving experiences in another places, but I never stop wonder and admiring how pretty and amazing they are! Seeing them breathing, swimming and dancing, it makes me feel alive and blessed! 

I took lots of underwater photos during this Komodo Diving trip, but here are some I especially choose to be display in here. 

Take nothing, but pictures. Leave nothing, but bubbles! 









(Please note for photos without my name-tag goes to my diving friend, Purwanto Nugroho). 

November 20, 2012

I'm in Love with Flores Island!



Another diving exploration with Bali Marine Sports to beautiful Indonesia, this time we are heading to Flores and Komodo Islands in East Nusa Tenggara during last 17-21 October 2012. Together with new diving friends, 13 of us, flying to Labuhan Bajo by Merpati Airlines, staying in a very comfort and cozy hotel, Bintang Flores Hotel which providing us with a gorgeous ocean view from our window, and exploring various dive sites in its surrounding islands: Sebayur Kecil, Castle Rock, Crystal Bomie, Tatawa Besar, Manta Point, Siaba Kecil, Batu Bolong, and Dead Man's Rock.

Here are some photos from our journey. A new heaven that I just discover. Yes! A new heaven, and I've falling in love with this island!



This is the view from my hotel room. Made me feel so comfort with the ocean view. Made me feel so blessed to have this view as the first thing that I see when I open my eyes and wake up on the morning before we go for diving!


Further about Komodo National Park as seen on my below photo. It is located in the center of the of the Indonesian archipelago, between the island of Sumbawa and Flores. Established in 1980, initially the main purpose was to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varnus Komodoensis) and its habitat. In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 


For this time trip, we all stayed at the mainland. From our hotel, it took about an hours by boat to go to our dive sites destination. I used to say that my most favorite diving spots are in Papua (Raja Ampat and Cendrawasih Bay water) and of course Bali. But I have to say that I am in love with this province of East Nusa Tenggara, especially with Flores and Komodo Island. I have visited the capital city of the province few years ago, Kupang, but I wasn't really as excited as today's visit! I am in love with both surface and the underwater view!

The corals in Komodo National park are pristine, with mantas, sharks, turtles,  many pelagic, to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frog fish, you name it we’ve got it. The sites vary from gentle easy coral slopes to heart pounding adrenalin rides, from the warm waters of the Flores Sea in the north to the chillier waters down south in the Indian Ocean, the underwater terrain is so varied with sheer cliff walls, pinnacles, channels, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs, all with varying colours, sizes and types of coral both hard and soft.

3 days for diving and exploring the beauty of the islands and its underwater world, definitely not enough! I feel so sad when I have to leave the island. But one thing for sure and I've pray for it, that there will another time that I can visit the islands again and explore more beautiful diving sites in there! 


I would like to express my special thanks to my newly diving buddy, mas Purwanto Nugroho. These two below photos are captured by him. Look forward for another diving adventure with you! :) And to my always and very special diving-buddy, Nicky Wirawan, from Bali Marine Sports...I've asked for this trip and you made it came true! Forever be my buddy!




November 19, 2012

Chasing Sunset in Flores Island


I went to Labuan Bajo, Flores Island last month. It was really an unforgettable trip! Not just because I had planned this trip for almost a year, to accommodate three important people in my life that I really want to be with on this journey, but also as I had such a good time, with good people, good dives (for sure!), good accommodation (this is important to raise up my mood!), and good food! In short, the overall trip was awesome and perfect! 

And here it is, some of my sunset photos that I especially chased for you...:D 

Enjoy!

[These are the three important men that I wanna be with for this trip, and they've made it for me too!:)]

[Magnificent view from the Paradise Bar & Restaurant in Labuhan Bajo]