Bubbles, Bells and Plush Hotels

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At 5:30 I heard a frantic ringing of a bell which I assumed must have meant breakfast, so I awoke and sat keenly waiting. Breakfast didn't appear until 7 so I felt pretty stupid all told!

Both dives of the day were on the Liberty, a boat sitting just of the Tulamben beach and laying on her side in between 5 and 30 metres of water. Its a large and imposing bulk to dive around, and despite its heavy coral coating it is still possible to see what is what. I was buddied up with Yoshi, a Japanese diving instructor working in Australia. We also had a divemaster to guide us around the wreck. We stayed on the outside of the wreck, and saw a lot of life including a Mantis Prawn (I didnt even know what these were!), a ray, a few stonefish, lionfish and something big and Gropery.

Yesterday I had been impressed when I saw a Indonesian woman carry a full scuba rig on her head (see photos). However today I saw a woman carrying two full tanks, BCDs and Regs on her head, a guy carrying 3 full rigs on his sholders, and even a boy no older than 10 carrying 2 complete rigs. I have enough trouble just lifting my own!

On the second dive of the day it was just me and the divemaster, and this time we took a torch and penetrated the wreck. Ive only ever been inside one wreck before, and that was the pristine Shakem off of Grenada in the carribean. If Shakem was like your 2 up 2 down then the liberty was the haunted house of wrecks. The strange angle it laid at, the dark interior and the intermittent holes which let in bright blue light yet offered no route of escape. At times it was necessary to scrape both belly and tank to get through gaps in the wreck, and I have to say I think it was the best dive I have done.

After all the dives were up I found out what the bell was for. When a dive party is ready to go out they ring the bell, and the porters come running. First porter gets the job and the pay.

After diving was over I got a car over to the Kintamani area. Kintamani is actually one of a number of towns which make up the area normally known as Kintamani - I was staying in Penelokan. A lack of budget accomodation saw me check into the pretty luxurios LakeView hotel at a budget breaking $15/night including breakfast, hot water and one hell of a view.

I arranged to climb Mt Agung tomorrow night, which means I can eat guilt free all day tomorrow... yay!

Dive Log

65 - Liberty, Tulamben, Bali 27m, ??:??, 59min, 200->80 Bar, 7Kg
66 - Liberty, Tulamben, Bali 27m, ??:??, 52min, 200->65 Bar, 7Kg

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