words from the world

To content | To menu | To search

Keyword - freedom -

Entries feed

Tuesday 19 August 2008

the breathtaking wreck of the Libery

The steep slopes of the mount Batur push us away towards the east of the island. Our way stops when the ocean starts, somewhere not far from Amen, in the small hamlet of Jemeluk. The tourist development broke through the calmness of the fishermen villages which stretch out along the coast. Because of a ship: the Liberty that ran aground at less than 50 meters from the pebble beach of Tulamben. An artificial reef that coral fauna and flora quickly adopt for a breathtaking result. Red gorgons and fire corals proudly dance on the shapeless metallic remnants. Sometimes tinsel-decorated Christmas tree and sometimes heap of life-shining ferrous remains. Some flipper-kicks further, a diffuse light spreads through the gaping holes of the ship. We swim into what the lower deck formerly was. Wide-eyed, we get each drop of life. Endless navigation between the imposing size of the smashed-up metal sheets and the delicate and chiseled details of the reef life.
My underwater wonder is so great I succeed in convincing my family to stay an extra day and dip into the big blue. Introduction to scuba diving into the swimming pool of the hotel then departure for the wreck. Most of them feel the fear of the unknown mixed with a ferocious urge of swimming with the inhabitants of the world of silence. Each one will keep in mind an indelible memory of what was their first dive. And even those for who it's not their first bathing with bottles, the enthusiasm is the same. Maravilloso ! Increible ! Will be the two first words which will say Spanish partner immediately getting out of the water.

IMG_5414_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5429_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5453_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5462_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5473_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5496_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG


IMG_5538_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5548_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5561_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5574_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5579_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5595_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5602_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5610_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5622_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5631_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5634_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5640_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5645_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5650_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5673_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5677_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5684_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5689R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5708_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5721_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5734_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5740_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5746R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5757_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5760R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5771R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5784_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5805_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5811_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5825_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG


IMG_5836_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5853_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5880R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5883_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5892_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_5905_banyuning.JPG
IMG_5936_jemeluk.JPG
IMG_5937_jemeluk.JPG
IMG_5939_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_5950_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_5966_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_5975R_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_5984_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_5988R_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6020_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6027_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6032_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6063_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6076_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6078R_tulamben_drop_off.JPG
IMG_6081_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6086_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6087_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6093_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6096_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6099_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6127_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6136_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6137_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6144_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG
IMG_6151R_tulamben_liberty_wreck.JPG

Wednesday 6 August 2008

We dip again into the 2 oceans

An adventure ends, our great loop in southern Africa stops at Cape town, a city we left almost 2 months before. We get to the « 2 oceans » aquarium, in order to dip again into the memory of this sumptuous underwater creatures we already met for the most part. Between Indian and Atlantic Ocean. We want to enjoy our peregrinations to the very last drop.
Then, the time to part comes, Christophe goes back to Paris and I carry on my trip. A radical change of culture and continent. After a short stop at Kuala Lumpur, I will head for the heavenly island of Bali to meet again my family for a fortnight before keeping on alone towards the island of Java and prolonging thrilling adventures in Indonesia.
As for Africa, continent of contrasts, smiles, generosity, endemic colours and hope, I know that's only a temporary goodbye. Its land, its forests, its villages are packed with so many things seemingly trivial and yet so fascinating. As soon as we put down a foot, we never completely leave again.

