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Every great meal need an amuse-bouche, this time, the amuse-bouche is average, and the meal was amazing. What do I mean? I've got too many pictures to sort out, so here is already something to start with.
As it happened the last summer, Tiffany and Leslie are spending few weeks in Vietnam with their Mum. July is not high on the business agenda, beside being connected, so this is my little yearly holidays...I've checked, Leslie and Tiffany are doing well....they don't know yet what I've dived, neither do you...
Pretty soon, I'll have dived in more countries than my age. Could have been done faster...but I'd better aim for quality than quantity....so her it is...one more diving adventure. Cindy, I'm in your garden...Shane....would have been fun to have dinner in the most expensive Holiday Inn in the world (even if we could both of us land a pretty could deal)....here I am...in PNG! Papua what....yeah, Papua New Guinea...the place not many people have been too....but Australians are dreaming of the Kokoda trail...and the rest of us is dreaming of....diving!
PS on the Holiday Inn....the rate is at 400usd for a pretty bad
room (that's per night!!!)....I paid 60usd plus few points and got an upgrade...still wondering how bad is a basic room....but bad it is....
What was on the news yesterday morning on the radio....few people were indicted in the Highlands...kind of sorcelery....they had done a soup with the penis of few men....no kidding...didn't hear what did they do with the bodies, but seems the "dick soup" was pretty important...shall we do a parallel with shark fin soup and the sharks...I'm not in topic anymore, sorry....
So how do you get to "nowhere" from oh central Saigon? First....few flights....Saigon-Hong Kong....30 minutes drinking bubbles in HK....before HKG-Brisbane....30 more minutes in a lounge...and Brisbane-Cairns...still on CX....with a nice lasagna....you will note, I keep my spirit up....because it's not over....30 minutes more in the Cairns International lounge...than 90 minutes on Qantas Link to finally land at sunset in Port Moresby.
For those who are slightly intersted in the facts...on a plane...my main activity is...sleeping!
Port Moresby....first stop, the ATM in the arrival to get the Kinas to pay for my visa. 1USD= roughly 2 Kinas...if ever this info is useful to you, let
me know, I'm just happy to help. Visa process was easy, friendly, and pretty fast....nice. It was already dark, went on the shuttle for the 10 minutes ride to the Holiday Inn...men with guns for security just outside the hotel...ok, I understand, I won't go for a night walk tonight!
The HI bar seems to be a nice place, beer is expensive, but the place is crowded with locals, and I don't even speak of the food (price wise)...
Well, I woke up at 4am, made my way back to the airport...and by 6.15am, I was on my way to Hoskins airport....if you heard about Hoskins before, I'm simply impressed...or let be honest, you've been here before.
My first day at the Walindi was spent...sleeping....eating...and replying to emails....
Than came the serious things....day 2 and day 3, I was diving....each day, 2 dives on day trips....
My first two dives were....average...nice....but nothing to speak about....and somewhere, this is great....we started average...to go crescendo up....and up it went...
Second day of diving was way better...and really enjoyed the two dives...
Little definition....critters....its' everything that is small in the water while diving....examples....small shrimps, small crabs, small lobsters, small whatever....what do I mean by small....when the main body of the "creature" is less tham 3mm wide....I mean small....as very small! As you can guess...taking a picture, even in macro mode...of a 3mm creature....at 20 meters deep...is not easy, speacially with my basic equipment...so guess...for good diving pictures, the next entry will be the one...
Next definition....muck diving....you find it here.....you find it in Indonesia in places like Lembeh....muck diving...you are in the mud....with close to no visiblitiy, waiting at 25 meters deep for a dive master to show you this "oh so amazing creature"....that everybody here has a picture of...because that "little weird wander of this world thing" never move....
So to resume, as I plan to try to dive the world, I'll have to do muck....but if I can avoid it, I'll do, and here....I did....
Walindi is a pretty impressive resort (no link to my comment on muck diving here). Can't figure out how these people go around the supply chain...for food...and everything else....Walindi is not cheap, for for PNG, the
place simply rocks!
Here are few pics. I had a really nice stay here, but if you are waiting for diving pics, next entry is "the" one...but I still have to select...than to upload....and you can't even imagine where I'm writting this from....because tomorrow is another day....and what a day!
With love....from the middle of nowhere....or kind of....
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
We want your life
Sorry the Holiday Inn did not meet the standards but looks like your diving was fantastic and that is the point! Great photography as always. Can't wait to read more.