Finding Nemo

It's been a while and I've been ever so busy, arriving on Bali, heading off to Gili Trawangan, turning 30 and learning to dive! It has been an amazing few days and a 30th birthday never to forget. Unbelievably probably my least drunken birthday since I was a teenager and my most memorable, hmmm maybe there's a link there Kasia? I swam with turtles and found Nemo on my 30th not many people can say that, it makes me smile just thinking about it.

A 30th Birthday like no other

Learning to dive is the best thing I have ever done. I loved loved loved being underwater, it is magical in ways I can't eloquently put into words. This wonderful relaxed calm state takes over your mind and body and assuming you've got buoyancy under control you can happily drift around looking at the underwater world in utter amazement. On dive number one we were underwater for over 50 minutes and saw three hawksbill turtles like the one in the photo, clown fish (Nemo), flute fish, trumpet fish, trigger fish, drummer fish, moorish idols (more Nemo cast), pyramid butterfly fish and so many more that I can't even remember. I didn't want the dive to end and with the water being 29 degrees there really wasn't any need for it to other than that oh so important factor of air!

I don't think I stopped beaming all day, even when we were going through the study modules. The only thing I didn't like doing was the mask skills, and this did lead to a slight paddy on the PADI course. As part of the course there are lots of skills you have to complete both in the confined water dives in the pool and then demonstrate out in the sea in the open water dives. In the most part these are 'in the unlikely event of' type scenarios. For some reason I couldn't handle the mask work where you had to flood the mask and then empty it. I kept inhaling the water, panicking that I was choking on it and then having to surface. Fine in the pool, not so much of an option in the open water.

Eventually I got it under control enough to be able to empty the mask on a half flood and full flood but the next day came the even trickier task of filling the mask, taking it off and sitting for a minute before putting the mask back on. I knew this was also followed by a mask flood, removal, swim and mask replace. My lovely instructor James was so patient with me and quickly realised we needed to move on because I had got myself a tad wound up. There was a brief moment when I thought uh oh I wont be able to get my certification. Thanks to some team work from the instructors who have seen lots of this kind of thing before we tried me just swimming around on the surface with my mask off and the regulator in. I was happy enough doing that so then I realised it was something about the shock of the water flooding the mask. Bingo.

Next day James and I started a bit earlier in the pool, this was my last chance to get it and thankfully first go I managed it for both skills. With a calm positive attitude it's amazing what you can achieve. All that I had to do was a mask removal and replace in the open water, surprisingly this went OK too, I even opened my eyes this time!

I passed the exam on the final day and am now a qualified open water diver, meaning I can dive to a depth of 18 metres with a certified diving buddy. I definitely want to do some more diving whilst I'm here, it seems silly not to when there are some great dive sites on the doorstep and I should be getting some experience under my belt.

We finished the course with a few drinks to celebrate which ended with a drunken bike ride home, I really really wish this had been captured on video. I was giving a loud commentary the entire way back as I wobbled my way around the island trying to avoid the few late night pedestrians senisbly on foot, horses (no vehicles on the Gilis) and other potential hazards along the way. I blame the vodka joss shots. Excellent night though much fun had and a great way to finish up my all too brief time on Gili T.

Right now I am sat in Padangbai on Bali watching Eat Pray Love with another traveller in our guesthouse as I'm waiting to head off to Ubud. Seems very appropriate and I have to admit I wouldn't mind if Javier Bardem was there waiting for me. Probably not all that likely though Kash.

On the way to Gili Trawangan

Lovely Eden Cottages

Lutwala Dive Team

Teacher and Students

Lombok