So when I first started thinking about writing this blog, this isn’t the blog I thought I would write but hey, this is the one you’re guna get so I hope I do it justice and that you enjoy hearing about it.
When our time was up in Labuan Bajo we decided that we should make short work of the travel and get to Gili Trawangan so that I could start my Divemaster Training course. This was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, probably not long after Keryn and I did our Open Water and Advanced courses on Utila back in mid 2013. So after a year of research this is where we ended up on a ferry heading towards Sumbawa for the first leg of our 24 hours of straight travel.
The ferry wasn’t your normal ferry, it was big fuck off, mainly for transporting food goods. And these mainly being trucks and trucks of what looked to us like plantain, but the locals assured us that they were bananas - just really green ones. After what seemed like a lot longer than 7 hours we were at the first of the two islands we had to travel across to get to Gili T. We were loaded onto the top of a minibus even though there was a seat or two left inside - all foreigners on the roof, only locals inside - which didn’t bother us a bit. In all our travels this was the first chance we had to actually ride on the roof of the bus! And boy it must have been way cooler up where we were anyway and we could take great video and pictures of the stunning scenery all around us. It must have been wedding season as well because we went past no less than five weddings in progress and at least another five that looked like they were just over or they were just about to begin. All that in a little over two hours on the roof of the minibus.
We arrived at the next place and had a change of transport to a fairly decent-looking bus that we would travel on to the next island, which would be our jumping off point for Gili T, the well-known island off the coast of Lombok. The bus ride was unremarkable except for the fact that we were woken up at about 2am to get off the bus and eat which was mandatory! Then being woken up again a couple of hours later for another ferry which was horse shit! Let me sleep people, I just want to fucking sleep! We arrived in the capital of Lombok quite early which was good because it meant that we could get the hell out of there and onto Gili T quick smart. As you would know by now, we research a lot of our travels and different ways of getting around places, so when we had read that it was possible to get a bemo (like a shared taxi/minivan) all the way to Bangsal for less than $2.50 we were on the hunt for the bemo. Plenty of offers came our way but for more like $7 or $8 each so we stood our ground on a corner where plenty seemed to go past and only had to wait about 30min before someone offering the right price came along. So there we were in our first bemo on the two and a bit hour drive to Bangsal harbour, all for under $5 for the both of us! A short wait at the harbour and we were on our way for the last, and probably the most beautiful leg, to Gili T.
Wow, its fucking busy - have we made the right decision to do my course here? That was both of our first reactions. But our fears were put to rest once we got off the main street and headed back a few streets into where the locals lived to find cheaper digs for a couple of days so I could sort out the dive shop that I wanted to do the course with. So once we found a place that didn’t want an arm and a leg, we both went for a walk to see what dive shops would offer and with whom we would feel most comfortable being around for the next 7 weeks as both of us would be there daily - me to do the course and for Keryn to take advantage of the dive shops’ free internet and smash out a few blogs! There are a shitload of dive shops on Gili T, and I believe it does the third largest amount of dive certifications in the world behind Koh Tao (Thailand) and Utila (Honduras). But it’s a tiny island so the shops are pretty much cheek by jowl and you don’t have to go far before finding 10! Being such a popular place to learn to dive there is the ubiquitous big fuck off operations turning out 50 students plus a day which wasn't what I was looking for. I would prefer a smaller setup where you get more of a family feel than 'what's your number'? So after talking to all of the mid range and small shops I had picked out two - one really quiet shop with just one instructor, and another smallish shop that had just moved to a new location and was going through a bit of a transition stage. This was probably the hardest decision I've had to make on this trip, and it took me two days to make up my mind. I decided to go with Big Bubble as it had a nice new premises (even if the location was a little quiet) and a friendly staff. Also, I had a fairly sizeable gash on my ankle from a wayward night all the way back in Penang, Malaysia, and the manager that I'd spoken to at Big Bubble had shown the most caution with me getting in the water straight away, due to it not healing properly and also the chance of infection. A few of the other shops had said it wouldn't be a problem, but I kind of got the feeling they would rush through whereas at Big Bubble I could take my time, let it heal properly and do other things so it wouldn't hamper me in the long run. So that was that covered, all we needed to do now was find accommodation for the 7 weeks.
