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(continuation of part I http://richardkurni.multiply.com/journal/item/16/North_Halmahera_Morotai_Underwater_Photo_Festival_are_to_wake_up_part_I)

............. the risk in this remote area to see this bomber wreck.

After short discussion, we agreed to dive again in the same spot, so we left Pintu Dua dive spot close to Lapangan Pante. That was because the information we got from the dive guide saying that Pintu Dua had only corals without any wreck. In the meantime, my headache still remained, but I decided to join the second dive since I was sure that I could manage it. However, I did not want to dive as long as the first one in depth around 45 meters, since I did not want to get more narcosis (more headache) and longer deco time. That second dive felt more relaxing and joyful, since I already had the situation.  Even so, there were light current near the surface and the visibility was worse than the first one; it seemed that the current brought lots of particle and worsen the visibility. And since my headache still remained, it annoyed me down there. Just like the first dive, nobody used the safety tank. They were very discipline, I had to say. On the surface I heard that Mr. BW’s camera was flooded and Mr. MK’s strobe was damage. They did not know the exact reasons of their problems. However, we were all satisfied today and got back to Tobelo with big smile.

On the way back to Tobelo, I tried to sleep on the boat to sooth my headache, and my headache was gone when the boat was close to Tobelo. We reached Tobelo right after dusk, and other group already got back from diving around Tagalaya; some of them were even continuing night diving under the Tobelo jetty. My groups seemed tired and reluctant to continue diving in the night. Kind of lazy divers, ha-ha.

The routines after the dive like the day before finished and we had to tidy up using uniform t-shirt to visit government officers and together attend government invitation of local community celebration in the Tobelo open ground. The divers, who dived under the jetty, finished almost 9 pm. They had to rush to join the celebration. One thing that I noticed was the unique local dancing with half bend knees almost all along the dance. I believed it needed lots of practice to have such strong feet. All participants and committee could not join the celebration till the end, since we still had lots of thing to do in the hotel and had to dive tomorrow; so we went back to the hotel. In the hotel, I felt relax on the bed and had chitchat with my roommate, who was busy reviewing (or editing) his pictures.

Day 4

I woke up in the following day with lots of hope. I hoped I would be able to dive three times that day and two of them should be under the old and new jetties of Tobelo. As we finished our breakfast and all preparation, we went to Tagalaya Island. The problem, like boat fuel, still remained, phew. I saw the group, who should have been on the way to Morotai, was still hanging on the harbor after 10 am. They would reach Morotai after noon. Not so long after they went to Morotai, my group went to Tagalaya Island and started to dive to Kolorai Island.

That time I got small but a little faster boat compared to the one I used in the first day dive; lucky us that boat was completed with ladder. As I predicted, dive spot near Kolorai Island also had very few fishes, but the corals were okay. My group got new dive guide candidate who were older than the first one but got good diving spirit. During the surface interval, we had lunch of local foods in the small humble building. I did not eat lot, perhaps due to I was not suit with the local foods and I indeed could not ate lot during surface interval as usual.

During preparation for the second dive, I found that somebody had worked out with my gear; my masker strap was changed and my regulator first stage was left opened. Somebody could be the boatmen or dive guide candidates. I a bit dismayed since they did not only tell me previously, but also what they had done might create problem to the gear with further effect of gear user safety risk. I also found this happened to the committee’s gear, so the committee also dismayed and then told them right away. However, we did appreciate their spirit of inquisitiveness and learning.

The O group decided to do the second dive under Tobelo jetty; either did I so I joined them while other few participants still wanted to explore around Tagalaya. I decided that since the sun was already low, I did not want to dive under the jetty in the night. On the boat to Tobelo jetty, I remembered that I forgot to bring my rucksack along, but I believed the committee would bring it since there was my name tag attached on it. And my believe was correct, I got my rucksack back on the hotel later on.

The jetty dive spot was so and so, the corals on the jetty foundation poles were not as much as I thought. The visibility on sea bottom was terrible, but getting better near the surface. I found lots species of lion fish, some box fish, ban pipe fish, schooling big cat fish, schooling silver anthias (or small jack fish?), and others. The most interesting to me was the juvenile harlequin sweet lips; I found three of them, the big juvenile which was hard to take picture of it, the medium one (also hard to take picture of it), and the small one about 4 cm length which was swimming vigorously in the same location. The latest seemed to be easy to take picture of it, but since it swam so vigorously around the bumpy and woody sea bottom, it was hard too to get a proper picture. I ascended when my camera battery ran out. Too bad, I did not have chance to take picture of box fish.

