Finding Nemo

I found Nemo while scuba diving in Manado - my first dive since getting certified in October. The island of Bunaken is world renowned for its diving and I did three dives with a dive master and two Germans. They were three really cool dives. I saw a lot of fish which, unfortunately, I cannot identify. But I definitely saw Nemos, Triggerfish, and a Mandarin. I saw really awesome coral, sting rays, and eels too. Visibility was great! The highlight for me and my zen moment in all of Indonesia was watching a sea turtle swim past me. It was so calm and graceful, flapping its arms/wings (?) slowly and deliberately... If you flap your arms three seconds going up and three seconds going down, that's what it looked like. Really spectacular!

A three hour flight from Jakarta, the city of Manado is very beautiful. It's surrounded by still-active volcanoes, hills, and more greenery than you can imagine. We were staying up on a hill in neighboring city Tomohan, where the weather was actually cold at times - not at all what I expect from Indonesia. People in Manado like to eat and they like their food spicy. I had heard the the food is so so good there... but I wasn't so impressed. They do have a lot of fish and things to try that I've never had before. For one, dog. I didn't try any though my host had some in the freezer... (eee!) They also eat bats, but we couldn't try any because the store was closed. Apparently, they grab the bat by its wing, slam it down to kill it, and then cook it. So sad! A cooked bat costs approximatey $2.

There are less strange things too, that I was actually able to try: Mangga Dodol, a super aromatic and sweet mango is one you can only find in manado and the city makes an excellent Kelapertart (coconut-ish pie). We had a roasted pig for dinner one night but it was too fatty for my taste, especially the skin. Jojo, I bet you would have loved it and all the eating in this city. :)

Randomly, we went to the zoo at night when it was already closed. They let us in the cage with Tarsius' (dwarf monkeys). They are kind of cute, but kind of creepy too - with big bug eyes and heads that can rotate 360 degrees. I don't think we were technically supposed to be at the zoo since the animals were sleeping, but I also saw a Cus Cus, a Musang/Luwak (the animal that poops out the special coffee), and a pig unique to Sulawesi.

Another random story: My host told us about an area of Sulawesi in which the dead walk to their graves. I don't fully understand how it happens, but its voodoo or black magic or something that is used to make them walk. There are places cut out for them in the mountains and they are able to find their rightful place. Crazy!

The last day in Manado, we saw a lake with three colors and then rushed around town like mad women on the hunt for food. Our flight was at 2pm, and at 1:00pm, our host insisted we stop and eat Bubur Manado. (Congee a la Manado with a mix of squash, spinach, corn, rice and noodles.) After lunch, she wanted to pick up Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) but we said no, better to head to the airport (!). But, we still had to stop for Kelapertart and were still half an hour away from the airport!! I'm all for making the most of your time in a new city, but this was cutting it close even for me. Luckily, we made it to the airport in time (15 minutes before the flight) and we've safely arrived in Jakarta.

I have mixed feeings about Manado... I loved the diving, I loved trying new things, and I loved our hosts! Everyday was beautiful and almost every place was beautiful. But, me, my sister, and my cousin felt either really sleepy or headachey pretty much the whole time there... possibly explained by the elevation, but maybe something in the air? I developed something like an ear infection too! And, let's just say I was a little too efficient with my bowel movements for the four days there... (sorry if that's TMI).