Manado 6d5n

a.

Happy Pluto back from Manado diving.

Location: Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Stay: Cocotinos Resort
Date: 8th August - 13th August 2008
Group: James (Organiser), Freddy, Corine, Weekeong, Deirdre, Glenn, Leonard, YF, Floyd, Patrina, Sheldon, Vincent, Gina, Bernard, Jelissa, Joshua, Victor, Noelle, Jinhong, Kym, Eric, Peter, Zennon, Hartono, Pauline, Audrey and Yours Truly.
Day 1

Picked up Peter and Eric and head to the airport. Was very happy to see Effendy (in uniform still) there, to specially see us off. I forgot to take a picture, wasted!

I pretty liked the chicken Silkair served. There there, so YF said, "see? told you to take Silkair to LYLY right?" Aiya, because of the nice chicken, pay so much more meh?! *bleah*

Reached Cocotinos at about 3pm and the first dive (check out dive) is at 4pm. When I first entered the room, got scolded liao, for leaving the main door open and inviting the mozzies in. Ha. Our dive gear were all there outside the door already, very coordinated plannings.

We were all assigned to three different boats. My group includes:Nothing very fascinating for the check out dive..

Nudi:Shrimps:The dive ended pretty late and I felt it was as though a sunset dive already. So cold and dark. There are even people who went for NIGHT DIVE on the first day lor. Woot! Salute la.

Some of us soaked in pool and me... the much unwilling party, was thrown in by James. Freezing. I got out after only 5mins or so. Headed back room to shower and all ready for dinner.

Dinner was accompanied by... watching the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics 2008 on television, thanks to Hartono and YF who manually switched from channel to channel to find one that screens it live. And yes, because the ceremony took forever, I literally struggled to keep my eyes open till they lit the main torch at 12midnight. Some of us made it. HAHA.

Day 2

Torturous to wake at early 7am. Besides sleeping at 12am+ the day before, was awaken by the prayers at 4.30am (which occurs everyday). As usual, cant wake by my own, I dont remember hearing the alarm, my buddy woke me.

Back to the biggest boat, dive in Manado area.

Again, equalisation was very bad. I followed the bubbles so slowly that I thought I wasted a good 20mins on the surface. But was pretty lucky to have Guide with me. When he spotted the big group of Barracudas, he literally pushed me into the group.I didnt zoom at all, he didnt know Eve is actually very timid lor. Was trying to signal to him that I'm scared. Haha.

The pompom crab, quite cute leh! Think its called some decorator crab or boxer crab or something like that lar.. YF took a video of it using its pompom and wave at us!

Saw other crab too::Oh, and its amazing how huge this turtle can be! I overheard someone described, "this turtle is bigger than Floyd!" Ok, Floyd is someone big sized. But this turtle was really so huge it looked clumsy and old.Nothing much for the entire day dives, or probably my photography skills still hasnt improved. Haha. Plus my forever fogged up mask, yes, that was all I saw for the three dives of the day.

It is REALLY very strange to see my frog faced down on my bed after the crew came for room service while we went out diving.

First time ever, people placed my frog in this position!!! I even suspected it was my roommate who disturbed it because he entered the room before I did. (But after subsequent days, I confirmed it wasnt him)

Dinner this day was accompanied by watching.... Singapore's NDP live on CNA channel. Haha. Yeah, after watching the opening ceremony of Olympics then watch NDP, abit erm... Anyway, so envious to see Singapore still so bright at 7pm+, Manado by that time was already super uper dark and worse, raining.

Me and Kym during dinnertime::

It was better, need not wait till wee hours for the NDP to end. LOL. And hurray! I didnt respond to the "wake-up-call" at 4.30am!

Day 3

Woke freaking early. Have to travel roughly 1hr to Lembeh by the coach. You bet! Slept all the way.

Dives were not as good as I have always thought. Because visibility was pretty bad and water much colder than I can take with my 3mm wetsuit. I swear its the visibility bad and not because my mask fogs okie?