Gili T is a mecca for backpackers and divers, and it also gets a little bit of spill-over from people holidaying from Bali. For this reason, the normal price for a room with attached bathroom is around the $20 mark - if you're not there in high season. If you are unlucky enough (or silly enough) to go there in high season, they pretty much decide a price on the spot and if you're not willing to pay then too bad for you. We found this out later when I tried to help two young kiwi's get a cheaper place in high season, but they couldn't find anything for under $40! For fucks sake we are still in Indonesia people, $40 a night for the worst place on the island is a fucking disgrace! Supply and demand bullshit. Anyway, we were fortunate enough to arrive just before high season kicked off and were able to find a place out the back, closer to the middle of the island for $6.80 a day. Now it isn't the Taj Mahal, but hey, when you get your own room with bathroom and a small gas cooker and a fridge, to us it did seem like the Taj! We had to buy a few utensils and a pan/wok to cook in, but eggs on toast for breakfast everyday, the ability to buy fruit and veg and keep it cold, as well as buying beer cheaper because its warm well, all these things make Kurt and Keryn happy little backpackers.
So with all our ducks in a row it was time to finally start my courses. I had to do an EFR (Emergency First Responder) course which is just a one day thing, and also a Rescue Diver course which normally takes a couple of days, before I could start the actual Divemaster course. I had to string out the Resuce Diver course to give my wound the best chance of healing over before I could get in the ocean, as the Gili Islands are notorious for not letting wounds heal and/or them becoming even more infected. This also gave us some time to hang out with Almero and Sonja, a couple who we met briefly in Labuan Bajo and who had now also made their way over to Gili T. We met up with them quite a few times and had some cracking nights at a sunset bar on the other side of the island, sampling the local delicacies. Fuck me they were some good times, but not palatable for the internet.
So after I had finished my rescue diver course it was time to finally to start my divemasters. My ankle had healed up nicely and I was in the ocean again, doing one of the things I've come to love the most about my life - diving. I won't bore you with the day to days about doing your divemasters, but I will just give you a basic day. I would normally arrive at the shop in the morning around 7/7:30am and use some internet until one of the local blokes would come open up, then we would get out any gear needed for the morning dive or classes, then everyone else starts turning up. Keryn comes a little bit after that to hang around, drink free tea and catch up on the blogs. Philippa and I would then either have a class or Discover Scuba Dive, but if not, we would start going through some of the theory modules of the divemaster training. Then after the mornings shenanigans, Keryn and I would head home for our daily lunch of sandwiches that consisted of tomato, cucumber, onion, cabbage and mayonnaise that we had put garlic and chilli in ourselves. Keryn made these for us everyday for the entire 7 weeks we were there. And she still doesn't get paid people! I know, its a fucking travesty. We would also have a papaya or whatever fruit Keryn could find for the right price around the back streets of Gili. I would then head back to the shop for the arvo lessons or classes or just a fun dive if we could swing it.
So that was the average day, but what made them a little more interesting is when you get a discover scuba dive (DSD) and they couldn’t even fucking swim, or barely even float! What about learning or trying scuba diving would be enjoyable if you’re not even comfortable in or around water in the first place? This just reinforces the fact for me that a lot of the people in this world are fucking weirdos and I don’t get them at all. This happened on more occasions than I would like to remember, but one clearly sticks out in my mind.
It was towards the end of my course and we had another DSD booked in for the afternoon. I was getting sick and tired of doing DSD’s and only had a short amount of time left to complete my course. I was really waiting for more people to come in and actually want to learn to dive than rather do a DSD and then go home and tell everyone how they had been diving. No you fucking haven’t been diving, you’ve been on a personalised tour to 12m max depth, normally with me holding onto your tank the whole fucking way! Sorry people, this is not diving! Wow that felt good to get that off my chest. Anyway, back to the story. We sat down so I could give my talk and run through the very basic things that we needed to accomplish in the pool before we could go in the ocean later, and a very brief run-down on what gear we would use and all that jazz. Now I know I have a thick aussie accent at times and it’s been said that I speak too quick, so after about 10 minutes of going through the briefing I turn to Philippa and say, “They haven’t understood a thing have they?”. She just smiled at me and said nope, so she gave it a crack for another 5min. After getting the very briefest of briefings it was decided that we would see how they were in the pool. They were, by the way, Malaysian/Chinese and the other couple was Chinese and French, so yeah, we tried our best and the pool would be the determining factor on whether we would hit the ocean or not. Now, when you do a DSD there are a few things you have to accomplish in a closed environment to be considered competent enough to go to 12m in the ocean. It normally takes around 20 to 30mins to do this, so when we got out of the pool 50mins later we were kind of sure it would be all good??? So we got the new tanks ready and headed for Manta Point, which is a dive site just off the south of Gili T. They had decided that they would like to film the experience, so Luic, the crazy French freelance instructor/videographer/inseminator/degenerate/all-round good guy was along for the ride. It started out fairly normally with me and Pip holding onto their tanks as we slowly descended, but very quickly it looked like we would be hanging onto these people the whole time, trying to keep one off the bottom and the other from floating to the top. It was hilarious for Luic who had the biggest smile and was out and out laughing nearly the entire time. It must have looked like chariot racing, as Pip and I just held on and let them kick in whatever direction they thought they wanted to go. Then I saw Luic rush over to Pip and her couple and pick up the blokes weight belt from the sea floor, and thought that was a bit strange as its fairly abnormal for this to happen. He must have been writhing around and just being a general spaz enough for it to come off. Then Luic had to come help me, as with all that was going on and me trying to control two out of control divers as well, my tank had started to come loose and slip from my BCD. Fuck me what a dive! We ended in 25mins! Normally, because you only go to 12m and don’t do a great deal, a DSD can last anywhere from 30 to 50mins, but we just couldn’t do it anymore. But hey, they got the video and they can go home and show their friends the chariot racing – no, sorry, the day they went scuba diving!
