Juli/Augusti 2020 - Del III - Abisko & Höga Kusten, Sverige

Driving to the north of Sweden from the (not completely) north of Norway was incredibly beautiful. Alongside the road we would see snowy mountains and lakes like mirrors. The idyll was however somewhat deconstructed as we stopped for lunch at we we thought to be the perfect spot, but where we (or at least I) were instantly attacked by mosquitoes and huge biting flies. Not much to do but put on mosquito-proof clothes, cover any exposed skin in repellent, and enjoy the nature. 

At one of the scenic photo spots along the way, we did our best to get a picture of the two of us together worthy to put on the wall, I don't think I need to tell you how many mosquito bites I got setting up the camera and posing for this photo...

In the afternoon, we arrived in Abisko by the entrance to the national park. Abisko is famous for being the place where the King's Trail (Kungsleden) begins, a 425 km long hiking trail, but you can also do shorter walks, or just enjoy the view of Scandinavia's largest alpine lake or the beautiful river Abiskojokk. We wanted to do some hiking here and after studying the map and talking to the staff of the national park, had a plan for a short 3-day route. We would walk the first 15km of the King's Trail, then take an unmarked but easy-to-follow path over the mountains, and then take another marked trail back.

We packed our camping stuff and enough food and snacks to last us three days and set off. The first part of the trail followed Abiskojokk and we really enjoyed the views. I was struggling a bit with back pain (probably hadn't adjusted my backpack correctly) but some breaks here and there on sunny rocks helped. A few hours later we arrived at the place we had planned to camp the first night. Like many other national parks in Sweden, you are only allowed to camp at certain areas, so we were expecting to have to share it with a bunch of other people.

What we had not expected, however, was that we would have to pay. Having passed one smaller tent area on the way which was free, and also not having really researched the King's Trail at all, we were a bit surprised to find the next tent area to have cabins, kitchens and staff - service for those who want it, unfortunately is was not possible to opt out. We decided to take a small detour and follow another small trail for about 2km in order to get outside of the border to the national park. As it was getting late and we were tired, we didn't walk to far after the border but put up our tent in the forest near a stream. Though again, we were surrounded by mosquitoes which rudely would even bite my face and scalp. In the end, we made a small campfire from damp wood and I stood in the smoke - despite knowing it would stick to my clothes and hair - in order to eat my dinner in peace.

The next day we had to walk back to the tent area where we had deviated from our planned route, and then headed towards the mountains. The steepness varied a bit, but we had about 700 meters in altitude to climb, so we just took our time. Despite not being officially marked, small human-made towers of rocks every now and then made it easy to follow. Getting higher up meant less mosquitoes and flies (thoug we were never completely rid of them) and more cooling winds. We had to cross some patches of snow as well, and at times the path felt long and winding - but the more rewarding it was to get to the highest point and look down over the valley where we would set up camp for the night. 

At some point during that day we realised that we would later have to cross a river where there was no bridge. I was up for the adventure but also a little nervous, not having done anything like that before and not knowing really what to expect more than it being cold. And it was. Very cold. We took off our hiking boots and tied them to our backpacks. The river was several meters wide, and the water came straight from the mountains where the snow was melting. However, if the cold was the only problem it would have been fine - but we had not expected the rocks on the bottom of the river to be so slippery. So Valle went first, holding my hand to help me keep my balance, as we slowly made our way across, stepping up on top of dry rocks as often as we could to keep our feet from going numb. It was wobbly and slow, but eventually we made it across - definitely an adventure I will remember!

We did have to cross a number of smaller streams as well after that, but luckily they did not have any slippery rocks, and it was easy to do, and also actually kind of nice to go barefoot a while. It was still early in the afternoon when we set up our tent, and we enjoyed a few hours reading and napping in the sun before having dinner. The next day we were heading back towards our car. Another 15 km or so enabled us to have lunch by the Abiskojokk river only a few hundred meters from the parking lot.

It was time for us to starting heading south, having a long drive ahead of us, and we only made a few stops along the way. Just looking at the map, I never really understood just how long it would take to drive, but at least we didn't have to stress or pull any 12-hour drives. Our first stop was in Kiruna, which is not that far from Abisko. We took a short walk around the small town and sat down for a fika at one of the cafés for coffees and a cloudberry cheesecake (!). Driving in this part os Sweden we also saw quite a few reindeer on the roads.