Fishes swimming around so fast that made me dizzy::

Hey! Frogfish!Cuttlefish::We on boat already spotted the group before us who descended before us, their bubbles. So we roughly know something good is there. Correct! Rhinopias!!Thanks Fred for bringing my attention to this Yellow Boxfish!!! My favourite lar! Yf took a video of it too.Weekeong couldnt join us because of his injured eye. Bloody red. Think because mask squeeze? So, there were only five of us on the boat.Tired after a day's dive, especially when you really have to open eyes wide and search for the critters!I must mention!! My mask didnt fog up anymore, thanks to my buddy's saliva! Strangely, the anti-fog didnt work (after I changed a brand new different one) and my own saliva didnt work at all as well! Buddy says must use the sticky saliva and not those non-sticky one. WTH. How to differentiate lor!!?! So, my mask is now officially not a non-saliva virgin anymore. I never know saliva works this well.

Oh, I must have been looking cuter without fogged-up mask. Know why? Fishes like to look at me more now! See??

Slept all the way back to Cocotinos.

Day 4

Another day of waking early and head to Lembeh. The thought of freezing underwater made me sooooo lazy to dive.

Eve Kym YF on the bus on the way to Lembeh::

This is sooooo tiny lor!I was actually taking something else when Corine pulled my fins to get my attention on a Mantis Shrimp that runs around like a cockroach on land::Pardon the back scatters. I was actually taking video of it then when it finally stops and look at me, I didnt hvae enough time to focus properly.

3mins later, Guide James and our James finned towards us and it become highlight of the dive. James was smiling excitedly as he carried a coconut with a Mantis backside sticking out from it.

Watch video on how both James tried to cut open the coconut, hoping to either save that Mantis or hoping to spot an octopus inside::

After the coconut being cut, needed torch to shine inside to see whats in.

It was really silly. More votes on Mantis still alive. Only me and James think its dead. I really wonder why that silly Mantis got itself stuck in the coconut and nothing was even inside the coconut anyway!

This was how it looked like before being cut up::

Napolean snake eel. I got so close till I was so terrified::White leaf fish. SUPPOSEDLY white, blame my camera white balance::Plume Shrimp::The pygmy!!Electric Clam, I had a video on how it lights up too.A surface interval with cookies and fruits. Kym hopped over from her boat::They keep calling it "Indian Walkman" Dont know why. But it is actually Juvenile Fingered Dragonet. So tiny you can compare it with the pointer's diameter::It has been confirmed. I looked cute underwater. Even Porcupine fish looked at me with envy::My one-of-the all time favourite, Trumpet Fish::Orang Utan crab again, it makes me go crazy thinking I cant focus well. Because of it being so hairy, it cant seem to look as if it is focused.This Barramundi Cod also ooper fast!! Cant even capture on video nor photo! Heard people say this is VERY tasty.. Haha.The 2nd day Lembeh boat members! Love you guys man!::Slept all the way back to Cocotinos again. Hurriedly showered and head to dining area for BBQ dinner! Yummy~ There was even a surprise all planned by James.. Fireworks!Click on the video to view some display::

Day 5

Okway, no more Lembeh already. Its back to Manado area diving. Heh^^ Last day of diving for the trip. So it usually means.... Photo takings of divers would be more than marine creatures photo takings. Haha.

It all started with me, the all-time photowhore. Started to take picture on boat on the way to dive site. With everyone still dry and clean, snapping time!

Believe, this is taken through camera self-timer! aint we just very cool?! Haha.

Myself at the deck, with my SGD300 bikini set::

Before the dive..... I made a disgusting conversation.

Me to YF: Hey, now i playing with your saliva.
(After he defogs my mask and I was making sure every part of it has his saliva)

Floyd overheard partially and said..
Floyd: Huh? Now I hear Eve playing with saliva?
YF: No, it was even worse, she is playing with MY saliva.
Floyd: eeeewww..

