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Bail and Wakatobi....we are here!


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#1 WreckWench

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Posted 12 July 2009 - 05:19 PM

Well almost...we are in Hong Kong! :cool2:

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
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Posted 12 July 2009 - 05:31 PM

Heidi, Bill, K, Deb, and myself all made it to Hong Kong and are having all kinds of fun in the airport waiting for the flight to Bali. I have been drafted to carry K's alcohol through the airport so I have been doing my best Igor shleping the mother load of Baileys through Hong Kong. I've developed quite a hump in my back.

"Yes master, I'll catch up!!!" seems to be the phrase of the day to keep me out of trouble. And we are off to a good start.

Whoopeee!!!

#3 WreckWench

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Posted 12 July 2009 - 06:04 PM

All good cabana boys...carry booze!!!

:cool2:

And Scott is on his way to earning his cabana boy stripes! Of course he still has other cabana boy tasks to master....hence his ongoing pleas for "MORE TRAINING"!!!! :D

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#4 Guest_Sea Urchin_*

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Posted 12 July 2009 - 06:30 PM

Real Women don't need cabana boys...Since Igor is lugging the booze, I think Igor get to drink half of the booze. You could hold the booze for ransom. :teeth:

#5 diverdeb

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Posted 12 July 2009 - 06:41 PM

Real Women don't need cabana boys...Since Igor is lugging the booze, I think Igor get to drink half of the booze. You could hold the booze for ransom. :teeth:

You are correct, real women don't "need" them, but they are smart enough to have them!! LOL.
As for me, I'm feeling pretty scubalicious. 

#6

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 01:39 AM

Well almost...we are in Hong Kong! :thankyou:


We all made it to Wakatobi, my gear still hasn't been delivered so I am up a smelly creek right now. But we are all here. They probably put teh gear in the wrong room or left it at the airport. it will show up soon.

#7 uwfan

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 03:08 AM

Wakatobi....WOW! ... It is wonderful here, beautiful, great accomodations, and great staff. Looking forward to starting to dive tomorrow off the boats. Bali was terrific boat diving, and definitely a good way to get acclimated to the change in time...5pm here now, barely morning for all of you...more to come!! (Already had some great encounters with anemone fish, moorish idols and shrimp fish in Bali...)

#8 shadragon

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 04:55 AM

Wakatobi....WOW! ... It is wonderful here, beautiful, great accomodations, and great staff.

So why are you in front of a PC? :thankyou:

DIVE NOW, TALK LATER... :thankyou:

Oh and take LOTS of pics for us unlucky sorts who have to work all day.
Remember, email is an inefficient communications forum. You may not read things the way it was intended. Give people the benefit of the doubt before firing back... Especially if it is ME...! ;)

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#9 ASDmike

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 05:59 AM

Yes, what Simon said!

Enjoy your week in paradise. :thankyou: Take lots of pictures and live the stories of the great diving that you can tell us later.


And by now you probably know there is sobering news from Jakarta, but you probably also know/sense you are in a very safe place. Don't waste any time watching news-- you can read about it when you get home. Just have a great week, keep your profile low on returning to Denpasar, expect higher security/delays and safe travels for all.

Now go have great dives, and if you have time later (much later), tell us about the ongoing SD fun! :thankyou:

Edited by ASDmike, 17 July 2009 - 06:23 AM.

'06 - Fireworks on History, Singles Fantasy
'07 - Ancient Egypt/Red Sea Liveaboard
'08 - Bonaire Singles Week ...In STYLE!!!

#10 DivingDeb

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 07:58 PM

Anyone there who can post an update of your trip so far? Living vicarously thru your trip til I get there myself (Bali :hiya: that is not Wakatobi :cool1: )

#11 ScubaDawg

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 02:55 PM

ok, everyone should be back by now, where is a trip report? and pics, we love good pics!! want to compare to last years trip and see weather wise, etc how it compared. thanks