Our tent spot for the night was in Muddos national park, a bit further south. Near a big, quiet lake, still plenty of mosquitoes but just as plenty of blueberries. The next day we started heading towards the coast, and the long drive was even slower due to roadwork on a long section of the road. Eventually we arrived in Luleå, where we took a stroll around the Old Town (Gammelstaden), a world heritage site where you can walk among old, traditional houses - a very cute and cool place to see! 

We kept driving a bit further south before we set up camp by the water, about halfway between Piteå and Skellefteå. Valle discovered that there were berries growing along the seaside - small, ruby-colored berries that looked kind of like raspberries. Some quick research on google taught us that it was Åkerbär - a cross between raspberries and wild strawberries, typically found in arctic and alpine regions. They were super tasty and I spent a good part of that evening looking for these little gems.

The majority of the next day we spent driving, with our aim set on the High Coast (Höga Kusten) and Skuleskogen national park. When we arrived in the afternoon, around 4pm, the entire parking area was full except for one spot that luckily we could take. Most people seemed to be heading back when we set out on our walk, so it was not too crowded. We walked up to the top of the hill, then down to Slåttdalsskrevan, an impressive crevasse that you can walk through - and the finsihed with a long walk in the forest. Eventually we decided to stay in the national park for the night and set up camp at one of the dedicated tent spots, and we enjoyed a quiet evening by the water.

That was the last longer stop we made on the way back. We spent the last night by a lake in the Norrköping area, but otherwise mostly focused on driving back home. After sixteen days out, it was definitely nice to get back to our bed & shower.

Juli/Augusti 2020 - Del II - Lofoten, Norge

 When going to Lofoten by ferry, especially during the high season, it is recommended to buy the ticket in advance. But since we didn't have an exact plan on when we would get there, we only looked for tickets two days before. 2/3 of the tickets for the ferry between Bodø and Moskenes (Lofoten) are sold in advance online, and the rest is available for "drop in" - cars that just arrive at the terminal. So when we looked online, all the tickets were of course sold out. We had a bit of a drive to get to the ferry terminal, and because we would pass Saltstraumen - one of the strongest maelstroms in the world - at its peak time, we decided to take our time and then head to the terminal and hope to catch the next ferry. 

First we made a stop to do a short hike in a beautiful forest, and after we continued the drive to Saltstraumen. From the parking we could walk to the top of a high bridge and watch the stream from above, rushing and whirling past. We spent only enough time there to enjoy the view and take some photos before driving all the way to the terminal in Bodø.

We were there just over an hour before the next ferry would leave, but there were enough cars and motor homes before us that we didn't make it. The next ferry was supposed to depart at 15.00, just 90 minutes later, but due to technical issues it it was cancelled, and we had to wait until 18.00. If we were to miss that one to, we would have to wait until 22.00. Normally, we would have had a pretty good shot at making the one at 18 since we had a good spot in the queue, but since all the people who had bought their tickets in advance for the cancelled ferry would now get a guaranteed spot at the next ferry, it wasn't sure they would be able to take any cars from the "drop in" queue.

There wasn't much to do but wait and hope, and we decided to do that while exploring the small town. We found some nice street art, coffee and ice cream, enough to keep us busy for a few hours, but eventually we walked back to our car to spend some time reading. Some of the cars ahead of us had decided to try their luck with a different ferry - it would depart at 17.00, but would make a few stops along the way and would take twice as long to get to Lofoten, but could on the other hand guarantee a spot. 

As we were waiting, the terminal staff came and told us they had managed to bring in an extra ferry which would depart at 17.30, and after waiting more than six hours we were finally on our way to Lofoten. Four hours later we arrived, and started looking for a tent spot. All places we looked at seemed to require parking fees - and only accepted cash or Vipps (the Norwegian equivalent of Swish) as payment. So with no way of paying, we had to find a spot along the road big enough for the car - this was a recurring problem/solution across Lofoten. Eventually we found a spot by a lake, though we later realized it might have been a bit too close to someone's house. No one kicked us out, though.

The next day we started by exploring the small village nearby, Å. It's famous for its traditional fishermen's cottages, "rorbuer" (some of which has been made into accomodation for rental) and for cinnamon buns baked according to a traditional recipe in a bakery that was first built in 1844. We decided to take a walk around the lake where we spent the night, but again really underestimated how long it would take us. We ended up on the wrong path for a while which was steep, muddy and difficult to follow, and it was very warm, but eventually we got down to the intended path and were able to follow the beautiful route the whole way, and enjoy the scenery. Once back, we of course rewarded ourselves with cinnamon buns.

