Arak Attack or Throwing up in Paradise

street food including little snakes
see all photos »

We left at 7 am from my hotel for the drive to the dive site in Northeast Bali.  My dive buddy, Louise and I had time to do a bit of studying and napping on the way.  Our intended dive site was having bad weather so we diverted to a place called Padong Bay.  We were 4 Km from there and we found ourselves in a huge line of trucks that were going nowhere.  The weather had stopped the ferry to Lombok - the next island over and these trucks had to wait.

Luckily we were turning off for the bay just ahead and were able to move forward.  Bali is pretty much two lane roads and everyone is constantly passing so traffic is always half in half out of the opposite lane.

Line of cars going down real slow...er...not at all
see all photos »

Padong Bay ended up being lovely.  We stopped at a little inn that was really charming run by a Scandinavian couple.  We got a bite of breakfast and then loaded onto the boat.

We had two dives the first day.  First one was just orientation/fun.  The second was for going over safety measures and testing our ability to maneuver underwater.

First the good news.  I did not panic.  I did not rush to the surface spitting water and screaming 'Get me outa here'.  I shaved off my mustache the night before in order to get a better seal with the mask and it helped.  I knew my hand signals, I pretty much understood Ketuk (the instructor) directions.  And I got to see cuttlefish, lionfish, tons of fish and corals and it was beautiful and exciting and I spent a lot of time just trying to keep my balance.

On the boat first day. Ketuk is guy in center back
see all photos »

The bad news.  My affliction with direction and orientation followed me underwater.  I kept going up.  Finally Ketuk told me I was not horizontal.  I thought I was horizontal but no...I was vertical so of course I was kicking my way to the surface.  By the end of the second dive I got a grip on being horizontal.   It made it a lot more fun.

We had lunch at Padong at the place I mentioned earlier.  Then we piled into the van and drove for at least an hour to Tumbalen where our rooms were.  The whole drive was pretty much curves.   I started to feel queasy by the time we arrived.

My dive buddy Louise a jolly good boat companion
see all photos »

I got a cheap room and it was very serviceable.  I took a walk down the beach which was the first black sand beach I have ever been on.  Louise and I then met for dinner at my hotel.  She was staying somewhere posher just two doors down.  Ketuk joined us and we all had some beers.  Then Louise mentioned the local alcohol called Arak.  Made from cane sugar I believe.  Anyway we ordered some which came in a small sized plastic water bottle.  It reminded me of cheap tequila with a fruit juice.

Paradise Inn in Tumbalen
see all photos »

By the time we finished the third bottle we were all three sloshed to the gills.  Ketuk helped Louise make it back to her place and I spent a little while just sitting on the steps leading down to the sea reveling in being in Bali.

But then the next day brought such sorrows.  I awoke spinning.  We were starting out again at 7am.  I managed a peice of toast and then we drove that stomach churning curvy road back to Padong Bay.  By the time I got in the boat I was fearing the worst.

white rock black sand beach
see all photos »

So I tossed my toast and felt better for it.  We suited up and I got in the water and managed to maintain throughout the second dive.  I even got to the point I was able to keep up with Ketuk and Louise.  Then I came to the surface and pretty soon the contents of my stomach came to the surface also.  Thank goodness I was able to make it to the head without embarrasing incident.  I went back into the water with a snorkel and that kept me from getting any sicker.  But I could not bring myself to try the 4th dive.  I did not want to barf in my mask.  I pretty much stayed in or near the water for the duration until we got back to shore.  We had another diver with us Phillip - that's Phileep as in French as in hunky beyond belief as in international business lawyer who lives in Singapore and comes to Bali for a weekend.  He was a really a nice person and on the way back to Kuta he gave me information on traveling in Java and Sri Lanka - because he has gone just about everywhere.

where the God sits
see all photos »

I got back to the hotel and just flopped on the bed waiting for this nausea to pass.