On the surface I found that I was the last diver coming out of the sea, while the O group was ready to go back to the hotel. Few participants were just coming from Tagalaya and preparing to dive under the jetty at dusk. I would like to join them again since it was a shallow dive and I would like to take picture of the box fish. But then I canceled it due to lots of dirt on the housing O ring; meaning that it would need some time to prepare for the dive. I got back to the hotel, while they were doing the night dive. So my previous plan to dive three times that day did not work, ha-ha. Later, I heard that O group managed to take picture of box fish and Pegasus sea robin, what a lucky divers.

I did the same routines as the day before when I was back in the hotel. It was almost 8 pm, and the group who dived in Morotai was not back yet without any news or any short message. One of the committee members discussed it with me (I knew her concern due to the diving situation in Morotai); and I said that they were experience divers and they should have known what to do if they got problem, so that we should not worry about it; and she agreed.

The divers, who dived under the jetty after me, finished after 8 pm, not that long after the Morotai group arrived; while I, O group, and some committee members had tidied up and gone to Tobelo district officer’s home to attend his personal invitation. The foods were great, especially the huge fatty crabs and unique warm local drink made from ginger, palm sugar, and ‘kenari’ nut. I got only one cut of the crab, and other participants who came later, such as divers who dive in the night and Morotai group did not get any cut of the crab. Even so, few divers coming from Morotai, who had never dived under the jetty, preferred to dive in the late night under the jetty; they were not willing to neglect the chance of it.

The government officer’s home was full of invitees, so that I went back to the hotel a bit earlier than others. After short consideration, I decided not to dive anymore tomorrow, so that I rinsed a little thoroughly all my dive gear and photo gear; And then I went to sleep. Few divers who dived under the jetty in the late night finished their dive after 11 pm, phew. I must have been dreaming on the bed by that time, ha-ha. They must have real big spirit and goals; I did appreciate that.

Day 5

I woke up late in the next morning, and after having short breakfast I reviewed and edited my pictures very quick (at least compared to my roommate did) and then submitted them to the committee. Shortly I packed all my dive gear and photo gear since I did not want to dive anymore. I heard that Mr. SW lost his mask that had special measured lens. My alternative mask was gone too, but later I found that dive guide candidate used it without prior notification yesterday for diving under the jetty; oh goz, he should have informed me before he used it.

After I finished packing all my stuff, I started to wander to other rooms and had chitchat about anything. I had chance to help other participant to edit his pictures before they were submitted. Later, his picture became one of the winners; glad that I had contributed on it.

Actually that day was the free day and we could have fun dives along the day around Tagalaya as well as had lunch over there. But all participants seemed had many different interests; few still went to Tagalaya for diving, many went to the downtown for sightseeing and had massages. While I and several others were still in the hotel having interesting chitchat. From the chitchat, I knew that Morotai group yesterday had dived in Pintu Dua, but the visibility was not good (especially near dusk) and there was nothing special. Lucky my group that dived in Lapangan Pante instead of Pintu Dua.

Since we felt that we had enough of foods from Kakare Café, then we planned to have lunch of sate on the small food store close to the hotel. But it seemed that the food store was not ready for visitors on the day time. We would then go to the downtown of Tobelo for lunch and spent some time over there. Mr. MK bought big white steel bracelet for only IDR 25,000.  The public transportation car charged IDR 2,000 for each passenger no matter the distance. We got pretty nice lunch on Chokent Chinese Restaurant. From the chitchat with local Chinese, who owned photo printing store, I knew that there was one expatriate who had run dive center in Tobelo (I forgot the name), but then he moved out to Manado due to Christians and Moslems civil unrest several years ago; what a pity. He also informed me that there was virgin and beautiful lake called ‘Galela’ located around 40 minutes away by car in south Tobelo. To reach the lake, we could use public transportation; but we seemed too lazy to go there, so we went back to the hotel and took a nap.