As we kept driving north, we passed one of the main sights - Reinebringen - a mountain which you can hike to the top to get a beautiful view over Reine village and the archipelago. However, all parking spots, roads, and the entire village were packed with cars that it was impossble for us to stop there. And, seeing all the tourists heading towards that hike, we weren't sure that we even wanted to join them. So we kept driving. A bit further north was another famous spot, often recommended for wild camping - Kvalvika beach. We wanted to do a hike there and potentially set up camp, but again we were met by parking fees we couldn't pay and lack of parking spots. But Kvalvika beach is divided into two parts, Nordvika and Vestervika, separated by cliffs, and doing some research we found a hiking trail leading to Vestervika - the less popular part of the beach.

We ended up doing a three hour hike with all our overnight stuff, which was incredibly beautiful and serene. Once at the beach, there were already four other tents there (and a flock of sheep), but they were spread out across the big area, and wasn't at all like the twenty-something tents on the other part of the beach. We had a really nice evening, and I stayed up "late" to watch the sunset - we were roughly two weeks late to see the actual midnight sun, but a sunset at 23.15 is not too bad either. 

The next morning we packed our stuff and decided to walk across the cliffs to the other beach to get a different route back - it was very steep, quite crowded, and in the end we had to walk several kilometers along the road to get back to our car, so we much prefered the hike the day before. On the other hand, the popular Nordvika beach got most of the afternoon/evening sun and also had a trail going up the top of the nearby mountain where a lot of people surely got some amazing photos of the beaches from above.

The next day, we drove past another "Lofoten sight" - the two beautiful beaches Haukland and Uttakleiv, that you can also do a hike between. Having another sunny day, we were up for some beach time but concerned about running into crowds again - which we did. Already a kilometer before the actual beach parking of Haukland beach, there were cars parked along the road making it difficult to even drive, even worse to meet other cars, motor homes, or even to turn the car around. Which we quickly did. And drove past the masses of people that covered the (otherwise indeed pretty) beach. Instead we drove up to Eggum - a small village by the ocean that also had a long, pretty beach. The "parking lot" was an empty field probably used by the local kids to play soccer, but we only shared it with two or three other cars. The beach was almost empty, and we got to enjoy the beach and go for a swim (for fun, not even for "showering") in the cool, salty ocean at this quiet hideaway.

Feeling quite overwhelmed by the amount of tourists in these small areas, and stressed from driving on roads too narrow to handle the amount of traffic and large vehicles, we only spent one more day in Lofoten. We drove to the small city Svolvӕr, which is the "capital" of Lofoten. We stopped just outside of the city for a walk around a lake called Prestvattnet, with an amazing view over the mountain Tjeldbergtind, before heading into the city center to take a walk by the harbor, have a smoked salmon sandwich and a fika, before the clouds started rolling in. They were so low and heavy that all the surrounding mountains suddenly disappeared into the mist, and it almost seemed as if they didn't exist at all.

We found a spot that was actually marked on Google maps as a "tent spot" - even with free, available parking, and with only two other tents in the area. It was overlooking the fjord, and as we were eating our dinner that evening we saw an eagle fly by. As silly as it may sound, to me that felt like a sign that we were now done with Lofoten - a sort of closure, that made it feel like the right choice to get in the car the next day and head towards the Swedish border.

Juli/Augusti 2020 - Del I - Helgelandskysten, Norge

 This trip was probably the least well-planned so far - or at least, the least planned. We hadn't really given much thought to where we wanted to go when we rented a car - we just knew we wanted to go north, do some hiking, be in the nature. First we thought to go somewhere around the mid-Sweden "mountains" (fjällen) and do one longer or a few shorter hikes. But then Norway opened their borders, and an idea we had entertained at some point before covid suddenly became available again - to pick up where we left off last time and head north of Trondheim up to Lofoten. So we did.

We weren't even 100% certain we would be allowed to cross the border, but with ID in hand and a proof of residency of southern Sweden did the trick, and late afternoon we set up our first camp spot by a lake somewhere not too far from Oslo.

