After perhaps the longest night of sleep I've had in years, it was up early for the day's activity: Scuba Diving Menjangan Island. Terri stayed back for a culture tour, which she chose to do with her new friend Karen. So it was Ian the Brit, the Swedish girls, and myself. We jumped in the van for a 90 minute ride to the dive boat. Interesting stop---we got out at a roadside Hindu temple, which basically was a small shrine encased in locked fencing. I'm guessing the secure temple was to keep the scores of roadside monkeys out. Unannounced, our drivers then went into the temple, praying for about 10 minutes. Ummm, do I need to worry about the rest of this drive?
So let's stop right there. Driving in Bali. THANK GOD we booked a GAP trip and didn't try to drive ourselves. I thought South Africa was crazy. Basically the roads in Bali are about 50% the size in the US. They drive on the left side of the road. Rarely are there any shoulders or guard rails. Basically, there's just enough room for two average sized cars to squeek by each other. Now, go ahead and throw in random pedestrians, road-side fruit stands, and stray dogs by the thousands. This would make a great video game. Finally, the ultimate hazard: motorbikes. Not quite a motorcycle, but a step up from your basic moped. These ubiquitous crotch rockets are flying all over the road, and if there are any traffic rules, I'd be surprised. They pass with wreckless abandon, most of the time when no sane person would venture toward oncoming traffic. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a near head-on collision. It's just one after another. OK, I'm digressing here. Back to the diving. So Wayan and Putu's prayers were answered. We arrived safe and sound.
Diving: OK, I don't know how to put this delicately. This dive experience was the most horrifying experience I've had with this recreational sport. These guys broke just about every rule in the book for safety and operational procedures. I understand this is Indonesia, but I would've bailed had I not already paid, drove 90 minutes, and a subsequent 45 minute boat ride.... So without going into an maniacal tirade, here's the gyst:
The Bad:
1. No emergency oxygen on board. The cardinal safety sin of any dive operation.
2. No First Aid Kit on board.
3. No radio in case of problems.
4. Air Tanks just piled on top of each other in the middle of the boat. No safety valve covers. Not on a single tank. Who knows how old these things are and the last time they've been inspected.
5. "Boat" is a generous term for this mode of transport. Basically a longtail wooden boat, with our captain chain-smoking in the back with the 40 hp gas engine.
6. One member of the group was not certified, and they let him dive anyway. Wow. Let me repeat this. Wow. They gave him a 5 minute review (in broken English) prior to him descending. Good luck, pal. I actually overheard part of this briefing, which some of it included the exact opposite wrong info. I set him straight before he went under.
7. I had to persist to even have a dive master join this trip with me. They initially tried to stick me with the divemaster and uncertified diver. I gave them the stinkeye, and all was fixed. That would've been the deal-breaker. No buddy=No dive.
8. Rule #1 of Diving: Plan your dive, dive your plan.
Upon descent, we argued and I had to demand what our dive plan was (depth and length). He basically refused, saying "Look, I don't want to die either. We'll go off my dive computer." So I guess I'm on my own here then, huh?
9. Divemaster hands me a dive belt with 15 pounds of weight, all held together with a broken plastic clasp. Quick lesson: Your dive belt offsets the entrapped gas in a neoprene wetsuit, keeping you safely under water. Should you lose your belt underwater, you'd skyrocket to the surface. That equals likely death, as the nearest decompression chamber would be hours away. Minimum. So I refuse to use the broken belt, asking for another. I'm informed there is no other belt. I continue to refuse, and they somehow produce another one. After the dive I find out they gave it to the uncertified diver. Niiiiiice. Wouldn't you know it, the belt fell off him underwater, and he managed to keep it around his thighs until his dive buddy fixed it. He apparently had to abort his dive because of this, as he got freaked out. Solid.
Uhhhmmm, I think you get the point. Lesson learned. If it costs $50 US for 2 dives, you're getting what you pay for. For the record, this shop was recommended by our GAP Leader. And I'll no longer believe a word he says.
The Good: Great dives. Amazing coral. Fairly good sea-life. Highlights were a lobster, parrotfish by the dozens, trigger fish, and a black-tip shark scooting below us at about 30 miles an hour. Visibility was good, but not great. Nice nasi goreng lunch sitting in a cave on the beach, looking back at the gorgeous, green mountained island of Bali.
The Ugly: I'm sad to report this, but this beautiful dive site/island was completely polluted with garbage and trash. The reef was gorgeous and world-class. But the local government obviously has little money to put into conservation and cleanup. It was sad to see how much plastic was clinging to the reef. At one point I mistook a floating plastic bag for an exotic fish. I swam back 30 yards to figure out what it was. Not kidding. Anyway, the point is that I did enjoy myself, and I escaped with my life. One more adventure, but a risk I will not take a second time.
Back from our dives, we had just enough time to prep for dinner. Our fearless leader Koni arranged for a special feast tonight. We walked along the beach, ultimately arriving into the local neighborhoods. These homes are small, made mostly of cinderblock with roofs made of tile (like you'd see on a pagoda). One of the local women collected $6 each from us last night, prepping a 10 course Balinese dinner. Our group of 13 showed up to tables filled with food. It was A W E S O M E.... Chicken lemongrass satays, minced fish satay, tuna satay, fried sweet potatoes, nasi goreng, exotic veggies, and the best dish of all---shredded chicken fried with shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and red chilis (chili sambal on top). Good Lord, this was good. Definitely our best meal in Bali so far. Topped off with a giant cold beer.
The AC still works in the room. I still don't know what day of the week it is. Sometimes the best things in life are the least expensive. Just not when you're diving. Good night.
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