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, as I did get to teach and show plenty of people the world of scuba diving, one of which was my uncle. To be able to teach someone so close to me how to do something that I love doing so much is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. And one of the reasons that for a period of my life, I will make this my vocation. To be able to show people the beauty and the importance of our oceans is something that I fully look forward to.
There were some things that I enjoyed more than others about the course, but all in all I got to dive nearly every day for close on 7 weeks. I arrived on Gili T with 35 dives and left with 97. I also got to learn a lot of things about diving and a few things about myself. Philippa was a great instructor - she could have a laugh and could put up with my shit without going into meltdown. She did have to pull me into line a few times but hey, we got there in the end. If I was to do it all over again I would definitely have her teach me again, and maybe it wouldn't take it to the end of the course for me to stop getting air and oxygen in the wrong places in my discover scuba diving briefings, hey Pip!
We met so many cool people during our time on Gili T that it would be hard to list them all, but I would like to say thanks to most of the crew at Big Bubble – thanks, you made it an experience I will never forget. To the two crazy German girls who lived across from us for nearly the whole 7 weeks, Shalom Shalom, and to all the people who I got to teach and show this amazing new world - you are the people who will keep driving me to become a better diver and to do my instructors course so we can spread the word about the places that lie beneath the waves.
When our time was up in Labuan Bajo we decided that we should make short work of the travel and get to Gili Trawangan so that I could start my Divemaster Training course. This was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, probably not long after Keryn and I did our Open Water and Advanced courses on Utila back in mid 2013. So after a year of research this is where we ended up on a ferry heading towards Sumbawa for the first leg of our 24 hours of straight travel.
The ferry wasn’t your normal ferry, it was big fuck off, mainly for transporting food goods. And these mainly being trucks and trucks of what looked to us like plantain, but the locals assured us that they were bananas - just really green ones. After what seemed like a lot longer than 7 hours we were at the first of the two islands we had to travel across to get to Gili T. We were loaded onto the top of a minibus even though there was a seat or two left inside - all foreigners on the roof, only locals inside - which didn’t bother us a bit. In all our travels this was the first chance we had to actually ride on the roof of the bus! And boy it must have been way cooler up where we were anyway and we could take great video and pictures of the stunning scenery all around us. It must have been wedding season as well because we went past no less than five weddings in progress and at least another five that looked like they were just over or they were just about to begin. All that in a little over two hours on the roof of the minibus.
We arrived at the next place and had a change of transport to a fairly decent-looking bus that we would travel on to the next island, which would be our jumping off point for Gili T, the well-known island off the coast of Lombok. The bus ride was unremarkable except for the fact that we were woken up at about 2am to get off the bus and eat which was mandatory! Then being woken up again a couple of hours later for another ferry which was horse shit! Let me sleep people, I just want to fucking sleep! We arrived in the capital of Lombok quite early which was good because it meant that we could get the hell out of there and onto Gili T quick smart. As you would know by now, we research a lot of our travels and different ways of getting around places, so when we had read that it was possible to get a bemo (like a shared taxi/minivan) all the way to Bangsal for less than $2.50 we were on the hunt for the bemo. Plenty of offers came our way but for more like $7 or $8 each so we stood our ground on a corner where plenty seemed to go past and only had to wait about 30min before someone offering the right price came along. So there we were in our first bemo on the two and a bit hour drive to Bangsal harbour, all for under $5 for the both of us! A short wait at the harbour and we were on our way for the last, and probably the most beautiful leg, to Gili T.