In the night, we worn uniform t-shirt and gathered in the Pondok Indah restaurant at Tobelo suburb to have farewell party. In this occasion we would have dinner and announce the winners of the festival. The restaurant had unique design but not good enough; it seemed not serious or not enough budget for that design. However, the singer had real good vocal; some participants including me took picture of her. The foods were also great, especially the crabs. After several ceremonials and announcement, we danced altogether. We got back to the hotel and fell asleep soon, since we had to wake up very early tomorrow. The option of using Kao Airport near Tobelo was not possible since, the schedule was not fit at all.

Day 6

Around two o’clock in the morning all participants woke up and got ready for the trip back to Jakarta. Few participants stayed in the hotel since they would like to explore around Tobelo a little longer. Problem was always coming, only one car was ready and the others were not. So, I and the committee asked the driver not only called his friends, but also picked them up. The driver seemed a little reluctant to do so, but then the committee insisted to go with him together. After the other cars had arrived in the hotel, I with few participants and Mrs. NH decided to go to the harbor right away since we were afraid of the possibility that the boats would not be ready just like before. And again the driver seemed reluctant and preferred to drive together with the other cars.

I said: “Sir, I think we better be going now; the rest know what to do and will follow our car. We have something to do in the harbor”.

Driver said: “No, no, we wait for the rest to be ready and will go together with them in one group” (and he continued smoking)

I did not feel good with his respond, since we paid him; he was not doing this for charity. Not that long, Mrs. NH said that she really needed to go right away since she still had to arrange the boats. So, I changed my tone talking to the driver.

“SIR, WE HAVE TO GO, NOW. We are late already. The rest will surely follow”

He stopped smoking and jumped into the car to drive to the harbor. I was thinking, may be that was the right way to talk to the locals.

It was around 3 am or about one hour behind schedule, when we started to depart to Sofifi harbor. Few cars were driven behind the pick-up baggage car to watch and sweep the fallen baggage.

Right after we reached Ternate, the committee negotiated with porter leader to carry the baggage, including chartered pick-up car to the airport of Ternate. I heard myself that in the beginning the porter asked for IDR 25 thousands for each baggage (excluded chartered car) that was damned expensive; but we bargained to IDR 5 thousands in the end. One committee member went directly to the airport to arrange the necessary measures while we were still coordinating the transportation to the airport. On the way to the airport I noticed that there was no remnant of riot of local election one or two days before; and just like before, there was fallen baggage from the baggage car, so we also acted as a sweeper. We reached airport pretty soon and directly waited in line. Some of the participants would fly soon to Jakarta via Manado, while several other participants would take another flight later in the afternoon and stay for a while in Manado taking ‘Underwater Photo Clinic’. I was in the first category, so that I said good bye to all others left behind. One of the participants, Mr. AS, would stay in Ternate for a night since he would sail to Sorong in the next day. In the waiting room, some of us bought noodles in cup just to fill the empty stomach.

The flight from Sultan Baabullah Airport in Ternate to Jakarta via Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, was smooth and sound; no rough landing at all. I was lucky to get the seat close to emergency exit, so that I could rest my legs straight. We reached Jakarta in the afternoon, said good bye to each other. My plastic container was broken on the corner, but it was okay since I saw nothing damaged inside. I bought junk food in AW restaurant for the late brunch and caught the X-Trans to go back home.

Epilogue

That dive trip to me was the trip with the most much problems ever, however I was still happy due to it was great trip with great committee and participants, not to mention how great the new experience was, in the new great dive sites, especially in Morotai. I would like to say thank you to all participants and committee, especially to my roommate (Mr. MK) who snored (but okay), and to my dive leader (Mr. AD) who shared his experience. Also big thanks to Mrs. S and Mr. AR (in Singapore), who helped me bring my stuff. But I felt sad to see Visit Indonesia 2008 promotion in Jakarta got no reflection in the fields. Remote Indonesia was definitely not ready yet for such promotion. Do we really need a massive wake up call to develop?

Some more photos can be seen at http://richardkurni.multiply.com/photos/album/35 and http://richardkurni.multiply.com/photos/album/36 ; Happy watching... :-) (You might need to sign in and add contact to see the pictures)