The weather quickly turned unstable, and for the next few days it wasn't uncommon to have bright sunlight while also seeing dark, heavy rainclouds, though most of the time it was just raining. As we drove on Kustriksveien along Helgelandskysten, one of the National Scenic Coastal Routes of Norway, we felt a bit beaten down by the cold and unwelcoming weather, dreading that all sixteen days would look like that. But then we were out camping in Brønnøysund, and we were woken up by the sun shining on our tent - we felt incredibly grateful and happy.

So the day started with an early morning dip in the very cold ocean to wash off some travel dirt. Then we headed straight to Torghatten, one of the famous sights along this coastal route, also known as fv17. Torghatten is a 258 meter tall mountain with a very photogenic tunnel, formed during the ice age, going straight through it - though according to the legends, the hole was actually made by a troll named Hestmannen. Getting there early meant we managed to get a bunch of pictures there before the crowds arrived. Since the weather was so nice, we wanted to spend as much time as possible outside, so we decided to walk to the top as well. We would however regret doing that hike in walking shoes rather than hiking boots, as it turned out to be steep, sometimes slippery, and at times had to be climbed with the help from a chain. Nevertheless, we were rewarded with an incredibly beautiful 360 degree view of the surrounding ocean, islands, and mainland mountains.

Driving along Helgelandskysten, there are some parts where you need to take ferries across. This first sunny day we took two of those. Lacking planning, again, we thought the ferries would run pretty often (some of them do, not all of them), and when at the second port we decided to just "take the next one" in order to drink some coffee from a local roastery, we didn't anticipate that it would be more than 1,5 hours until the next ferry. Although, while we were "stuck" in the tiny village Forvik, walking around the harbor and eventually settling down to read, we saw one small weasel (?!) and also some dolphins. So I can't really say we regretted that decision too much. Oh, and of course, the coffee was also great.

Then we reached the area with the famous Syv Söstre (the seven sisters), 7 mountain peaks around 1000 meters high. It was already late afternoon, so climbing to the top was not an option. Instead we opted for a walk that would only be a couple of kilometers, but which included going up to the rim of the southernmost mountain. It turned out to be more of an adventure than expected, as the first part of the walk was very steep. Once on the rim, the wind was so strong that it was difficult to walk in, though it was also kind of nice, as it was still around 20 degrees and I was sweating a lot. The second part of the trail was very beautiful and we really enjoyed it, even though the whole walk took nearly 2,5 hours - one hour more than we expected.

As it was getting late, we drove to a beach on the same island. Several others had also picked it for a nice camp spot, but we managed to find a spot a little bit further away from everyone else. Wanting to make the most out of this sunny day, we didn't mind having a late dinner, especially since the sunset was not until around 23. We also had a real treat that day - during our lunch break by the ocean, we found mussels on the rocks and picked a bunch - we cooked these in salt water from the ocean and had them as a pre-dinner snack. They were very small, but it still felt incredible to me to be able to handpick mussels and then have them for dinner! All in all, we had a great day filled with sunshine and adventure, and we regained some hope. During the night it was very windy (like loud windy) sowe didn't sleep that well, but the sun was shining again the next morning. And actually, we had sunshine almost every morning after that.

The next day, we had another three ferries to take, one of which took as across the arctic circle. We also drove past Svartisen glacier, which is the lowest glacier in mainland Europe and the second largest glacier in Norway. Though the best part of that day might have been the tent spot we found on Litlsanden - a bit further north of the big beach Langsanden on Sandhornøya on which there must have been more than twenty tents. Instead we got a small beach to ourselves as well as a beautiful evening view from a little hill where we found endless amounts of the biggest blueberries we'd ever seen.

The next day we were headed for Lofoten, which I'll tell more about in next post. Though I will say that we started the day with another ocean "shower" on our little beach, took a walk in a beautiful forest, and visited Saltstraumen, one of the worlds strongest maelstroms, before testing our luck at the Lofoten ferry terminal. To be continued...

November 2019 - Raja Ampat, Indonesien - Del II

När liveaboarden lagt till tillbaka i Waisai hade vi lite tid på oss att packa ihop alla våra grejer. Vi blev upplockade av en liten, smal båt som skulle köra oss till vårt första boende, Biryei Homestay på ön Batanta. Denna båttur tog nästan två timmar, och var tillräckligt skumpig trots att vi var väldigt tacksamma att det var strålande sol och nästan inga vågor.

