600,000

8 weeks ago today we arrived in Indonesia. Seems crazy, we're back in Bali now, back in the same hotel that we started in. We have 1 more night here in Indonesia before we fly to Brisbane late tomorrow night (104 weeks to the day since I left). So I just wanted to do a quick catch up on the last 10 days before jetting off again.

So after having a week of dealing with a sinking boat, literally on route to walking back to our base after writing my last post, there was another sinking boat. I really thought that Tom was winding me up due to the previous week that Sandra and I had 'endured' when we passed Aquaddiction on our way home as he said "the boat's sinking".....but sadly he really wasn't, their boat was actually under water. And we spent most of that evening slowly bringing the boat back to shore as the tide was coming in. Pulling it a bit closer every half-hour or hour. So that when the tide started to go out again the boat could be drained with the pump.

The full-moon rising over Mt Rinjani

However the following morning we could FINALLY start our SSI Open Water Diver's Certificate. Nothing like a bit of studying over breakfast.

Typically for us in Indonesia though, we had issues, we always have issues in Indonesia. This time it was Sandra's pink eye. Her eye started playing up again pretty much as soon as we arrived back on the island on Monday night, but that's what happens when you put in known-dusty contact lenses that have given you issues the previous week! So we could only do the theory on Tuesday, which was fine, get the boring parts out the way first, we'll start the practical - The Dives - tomorrow. No we won't. Wednesday her eye was still sore so we took the opportunity to go check out Gili Air.

Gili Meno, on route

...And Mt Rinjani, again, this time from Gili Air

Same same...

...but slightly different

From the north of the island, Bali on the left...

...And Lombok on the right.

Good bye old friends, these have covered some distance (and some mountains, yes I walked up mountains in these) over the last two and a half years.

Indonesian Orange and lime, and Chocolate rice pudding

On Wednesday night we also went out for a meal with Peter and Stacee, back on Gili Trawangan, as a "good-bye' as they were leaving the island Thursday night. It also gave me a chance to give Pete the RP3,000,000 (about $300) for the sponsorship from my beard fund raising.

Thank you to everyone that donated some pennies!!!

Check here to see where the money is going to help. http://www.endri.org/

And check here to see the originally please from me, and details on how you can sponsor me, should you wish to. http://itsmrsheensworldnow.blogspot.com/2014/05/please-help-me-to-raise-money-for-such.html?m=1

Good luck Peter and Stacee, hope to see you both again soon! And thank you for everything.

Just over 3 inches!

Thursday morning - Lets go diving!!!! So Sandra's eye was feeling better, but not great on Thursday morning. And as we had finished and passed our SSI theory test the previous evening we figured that we'd get in and do the snorkelling part of our SSI (snorkel 400m....really no biggie). Plus Sandra thought that she'd test out her eye. The snorkel was great, we were in Halik again, but we saw so many turtles this time, some swimming right up to us. Sadly Sandra's eye was causing her too much pain in the salt water, so sadly decided that it was best not to carry on with her SSI certificate for the moment. But we were running out of time on the island, so I had to progress. I spent the following hour in the pool with Rusudi going through all the drills, it's as simple as I loved it!

My new breakfast spot on Gili T...All you can eat for Rp70,000 - But most importantly - Variety of cereals!!!!

I spent the next few days going through my dives, going down about 12m on my first, 16.7m on my second, and 18.2m on my third, seeing some amazing sites including 31 bump head fish on my first dive, and getting up face-to-face with a turtle, amongst amazing other things, plus the fact of being able to breathe under water and being that far under water just feels amazing...got the bug!!!!! All of this done with Rusudi guiding us and my new Aussie Buddy Mark.

Mark...

...and me.

Fortunately Sandra's eye was feeling much better on Saturday, so she was able to do a fun dive, and as Mark had already done his four dives, I was able to do my fourth and final dive (of my SSI Open Water) with Sandra. And thank you to Katri for coming down with us and getting some pictures.

How I will always remember...

...Aquaddiction!

Finally both of our names on the board to go out!

Sandra getting her training with Rusudi

The first of a few 'Thank you' and 'goodbye' drinks with the Aquaddiction guys

 We left Gili Trawangan on Sunday, using the fast boat brining us straight to Bali, and then a two hour bus ride back to Kuta. When we arrived at our hotel, we got a free upgrade....that's never happened to me!

Our bungalow room on our departure

Some of the tabs I racked up with Aquaddiction over our 5 weeks on Gili T

We left Bali again on Monday morning, this time our destination was Java. We got in our Jeep in Kuta, where we met married couple Veronica (from France) and Gerard from Argentina (apparently we're already doing "couple-things" now), to do our 3 day / 2 night Ijen Penanjakan Tour

On the one hour ferry, Bali on the right, Java on the left

Our Jeep getting it's wheel fixed...

...so we might as well eat the local food

Day one: On route to our location...

...a green waterfall

 After pretty much driving all day to Sempolan, we arrived at the hotel to find that the hotel was fully booked (thanks for that Perama Tours). So after taking ages to sort out our early Blue Lava tour, we ended up staying in a random home-stay. Veronica and Gerard took the child's room, and we took this room...

After sleeping right next to a Mosque and sleeping right through the Arabic prayer (we're so used to it now), we woke up at 12:45 to wait around for our driver to pick us up to take us up to Kawah Ijen and Blue Fire. Blue Lava at the night hours, then to the top for the sun rise.

It really looked so amazing but the smell of sulphur was so strong

I actually didn't notice what this said when I took this photo cos it was so dark, but when I was going through my photos a moment ago I just thought, "well there's a cheap life for me"

Japanese "Aaaaawwwwww!"

Veronica, Gerard, Sandra, 1-Up and me

Stop ruining their 1 year anniversary photo moment Sandra

The workers...

...carrying up to 80kg twice every day.

The mountain in the distance

The view from our hotel on the second night

Watching the sun set over Mt Bromo

And watching the sun rise over Mt Bromo the following morning...and whata view.

Tesco Express

Are you guys struggling!?

Thanks for making the tour so much fun guys...especially as a lot of it was being sat in a car!

And that was Java, we headed back to our hotel after that, before our ride down the hill, where we parted ways with Veronica and Gerard, and headed back on our long long long so long journey back to Bali and Kuta.

All I can say is, I don't think that they have to do much to pass thier drivers' test over here, and they always drive this close...it's funny scary!

 We got back late last night, and just decided to chill in Kuta for our last 2 nights and 2 days.

Kuta Hard Rock Cafe...sorry Mum and Dad, they sold out of fridge-magnet-guitar-bottle openers yesterday!

This reminded me of Steve

So this is our last night in Kuta and Bali, and it is our last night in Indonesia. We fly out of Denpasar tomorrow at midnight, where our Indonesia adventure began 8 weeks ago. And to be honest, I think that we're both Asiaed out now, as much as I love it here, I am looking forward to returning to western ways. There's defiantly some things that happen over here that just simple don't suit me (that's not a bad thing, a compliant, or a judgement), and I will never understand Indonesian logistic...ever! It's crazy. I could write so many examples here. And I don't think either of us will miss "sorry boss, I need a break", yeah you do mate, you haven't worked all morning, you've literally been helping for 5 minutes, but yes, yes you do deserve a break. At times we both have struggled to find things to do also, but overall, we enjoyed our time over here, and love how friendly the Indonesians are, and learning the odd word here and there defiantly helps out. But a smile over here really does go a long way. Thank you to everyone that has helped to make this an awesome experience for the both of us.

Now it's time to return to my Southern Hemisphere home, bring on the weekend in Brisbane!

And this just happened between writing this up..and I feel so much better for it....