Wow, its fucking busy - have we made the right decision to do my course here? That was both of our first reactions. But our fears were put to rest once we got off the main street and headed back a few streets into where the locals lived to find cheaper digs for a couple of days so I could sort out the dive shop that I wanted to do the course with. So once we found a place that didn’t want an arm and a leg, we both went for a walk to see what dive shops would offer and with whom we would feel most comfortable being around for the next 7 weeks as both of us would be there daily - me to do the course and for Keryn to take advantage of the dive shops’ free internet and smash out a few blogs! There are a shitload of dive shops on Gili T, and I believe it does the third largest amount of dive certifications in the world behind Koh Tao (Thailand) and Utila (Honduras). But it’s a tiny island so the shops are pretty much cheek by jowl and you don’t have to go far before finding 10! Being such a popular place to learn to dive there is the ubiquitous big fuck off operations turning out 50 students plus a day which wasn't what I was looking for. I would prefer a smaller setup where you get more of a family feel than 'what's your number'? So after talking to all of the mid range and small shops I had picked out two - one really quiet shop with just one instructor, and another smallish shop that had just moved to a new location and was going through a bit of a transition stage. This was probably the hardest decision I've had to make on this trip, and it took me two days to make up my mind. I decided to go with Big Bubble as it had a nice new premises (even if the location was a little quiet) and a friendly staff. Also, I had a fairly sizeable gash on my ankle from a wayward night all the way back in Penang, Malaysia, and the manager that I'd spoken to at Big Bubble had shown the most caution with me getting in the water straight away, due to it not healing properly and also the chance of infection. A few of the other shops had said it wouldn't be a problem, but I kind of got the feeling they would rush through whereas at Big Bubble I could take my time, let it heal properly and do other things so it wouldn't hamper me in the long run. So that was that covered, all we needed to do now was find accommodation for the 7 weeks.
Gili T is a mecca for backpackers and divers, and it also gets a little bit of spill-over from people holidaying from Bali. For this reason, the normal price for a room with attached bathroom is around the $20 mark - if you're not there in high season. If you are unlucky enough (or silly enough) to go there in high season, they pretty much decide a price on the spot and if you're not willing to pay then too bad for you. We found this out later when I tried to help two young kiwi's get a cheaper place in high season, but they couldn't find anything for under $40! For fucks sake we are still in Indonesia people, $40 a night for the worst place on the island is a fucking disgrace! Supply and demand bullshit. Anyway, we were fortunate enough to arrive just before high season kicked off and were able to find a place out the back, closer to the middle of the island for $6.80 a day. Now it isn't the Taj Mahal, but hey, when you get your own room with bathroom and a small gas cooker and a fridge, to us it did seem like the Taj! We had to buy a few utensils and a pan/wok to cook in, but eggs on toast for breakfast everyday, the ability to buy fruit and veg and keep it cold, as well as buying beer cheaper because its warm well, all these things make Kurt and Keryn happy little backpackers.
So with all our ducks in a row it was time to finally start my courses. I had to do an EFR (Emergency First Responder) course which is just a one day thing, and also a Rescue Diver course which normally takes a couple of days, before I could start the actual Divemaster course. I had to string out the Resuce Diver course to give my wound the best chance of healing over before I could get in the ocean, as the Gili Islands are notorious for not letting wounds heal and/or them becoming even more infected. This also gave us some time to hang out with Almero and Sonja, a couple who we met briefly in Labuan Bajo and who had now also made their way over to Gili T. We met up with them quite a few times and had some cracking nights at a sunset bar on the other side of the island, sampling the local delicacies. Fuck me they were some good times, but not palatable for the internet.
So after I had finished my rescue diver course it was time to finally to start my divemasters. My ankle had healed up nicely and I was in the ocean again, doing one of the things I've come to love the most about my life - diving. I won't bore you with the day to days about doing your divemasters, but I will just give you a basic day. I would normally arrive at the shop in the morning around 7/7:30am and use some internet until one of the local blokes would come open up, then we would get out any gear needed for the morning dive or classes, then everyone else starts turning up. Keryn comes a little bit after that to hang around, drink free tea and catch up on the blogs. Philippa and I would then either have a class or Discover Scuba Dive, but if not, we would start going through some of the theory modules of the divemaster training. Then after the mornings shenanigans, Keryn and I would head home for our daily lunch of sandwiches that consisted of tomato, cucumber, onion, cabbage and mayonnaise that we had put garlic and chilli in ourselves. Keryn made these for us everyday for the entire 7 weeks we were there. And she still doesn't get paid people! I know, its a fucking travesty. We would also have a papaya or whatever fruit Keryn could find for the right price around the back streets of Gili. I would then head back to the shop for the arvo lessons or classes or just a fun dive if we could swing it.