IMG_4677-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4681-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG


IMG_4672-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4740-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4675R-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4693R-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4702-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4709-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4750-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG


IMG_4719-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4721-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4725-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4728-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4735-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG


IMG_4737-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG
IMG_4745R-cape-town-two-oceans-aquarium.JPG

Thursday 24 July 2008

the magical reef of Sodwana Bay

the shock absorbers shake on the stony road. Kids wave at us in passing. The ordeal ends on a tasteless village out of hand. On the other side of the dune, a long sand beach and some great waves that seem intended to surfers. But at the entrance of the village, signs announcing guest houses and dive centers titillate us. What does this tiny bay, northeast of Durban, hide in its depths? We get off here to discover it.
Far from the almost industrial bustle of the Coral Divers center, we opt for the Amaury Diving club. Colin, the founder, greets us and we make an appointment for tomorrow morning on the beach.
The inflatable boats lie on the beach and a crowd fidgets around. Big tractors push them onto the water. Dive briefing. Armed with a mask and a tank we hop on the boat. The skipper avoids the breaking waves before dashing towards the dive spot.
We slowly sink into the big blue. The first patterns loom. Soft and hard corals decorate the reef formations and shelter an astounding diversity of submarine life. From the clown triggerfish to the boxy, from the harlequin shrimp to the emperor angelfish. The colors harmony of the nudibranches drive us speechless. The diversity of this kind of slug is so amazing that it became the Colin's speciality and plan to write a book on it. He shows us a species, unknown from the scientists' world so far – a nudibranch which still waits for its Latin name. Spotted, Striped, yellow, blue, white, purple and seldom exceeding the 2 centimeters, they embellish the miniature world of the reef. But the chromatic high point covers the harlequin shrimp which is savouring a starfish. Blotches trim its pearly shell. A few flaps of fin further, the grace of a swimming turtle.
We will repeat this ritual 5 other times with always the same dose of fascination. 6 dives in total and as so many unforgettable moments. Speckled crabs hiding in the cracks of a spiny coral. Open-mouthed morays in front of us, dumbfounded. Disks of majestic corals enveloped by orange shoals. Pimply nudibranches and stingray taking off from the sandy bottom.

IMG_2906.JPG
IMG_2911R.JPG
IMG_2912R.JPG
IMG_2930R.JPG
IMG_2938R.JPG
IMG_2940.JPG
IMG_2943.JPG
IMG_2963R.JPG
IMG_2977.JPG
IMG_2978.JPG
IMG_2981.JPG
IMG_2993.JPG
IMG_2997.JPG
IMG_3003.JPG
IMG_3005.JPG
IMG_3008R.JPG
IMG_3011.JPG
IMG_3017.JPG
IMG_3027.JPG
IMG_3043.JPG
IMG_3055R.JPG
IMG_3066.JPG
IMG_3075.JPG
IMG_3089.JPG
IMG_3096.JPG
IMG_3111R.JPG
IMG_3119.JPG
IMG_3129R.JPG
IMG_3143R.JPG
IMG_3161.JPG
IMG_3173R.JPG
IMG_3182.JPG
IMG_3194.JPG
IMG_3203.JPG
IMG_3227.JPG
IMG_3231R.JPG
IMG_3239.JPG
IMG_3242.JPG
IMG_3255R.JPG
IMG_3268.JPG
IMG_3277R.JPG
IMG_3286.JPG
IMG_3292.JPG
IMG_3314.JPG
IMG_3323R.JPG
IMG_3326.JPG
IMG_3333.JPG
IMG_3343.JPG
IMG_3346.JPG
IMG_3354.JPG
IMG_3357.JPG
IMG_3371.JPG
IMG_3378.JPG
IMG_3403.JPG
IMG_3409.JPG
IMG_3426.JPG
IMG_3428.JPG
IMG_3439.JPG
IMG_3449.JPG
IMG_3466.JPG
IMG_3469.JPG
IMG_3491.JPG
IMG_3507.JPG
IMG_3518.JPG
IMG_3538.JPG
IMG_3556.JPG
IMG_3597.JPG
IMG_3604.JPG
IMG_3630.JPG
IMG_3632R.JPG
IMG_3645.JPG
IMG_3653.JPG
IMG_3658.JPG
IMG_3659R.JPG
IMG_3672.JPG
IMG_3695.JPG
IMG_3697R.JPG
IMG_3714.JPG
IMG_3730R.JPG
IMG_3744R.JPG

- page 4 of 11 -