Alor - Indonesia - schnichla

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Hallo again from Bali!!

So after another night near the airport Anne and me went first to Kupang on West-Timor then we went to Kalabahi on Alor Island by plane. From there a local bemo (minibus) broght us to Alor Kecil, from there we took a small traditional wooden boat to cross the channel to La-Petite-Kepa island - puhhhhhh a long way to get there. But the warm welcome of Anne and Cedric, the cosy bungalows with view to the blue ocean and the hospitality of the homestay made us forget all the effort tio reach that place.

My days where almost always pretty the same - sleeping - breakfast - diving 2 times - lunch - relaxing/sometimes snokling - sometimes a night dive - dinner and sleeping again.

It was wonderful, I enjoyed every second of this lifestyle. Anne was leaving to Australia, that made me quite sad, but I knew this day would come.

Special events where visiting the village on the neighboured island of Pura, where people are very authentic, extremly friendly and welcoming. Another main event was near Alor Besar, a village on the mainland, which got a new community house. A lot of people arrived with bemos, boats from all the areas around Alor to celebrate that event. It was amazing, despite everyone is from a similar area, people looked quite different (a lot of different languages exist only on Alor). They made ceremonies, danced the Lego Lego a traditional circledance and everyone was welcomed with food and drinks. What a great feeling it was for me to see all this - really unique!!!

The diving on Alor was outstanding good - coral reefs in excellent conditions, a pinnacle with chances to see bigger fish (just to notice - Alor is not a destination for people who don't like the small stuff) and the chances to dive along walls. The dives were perfectly organised by Cedric, the diveguide of Kepa, who made a good mixture to please everyones wishes. So I saw my first weedy scopion fishes (rhinopias), frogfish of all sizes and colours and really a lot lot other things, small but never seen before, even I had already dived 370 dives before in many places of the world.

After Alor I went back to Kupang by plane and now I'm waiting for my visa extension - hope it does not take too long!!! Then I will decide where I will spend the last days of my 1 year trip!!

Michael

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