My last trip to Indonesia – I hope to see more of the same and much more…
There’s got to be a better way to travel than what I am putting myself through, 4 flights at godforsaken hours to get to a small town called Sorong where I will board an impressive liveaboard, the Sea Horse, to dive one of the most beautiful areas left in the world, Radja Ampat. I’m sure it will be worth it but I could have made it a lot easier if I had not chosen to stop in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities I have been to, to buy a Nikon lens, which doesn’t fit into my port, I later discovered without an extension! It cost me a load in taxi fairs (try the underground subways for cheaper options to getting around, but you need a map and some local help), another flight to Jakata (one of the most hectic airports where few speak English and you risk missing your flight no matter lead time), another flight to Manado where you dodge traffic for almost an hour to get to your hotel, up again at sparrows and back at the airport, too much lead time so sleeping in the airport lounge… Carrying a total of over 65kgs of luggage, 40 of which I carry, almost as much as my body weight, stressful dodging having to pay overweight, sleeping at airports, upright, lack of food and a good cup of English tea, which eludes, makes travelling as an underwater photographer unpleasant. Bring me the water, oh the weightlessness soon…