So that was the average day, but what made them a little more interesting is when you get a discover scuba dive (DSD) and they couldn’t even fucking swim, or barely even float! What about learning or trying scuba diving would be enjoyable if you’re not even comfortable in or around water in the first place? This just reinforces the fact for me that a lot of the people in this world are fucking weirdos and I don’t get them at all. This happened on more occasions than I would like to remember, but one clearly sticks out in my mind.
It was towards the end of my course and we had another DSD booked in for the afternoon. I was getting sick and tired of doing DSD’s and only had a short amount of time left to complete my course. I was really waiting for more people to come in and actually want to learn to dive than rather do a DSD and then go home and tell everyone how they had been diving. No you fucking haven’t been diving, you’ve been on a personalised tour to 12m max depth, normally with me holding onto your tank the whole fucking way! Sorry people, this is not diving! Wow that felt good to get that off my chest. Anyway, back to the story. We sat down so I could give my talk and run through the very basic things that we needed to accomplish in the pool before we could go in the ocean later, and a very brief run-down on what gear we would use and all that jazz. Now I know I have a thick aussie accent at times and it’s been said that I speak too quick, so after about 10 minutes of going through the briefing I turn to Philippa and say, “They haven’t understood a thing have they?”. She just smiled at me and said nope, so she gave it a crack for another 5min. After getting the very briefest of briefings it was decided that we would see how they were in the pool. They were, by the way, Malaysian/Chinese and the other couple was Chinese and French, so yeah, we tried our best and the pool would be the determining factor on whether we would hit the ocean or not. Now, when you do a DSD there are a few things you have to accomplish in a closed environment to be considered competent enough to go to 12m in the ocean. It normally takes around 20 to 30mins to do this, so when we got out of the pool 50mins later we were kind of sure it would be all good??? So we got the new tanks ready and headed for Manta Point, which is a dive site just off the south of Gili T. They had decided that they would like to film the experience, so Luic, the crazy French freelance instructor/videographer/inseminator/degenerate/all-round good guy was along for the ride. It started out fairly normally with me and Pip holding onto their tanks as we slowly descended, but very quickly it looked like we would be hanging onto these people the whole time, trying to keep one off the bottom and the other from floating to the top. It was hilarious for Luic who had the biggest smile and was out and out laughing nearly the entire time. It must have looked like chariot racing, as Pip and I just held on and let them kick in whatever direction they thought they wanted to go. Then I saw Luic rush over to Pip and her couple and pick up the blokes weight belt from the sea floor, and thought that was a bit strange as its fairly abnormal for this to happen. He must have been writhing around and just being a general spaz enough for it to come off. Then Luic had to come help me, as with all that was going on and me trying to control two out of control divers as well, my tank had started to come loose and slip from my BCD. Fuck me what a dive! We ended in 25mins! Normally, because you only go to 12m and don’t do a great deal, a DSD can last anywhere from 30 to 50mins, but we just couldn’t do it anymore. But hey, they got the video and they can go home and show their friends the chariot racing – no, sorry, the day they went scuba diving!
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, as I did get to teach and show plenty of people the world of scuba diving, one of which was my uncle. To be able to teach someone so close to me how to do something that I love doing so much is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. And one of the reasons that for a period of my life, I will make this my vocation. To be able to show people the beauty and the importance of our oceans is something that I fully look forward to.
There were some things that I enjoyed more than others about the course, but all in all I got to dive nearly every day for close on 7 weeks. I arrived on Gili T with 35 dives and left with 97. I also got to learn a lot of things about diving and a few things about myself. Philippa was a great instructor - she could have a laugh and could put up with my shit without going into meltdown. She did have to pull me into line a few times but hey, we got there in the end. If I was to do it all over again I would definitely have her teach me again, and maybe it wouldn't take it to the end of the course for me to stop getting air and oxygen in the wrong places in my discover scuba diving briefings, hey Pip!
We met so many cool people during our time on Gili T that it would be hard to list them all, but I would like to say thanks to most of the crew at Big Bubble – thanks, you made it an experience I will never forget. To the two crazy German girls who lived across from us for nearly the whole 7 weeks, Shalom Shalom, and to all the people who I got to teach and show this amazing new world - you are the people who will keep driving me to become a better diver and to do my instructors course so we can spread the word about the places that lie beneath the waves.
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