Boendet bestod av tre bungalows. Vår hade en "riktig säng" (detvillsäga inte bara en madrass på golvet), men madrassen var väldigt nedlegad i mitten så det var inte höjden av bekvämlighet. Vi hade ett eget badrum som är utomhus men med lite tak - där fanns en toalettstol, ett torkställ och en stor behållare som man kunde fylla med sötvatten och en skopa så att man kunde duscha. Vi hade en liten veranda med två stolar och ett bord. Det fanns en solstols-stomme på stranden men ingen madrass, så vi hängde upp vår medhavda rese-hängmatta. Elektricitet hade man några timmar på kvällen.

Här hade vi en väldigt lugn och stillsam tid. Nästan för lugnt ibland. Vi fick frukost ganska tidigt, då vi vaknade av solen och var uppe kring sju de flesta dagar. Frukosten var ofta något friterat - bananer eller sötpotatis - men ibland kunde man få någon kaka eller pannkakor. Det var alltid väldigt sött. Sen kanske vi spenderade en liten stund på stranden innan det blev för varmt, var ute och paddlade med kajaken eller var ute och snorklade, eller läste. Lunch fick vi kring tolv/halv ett, och det var ofta ris, grönsaker, tempeh, omelett - en ganska bra blandning av olika rätter, och för det mesta väldigt gott.
På eftermiddagen fortsatte vi med samma aktiviteter som innan. De flesta dagar spenderade vi väldigt mycket tid med att läsa. Middagen serverades vid sju på kvällen, när det blivit mörkt, och därefter var vi ganska nöjda med att se ett serieavsnitt och sen sova.

Den stora fördelen med detta boende var att revet precis utanför stranden var väldigt fint. Simmade man en liten bit bort kunde man ofta se sköldpaddor och mindre revhajar (blacktips), blåprickiga stingrockor och ibland stim med stora papegojfiskar (bumphead parrotfish). När vattnet var riktigt lågt kunde man gå en bit längs stranden, och kunde då få turen att se väldigt små/relativt nykläckta revhajar i vattenbrynet. I detta området fanns också mycket sjögräs inne vid stranden, och har man tur kan man få se sjökor. Vi var ofta ute och spanade snorklandes eller paddlandes i gryning och skymning, men fick tyvärr inte så några under våran vistelse.

Vi åkte också på två utflykter. En dag åkte vi för att få se paradisfåglar. Vi var uppe före soluppgången för att åka med motorbåt bort till en ö. Där gick vi raskt upp för en väldigt brant backe genom tät djungel (och fullt med tusenfotingar och spindlar) för att tillslut kunna skymta fåglarna högt uppe i ett träd. Det var inte en fantastisk upplevelse (det hade vi dock inte väntat oss heller) och guiden från vårt boende sa knappt ett ord under hela turen. Däremot var själva båtturen dit och tillbaka väldigt trevlig. På eftermiddagen åkte vi iväg till ett annat ställe för att besöka ett vattenfall. Även där fick vi gå en ganska bra bit genom djungel, men i lite rimligare tempo. Vi var väldigt fuktiga och svettiga när vi kom fram ,så ett dopp i vattenfallet kändes verkligen fantastiskt!
En annan dag åkte vi på en snorkeltur till en närliggande ö, vilket vi tänkte kunde vara trevligt för att få lite "omväxling". Dock hade vi inte väntat oss att det skulle ingå en snorklingsguide! Det var lite udda att ha någon som snorklade med som man skulle följa, och som pekade ut precis allting (ofta saker som vi inte tyckte var så spännande) istället för att få simma i sin egen takt. Men överlag så hade vi det ändå trevligt.

Efter åtta hela dagar på boendet så var det dags för oss att flytta på oss igen. Ägarna körde oss till vårt nästa boende, Corepen homestay, som låg på "huvudön" i ett område som kallas Dampier Strait, och som har flera dyksajter i närheten. Efter att ha tagit det lugnt ett tag så var vi sugna på att aktivera oss igen, och beslutade oss för att åka ut och dyka redan samma dag. Resterande dagar gjorde vi två eller tre dyk om dagen - oftast två dyk på morgonen mellan frukost och lunch (och med paus på godtycklig ö med lite snacks) och ett dyk på eftermiddagen. Precis som när vi var ute med liveaboarden fick vi se mycket vackra rev, stora fiskstim, hajar, sköldpaddor, bläckfiskar och mycket mer. Och vi fick väldigt god mat och hade ofta tillgång till frukt. Boendet var också ganska simpelt. Vi hade en (bekväm) madrass på golvet och en stor veranda över vattnet med två stycken hängmattor. Duschar och toaletter delades med de andra gästerna. Vi trivdes väldigt bra där, men som bäst de första två dagarna när det bara var ett fåtal gäster på boendet vilket gav en mer mysig stämning.
Vi hade också turen att få se landlevande djurliv - en kväll såg vi en cuscus uppe i ett träd, en slags pungråtta som finns i Papua-området. Väldigt gullig!

