Just as I thought.

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Okay, so yesterday I typed a large message about my christmas. Just as I published it the internet f@#^ed up and sure enough, I look today and I have no posting...so here we go again.
After 5 nights in Lovina I took a Perama over to a small town called Amed. I got a room and discovered a coral reef right out front of the hotel. So obviously a snorkelled for a while. I walked through the town, mostly fishermen and farmers, and got incredibly hot. I had dinner at a little Warung on the beach but the flies pestered me too much so I moved over to another Warung for a Bintang afterwards. Having procurred my evening beverage a commensed chatting with the owner who is the sister of the man at the Warung where I just ate. Turns out they were business partners but he just kept dipping his fingers into the account where Noman was trying to save for her childrens education. So she split and bought out the accomodations and her warung across the street. Very nice lady, so I ate most my meals with her for the next few days. Including my Christmas feast of...Nasi Goreng. Fried rice with vegetables and chicken and shrimp cracker. Very tasty...even if far from my Christmas norm. The next day (24th) I hired a local fisherman to take me over in his boat to the Japanese junk ship that is very close to shore about 12 km down the coast. I also stopped at another location for some snorkelling. The ship was very cool with thousands of fish lingering nearby. It also sits right next to a pretty large coral reeff, so I was busy. When I got back, I was down to my last 50000 Rp ($7) and was starting to feel a bit like I was trapped in the hotel where I could put everything on my bill. So I rented a motorcycle ( or so they call them here, it's a scooter) and rode into a town 20km away where the only ATM is and returned a multi millionaire again. I then booked a dive trip to Tulumben. In 1942 a US cargo ship "the Liberty" was fitted with a couple of guns and sent through nearby with rubber and railway supplies, when it was hit by a japanese torpedo. A US destroyer then towed it into Tulumben onto the beach. The eruption of the volcanoe here in 1963 sent the ship into the water at broke it apart. The result is possibly the easiest accessed large wreck dive on the planet. I phoned my beautiful daughter on Christmas eve eve and she sang me Jingle bells in Mandarin. Very impressive. So then Christmas morning I got up and had a banana pancake and coffee for X-mas breakfast then went to Tulumben for two dives of the Liberty. First around the perimeter, then after a 1 hour surface interval for nitrogen levels, a second dive through the middle of the wreck. Fantastic visibility and a very cool dive site. Merry Christmas to Ryan.
Today I got transport with a couple from Holland to Padang Bai, where I just happened to spot Frank and Kritianna driving by on their moped. I flagged them down and brought them to my hotel where they got a room and I will join them for dinner later this afternoon. Tomorrow I think I will head over to Gilis Island where it's even quieter than Amed but aparently makes a good spot to hang out for New Years eve. I am walking wounded as I have about 40 bites on each foot from what I suspect were Bedbugs. Terribly itchy, pus dripping and driving me absolutely bonkers. I've applied some medicine to them and the itch is fading and the citronella seems to be keeping the flies away...so all is not lost. Perhaps I'll go have a Bintang to comfort my itchy swollen feet now. Satu Lagi Bintang Toolong. Terima Kasih.
Hope you all had an excellent christmas...although I'm pretty sure none of you spent it in a 29 degree ocean. 😉
Ryan

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Comments

[P&Ghummingbird house]

weluvu
Rosie and I just sat and read your blog and we're sitting here enjoying some chat and she just took second place at pinball. !! We're being snowed in - probably about 2 inches today, and still coming strong. Your Bro just headed home as he has to work tomorrow. We are missing you and also Kyra and we send loads of huggies and love from the East I's, too. Our hearts and thoughts are with you. :)

[jenica]

snow, in the kootenays.
Well i found myself in the kootenay mountians watching the snow fall outside. A far cry from mosquitos.. Sending you a big, warm hug halfway around the world... xoxoxoj

[Kristina]

Liberty for Ryan
Sounds like a very VERY exciting dive site! Thanks again for calling Kyra on Christmas . It really made her day! Bed Bugs?! No!!!!! oh my gosh you'll have to be put into isolation for sure along with your pack when you come home cause if they get into your house they will make their way into mine on Kyra's stuff. I washed EVERYTHING when we arrived home including vaccuming out anything that couldn't be washed. Lots of work but peace of mind now as we haven't discovered anything that would suspect us to think we have a problem. Bastards bugs!!! Hope your feet heal soon as it sounds a little sore Ryan. Good job on the on the Bali...looks like you are learning almost as fast as Kyra is picking up Mandarin ;) on to New Years in Vancouver now... Kyra has this week and next week off school.