#12 uwfan

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 07:25 AM

I’m still a bit jet lagged, but I hear your pleas for a trip report…so I’ll do my best. Feel free to fix any inaccuracies due to lack of sleep or my poor memory. I started my adventure a bit early, catching a few days with family and realizing my nieces have grown when I wasn’t looking, but realizing they are still willing to laugh with me (I’m sure it wasn’t AT me! :) ) I met up with almost all of the group in the LA airport where some of us had been “stickered” to help the staff sort out who was on the Cathay Pacific flight and who was on the flight to Mexico- both flights waiting at the same gate area. After the other flight had boarded, we began the longest leg of the journey heading to Hong Kong. Several meals, some sleep, and a few movies later we arrived in HK for our layover. I had a little déjà vu experience hearing Mandarin again (I lived in China for nearly a year). We passed the time exploring the airport shops, finding unique food and beverages for sale, and Bill and Debra taught me the rules of Spades. Kamala made certain to grant cabana boy status to Scott and Bill, watching over computers and that vital liquid that had been purchased in duty free.
We repeated food, sleep and movies for the flight to Denpasar…certain individuals got upgrades to business class, ahh, the luxury…or so I’m told! :wakawaka:
It was smooth sailing gathering our luggage and being greeted by a representative from the Wakatobi resort. Our clearance through customs was expedited – no long wait, we just walked right through. We were met by our driver who wore an SD.com t-shirt and headed for the hotel Padang Bai. I must have been completely acclimatized to crazy driving when I lived in China, because I felt like the drive was smooth and easy. Others seemed to notice more that three lanes were actually four or five lanes and the driver would pass others with oncoming traffic quickly approaching. I did enjoy seeing motorcycle families again – mom, dad, and two kids all on one motorcycle.
We arrived at the hotel sometime late in the afternoon and began sorting out who had what room. Tom and Susan caught up with us and we all had dinner at a local restaurant. After a night of sleep, we tried some of the hotel’s breakfast options and headed for our dive briefing.
Our first dive in Bali was Manta Point. I was last off the boat and backward rolled to find myself right next to a huge manta ray, WOW! Others weren’t as lucky and had to patiently wait for the mantas to make their way around to the area they greet divers, but everyone at least got to see these beautiful creatures. We had two more dives that day to Crystal Bay and Nusa Penida. I was excited to see new to me fish including Moorish Idols and new variations of butterfly fish, frog fish, leaf fish, grooved shrimpfish and lionfish. We continued with two more days of diving – shore dives at Tulamben Drop Off for a reef dive and at Liberty for a wreck dive, two dives on the wreck for the more ambitious divers (that would not be me), and more boat dives at Tanjung Jepun and Drop Off Wall to the Blue Lagoon. The afternoon was spent exploring a bit in Ubud with some opportunities to shop, window shop, and take pictures. Evenings brought opportunities for massages, wetsuit measurements, school supply donations and a treat of Balinese school children doing traditional dances for our enjoyment.
The next morning was an early start to the airport with a little nervousness at first waiting for the truck that would haul the luggage, but relaxing once it came and the luggage was loaded and we were ready to go. We met Mike aka Kuraman at the airport and then were greeted by Crispin who explained the process for our flight to Wakatobi. I was still asleep, so quickly found a corner where I could nap while we waited for the flight. It was an “interesting” flight – but I’d take it any day over a two day boat ride to the island. The seats in the plane were designed for shorter people, with thigh bones shorter than mine… The good news was that the flight was also direct, no fuel stop, shortening the trip.
Once we were on the island, some carry on luggage was collected and vans were waiting to take us to the waiting boats. We arrived at the island at low tide and rolled up pant legs and took off shoes to wade the last few feet to the island shore and headed to the resort restaurant. Good food throughout the week, and staff that were incredible made the week wonderful. Three dives a day, cuttlefish, batfish, lionfish, crocodile fish, sea slugs were just the start to the week of dives. A night dive brought out an octopus and squid. All kinds of turtles were seen as well as blue-spotted ribbontail rays, a sea snake with a curiousity that left one of our divers …breathing deeply to say the least …, blue ribbon eels, garden eels, morays, blennies, and we can’t forget the anemonefish – in particular the clown fish! I saw some cool varieties of clams along with fire dartfish, flounder, a pregnant pygmy seahorse near two other pygmy seahorses, orang utan crab, bubble coral shrimp, spearing mantis shrimp and many varieties of nudibranches (sp?), including chromodoris magnifica and phyllidia varicosa.
I also slipped in two massages during the trip, both wonderful with a fantastic tea that I need again to ask WW how they made. Kudos to everyone on the trip. I appreciated the help with my gear at the end of the trip as I scrambled to make a new time for my massage, sympathetic assistance when I was seasick, and great company while diving and on the surface intervals.
It was sad to say goodbye to the island and the diving and have to return to reality, but perhaps I’ll be able to do it again sometime in the future.

