sOleiLian

It was a day we all looked forward to since our arrival in Bunaken ~ snorkelling! We’d be utter fools if we didn’t go for a nice dip in the waters that have been hailed as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Moreover, the weather was too good to resist and we couldn’t seem to find excuses to say no!

Good morning from Bunaken!

Heading towards Siladen, a much smaller isle to the northeast of Bunaken

Approaching Siladen…

You gotta love the spectacular landscape of North Sulawesi. The mainland’s rolling mountains were visible from most parts of the Bunaken National Marine Park. It was also possible to see Mt. Klabat, Sulawesi’s highest volcano (the cone-shaped peak in the picture) from here too!

Amazing rock formations at Siladen’s coast

It was still hard for me to believe that this guy was in his 60′s! Does he in any way look like an ageing old man to you? Look… His hair was still ebony!

My friend’s got a blue starfish!

Havin’ the time of their lives with the Siladen Island on the horizon

How peaceful and serene…

Another starfish! This one was found at the coast of Bunaken.

Did I tell you guys that the underwater world was simply breathtakingly amazing? The corals were so beautiful and they came in an array of magnificent colours and all shapes and sizes. And best of all, the coral bed literally stretched from the island shores all the way to the middle of nowhere! Basically, all those parts of the islands submerged in water were overrun by – yes, you guess it right – corals! I wished I had with me a waterproof camera (or an underwater housing for my cam) because there isn’t a word that can aptly describe what we saw down there. If you’re wholly disappointed with the pathetic dead corals scene in West Malaysian seas, then you really, really should come to Bunaken. This snorkelling excursion was the prime highlight of our whole North Sulawesi tour, and we unanimously agreed that it was superb!

Back to Bunaken Island for lunch and a short rest before we returned to the sea for another snorkelling adventure

Shot in the 16:9 ratio. This makes a great wallpaper for widescreen computer displays.

Now this is my current wallpaper! :D

If you think this trip is all about fun and thrills, you’re wrong then. There were lurking dangers as well, similar to any other water activities. The coral bed close to the shores was like 1 or 2m beneath the sea surface before the sea terrain took a dramatic twist and plunged deep into the endless depths of the sea in the form of a sharp vertical wall.

However, my concern was neither about the wall nor the unseen sea floor, but the shallow coral bed that seemed so innocent and harmless to us. Since I was the last to take the dip in the sea, my friends were already yards ahead of me. But the sea currents – though not strong – kept coming my way, thus rendering my effort to reunite with them to be futile.

Manado Tua Island! An extinct (or perhaps dormant) volcano rising from the depths of the Celebes Sea

Look how bluish-green the sea water was! I think ‘turquoise’ is the right word to describe the colour. Oh by the way, are you able to spot the corals beneath it as well?

Awesome pose from our boatman!

Bunaken’s primary church was so huge that it could be seen from afar!

Oh, how I miss the crystal clear sea waters of Bunaken…

Suddenly, a huge patch of coral bed which was just a foot beneath my feet started to emerge before my eyes. It was probably the scariest and most arduous moment I ever had in the sea. In order not to accidentally step on those pretty yet daunting sea formations, I had to shrink and contort my legs as if I suffered from a terrible muscle cramp while I depended on my arms to pull through. You know, the corals hurt! But the worst was yet to come. There were hundreds of sea urchins further ahead, and how I wished all these were over. Throughout the whole ordeal, I was so worried that my poor legs would suddenly let go and had me stepped on those vicious-looking balls of spines. Imagine what would’ve happened if I did. Ouch…

Us!

Bunaken’s pier with the Manado Tua volcano trying to take a peek from behind

As the night drew closer, we were reminded of our last stay on the island

Yet another gloomy morning… I woke up at 5 something each day just to catch Bunaken’s sunrise, but alas, we couldn’t do anything to bring the sun out as the whole region was in the midst of the annual wet season. *sigh*

Au revoir, Bunaken! I’ll definitely be back one day. Hope you’ll still remain as pristine as before on my next return!

Compilation of MANADO & NORTH SULAWESI TRIP 2009

• PART I    : The forgotten frontiers: Tales from Manado and North Sulawesi
• PART II  : Great churches of Manado
• PART III: In the shadows of volcanoes: Manado Bay and its harbour
• PART IV : Off to Bunaken
• PART V   : Livin’ la vida Bunaken’s way

c a t e g o r y | passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | indonesia . sulawesi . travel . volcanoes

22 sOleiLians

Like many islands in the world, Bunaken Island has its own established island community where they live a simple and rustic life, reminiscent of those in the traditional Malay villages back in good ol’ Malaysia. The islanders are pretty much a close-knit community, an element that is virtually absent in most modern-day societies. Still largely spared from the vicious encroachment and disillusionment with the material world, exuberance, optimism, and genuineness shone through each and every island folk I met in Bunaken. Man, I was in love with this place alright!

As always, a pictorial tour of Bunaken Island’s village life…

Quaint village houses on the island

Shacks and homes by the sea

Check out that huge satellite dish!

A shelter for a lazy afternoon snooze from the scorching sun

Like mainland North Sulawesi, the church is central to the lives of many in Bunaken

The church’s lofty façades and elaborate spires came as a surprise to us as we didn’t expect to see such a grand edifice on this tiny island

A church service for the kids, with decorations being put up in time for Christmas

Lovely kids filled the front-row pew

Look what we found… A boar! :D

Now we’d wandered into the Muslim quarter of the island

The village mosque topped with the characteristic bulbous domes

A small lane leading to the sea

This goat was busy nibbling on the shoot

Muslim mum and child. Bunaken’s Muslim inhabitants were said to hail from the Maluku Islands, the famed Spice Islands situated to the east of Sulawesi.

A bamboo stick was used to support the antenna! Nice lil’ trick…

The church easily dwarfed the homes around it

A village monument

Village men playing the traditional Minahasan musical instrument

The way this thing worked was kinda similar to a flute

Sunset in Bunaken… Alas, the sun decided to hide its face behind those damn clouds! Bummer…

Compilation of MANADO & NORTH SULAWESI TRIP 2009

• PART I   : The forgotten frontiers: Tales from Manado and North Sulawesi
• PART II  : Great churches of Manado
• PART III: In the shadows of volcanoes: Manado Bay and its harbour
• PART IV  : Off to Bunaken

c a t e g o r y | passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | beaches . churches & cathedrals . indonesia . mosques & minarets . religions & spirituality . sulawesi . travel

27 sOleiLians