OkOk, time to dive. Was so happy to see Garden Eels, dont know why::Porcelain Crab::Trust me, we spent almost a good 25mins here taking this Hippocampus pontohi, not to mention, currents were present::And hor, what a waste, I didnt manage to spot the Pygmy Orca leh! Floyd bluff me.This was taken while riding on my buddy's tank during safety stop. But he was soooo unfriendly! He tried to flick me off by turning upside down face up. Evil. But of course, I didnt gave up! Haha. Buddies YF and Eve with Guide James after the last dive of the trip::My roommate then slept from reaching Cocotinos till we were ready to move off to town for MegaMall shopping and seafood dinner. I went walking in rain after shower within the resort. Haha.

At the MegaMall was bascially a long wait for everyone. We had the A&W appetizer too. And.. YF is VERY evil. During the wait, all of a sudden...

YF: I want to go Breadtalk to buy tomorrow's breakfast.
Eve: Huh? tomorrow no breakfast one meh?
James: You paid so little and still expect have breakfast on the last day?
Eve (to YF): Then I think we better buy breakfast lor. Want to get for those who didnt come to Mall too? But I think got alot people hor?
YF: Ya. Unless you dont want buy for them.
Eve: Oh, then how? We secretly eat in room?
Others: What? Wake at 5am to finish breakfast in the room ar?
Eve: How ar? Think nvm lor, we buy bread for them all.
James: Ok ok, hurry go buy.

So, I ganjiong and quickly pushed YF to go Breadtalk, but on the way, I found him smiling, that was when I suspected not right. I went ask Martinis. He has a guilty face and only looked in James' directions. But was honest enough to say, "got. got breakfast" -.-

Moral of story: Choose the right people to shop.

Kym's first question at the dinner table, "So have you bought your breakfast for tomorrow? Got buy for others anot?" SEE?!!! boooo... Tio suan! News spread so fast!

Me with Lobster shell. SGD70/kg::

Yummy BIG prawns and Lobster::Check James out! Wearing SgScuba Polo Tee eh...Look at the dinner mess::Kym, Leonard, Yf, Eve::Peter, Eve, Eric, Zennon, YF::For all who went to MegaMall and dinner!::Most of us went back after dinner. Only a handful continued to some Party session. Heh. Needless to say, YF and me went back. We aint KTV-ers that much. Plus pretty tired. Slept at nearly 1am still. Log dives, pack bags, read mag, talk talk...

Day 6

Shine shine! Up at 8am. Guess we both couldnt drag ourselves out of bed. With the usual, "you get up first lar!" bombing each other, that wasted another 1hr lazing on bed. Haha. Cannot blame me, I didnt hear the alarm rang lor!

We brushed our teeth and took out our bread from Breadtalk. YUCKS! Mine was covered with ants cos I bought the bun with cream. Damn it!

Surprising enough, most of them are already up at the breakfast (yes, there is breakfast) area! Only except for the group who went Party, think they only came back at 3am.

Before checking out, I asked roommate to help me take a picture of myself and the room number..

Strange enough, he didnt realised, he himself is in the picture as well.... Duhz. HAHA. But might as well anyway.

Ok, byebye Cocotinos, Manado... In the coach on way to Airport.

Injuries? HAHA... Got one. Plastered it all up. Doesnt happened during diving, doesnt happened even on the dive boat but.............................when i wanted to get into the car's back seat from Dinner back to Cocotinos. Ha! Clumsy shiet. Door closed automatically on me, so skin dropped off.

SPECIAL THANKS

Special thanks to...

James Ng. For organising the entire trip and inviting me. For planning all the little surprises and also, taking care of us. Thumbs up.

My boat people and Guide James.

Without you people to crack jokes, how miserable will the boat ride to dive sites be? Oh, and floyd's titbits were great! I love you guys!

Alvin Ho. For helping to identify my photos on creatures on my Facebook, enabling me to blog their names out.

Lastly, YF. For tolerating my nonsense and enduring having to bicker with me over little things. For pointing the critters underwater with patience to me and taking care of me underwater.

Thank you all :)