#13 ScubaDawg

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 09:20 AM

I’m still a bit jet lagged, but I hear your pleas for a trip report…so I’ll do my best. Feel free to fix any inaccuracies due to lack of sleep or my poor memory. I started my adventure a bit early, catching a few days with family and realizing my nieces have grown when I wasn’t looking, but realizing they are still willing to laugh with me (I’m sure it wasn’t AT me! :) ) I met up with almost all of the group in the LA airport where some of us had been “stickered” to help the staff sort out who was on the Cathay Pacific flight and who was on the flight to Mexico- both flights waiting at the same gate area. After the other flight had boarded, we began the longest leg of the journey heading to Hong Kong. Several meals, some sleep, and a few movies later we arrived in HK for our layover. I had a little déjà vu experience hearing Mandarin again (I lived in China for nearly a year). We passed the time exploring the airport shops, finding unique food and beverages for sale, and Bill and Debra taught me the rules of Spades. Kamala made certain to grant cabana boy status to Scott and Bill, watching over computers and that vital liquid that had been purchased in duty free.
We repeated food, sleep and movies for the flight to Denpasar…certain individuals got upgrades to business class, ahh, the luxury…or so I’m told! :wakawaka:
It was smooth sailing gathering our luggage and being greeted by a representative from the Wakatobi resort. Our clearance through customs was expedited – no long wait, we just walked right through. We were met by our driver who wore an SD.com t-shirt and headed for the hotel Padang Bai. I must have been completely acclimatized to crazy driving when I lived in China, because I felt like the drive was smooth and easy. Others seemed to notice more that three lanes were actually four or five lanes and the driver would pass others with oncoming traffic quickly approaching. I did enjoy seeing motorcycle families again – mom, dad, and two kids all on one motorcycle.
We arrived at the hotel sometime late in the afternoon and began sorting out who had what room. Tom and Susan caught up with us and we all had dinner at a local restaurant. After a night of sleep, we tried some of the hotel’s breakfast options and headed for our dive briefing.
Our first dive in Bali was Manta Point. I was last off the boat and backward rolled to find myself right next to a huge manta ray, WOW! Others weren’t as lucky and had to patiently wait for the mantas to make their way around to the area they greet divers, but everyone at least got to see these beautiful creatures. We had two more dives that day to Crystal Bay and Nusa Penida. I was excited to see new to me fish including Moorish Idols and new variations of butterfly fish, frog fish, leaf fish, grooved shrimpfish and lionfish. We continued with two more days of diving – shore dives at Tulamben Drop Off for a reef dive and at Liberty for a wreck dive, two dives on the wreck for the more ambitious divers (that would not be me), and more boat dives at Tanjung Jepun and Drop Off Wall to the Blue Lagoon. The afternoon was spent exploring a bit in Ubud with some opportunities to shop, window shop, and take pictures. Evenings brought opportunities for massages, wetsuit measurements, school supply donations and a treat of Balinese school children doing traditional dances for our enjoyment.
The next morning was an early start to the airport with a little nervousness at first waiting for the truck that would haul the luggage, but relaxing once it came and the luggage was loaded and we were ready to go. We met Mike aka Kuraman at the airport and then were greeted by Crispin who explained the process for our flight to Wakatobi. I was still asleep, so quickly found a corner where I could nap while we waited for the flight. It was an “interesting” flight – but I’d take it any day over a two day boat ride to the island. The seats in the plane were designed for shorter people, with thigh bones shorter than mine… The good news was that the flight was also direct, no fuel stop, shortening the trip.
Once we were on the island, some carry on luggage was collected and vans were waiting to take us to the waiting boats. We arrived at the island at low tide and rolled up pant legs and took off shoes to wade the last few feet to the island shore and headed to the resort restaurant. Good food throughout the week, and staff that were incredible made the week wonderful. Three dives a day, cuttlefish, batfish, lionfish, crocodile fish, sea slugs were just the start to the week of dives. A night dive brought out an octopus and squid. All kinds of turtles were seen as well as blue-spotted ribbontail rays, a sea snake with a curiousity that left one of our divers …breathing deeply to say the least …, blue ribbon eels, garden eels, morays, blennies, and we can’t forget the anemonefish – in particular the clown fish! I saw some cool varieties of clams along with fire dartfish, flounder, a pregnant pygmy seahorse near two other pygmy seahorses, orang utan crab, bubble coral shrimp, spearing mantis shrimp and many varieties of nudibranches (sp?), including chromodoris magnifica and phyllidia varicosa.
I also slipped in two massages during the trip, both wonderful with a fantastic tea that I need again to ask WW how they made. Kudos to everyone on the trip. I appreciated the help with my gear at the end of the trip as I scrambled to make a new time for my massage, sympathetic assistance when I was seasick, and great company while diving and on the surface intervals.
It was sad to say goodbye to the island and the diving and have to return to reality, but perhaps I’ll be able to do it again sometime in the future.

thannks for the great review! It brings it all back!

#14 Victoria

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 10:21 AM

Fantastic trip report, Heidi!! Thanks for sharing!

Now...... where's all the pictures?!?!?!?!? Posted Image

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#15 uwfan

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Posted 25 August 2009 - 07:56 PM

Well, you asked for pictures... it's taken me a while to figure out what I needed for developing my 35mm film pictures, but the cool thing is, I have some digital pics. As I modify them, I'll put more up.

In the meantime...can anyone tell me what kind of fish is in the picture with mystery fish A? Or what the name of the marine life is on the artificial reef that is black and white? :teeth:




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