Sista dagen försökte vi torka vår dykutrustning så gott det gick, för att sedan packa ihop allting. Vi blev återigen körda med en liten motorbåt tillbaka till Waisai, och för första gången under resan så regnade det på oss under en del av turen. I Waisai gick vi direkt och köpte biljetter till färjan som tog oss tillbaka till Sorong, och till sist kunde vi checka in på hotellet i närheten av flygplatsen och njuta av en ordentlig dusch och en ordentlig säng innan det bar av hemåt igen.

-----------------------------Text in English -----------------------------

When the liveaboard anchored back in Waisai we had some time to pack all our stuff. We were picked up with a small & narrow boat that would take us to our first homestay, Biryei, on the island Batanta. This boat ride took nearly two hours, and was bumpy enough even though we were very grateful that the weather was clear and the water calm.

Our first accomodation had only three bungalows (four when we left). Ours had a "real bed" (i.e. not only a mattress on the floor), but the mattress was very well-used, wo not peak comfort. We had our own bathroom though, which was outdoors with some roof - there was a toilet, a drying rack, and a big container with water and a bailer to use when "showering". We had a small porch with two chairs and a table. There was a sunbed-frame on the beach (without a mattress) so we put up the travel-hammock that we brought. Electricity was available a few hours during the evening.

Here we had a very calm and relaxed stay. Almost too calm at times. A lot of time was spent waiting for the next meal, as we were used to getting afternoon snacks or fruit. The breakfast was served early, and we were often awake with the sun, around seven. The breakfast usually consisted of deep fried bananas or sweet potatoes, but sometimes we would get cake or pancakes. Lunch was around 12 and usually had several dishes: rice, omelet, vegetables, tempeh and sometimes fish. We would spend our days kayaking, snorkeling, or reading in the hammock or on the beach, but the sun was still too hot to endure most of the time.
Dinner was served around 7pm, after dark, and after that we were ususally happy to just watch an episode of a series and then go to bed.

The main benefit of this homestay was the beautiful reef just off the beach. Swimming a bit further to the east we would spot turtles, black tip reef sharks, bluespotted stingray and sometimes schools of big bumphead parrotfish. When the tide was at its lowest you could walk a bit along the beach, and then sometimes be able  to spot some baby sharks and stingrays  in the shallows. In the general area there was a lot of seagrass near the beach, so you could be lucky to see some dugongs here. But even though we were often paddling or snorkeling at dawn and dusk we never managed to see any during our stay.

Too pass the time a bit we also went on two day trips. The first one, we got up before sunrise in order to take quite a long boattrip to a different island. Then we had to do a steep hike through the jungle (among centipedes and spiders) to finally get to the top of the hill and spot some birds of paradise high up in a tree. They were too far away too get any photos, and our guide barely said a word during the "tour". We hadn't really expected much, but I would definitely say that the boattrip in the serene morning stillness was the best part. In the afternoon we went to a different island and again had quite a trek through the jungle (though at a slower pace and without too many critters). We were both humid and sweaty when we arrived at the waterfall, so it was amazing to jump into the cool water!
Another day we decided to do a snorkeling tour to see a different reef than the one off our beach. But we hadn't really expected to get an actual snorkeling guide in the water with us, who would point out everything (including a lot off stuff that we weren't too impressed by), instead of being able to swim at your own pace. It was still a nice trip though.

After eight whole days at this accomodation it was time for us to move again. The owners drove us to our next place, Corepen homestay, which was on the "main island" in Raja Ampat, in an area called the Dampier Strait (which has several dive sites nearby). After spending more than a week intensely relaxing, we were eager to go scuba diving and decided to go already the same afternoon as we arrived. The following days we would do two or three dives every day. Usually two dives in the morning between breakfast and lunch (with a short stop on some island with snacks) and one dive in the afternoon. The food here was also really good, with several dishes and some amazing grilled fish. Like on the liveaboard trip, we had the opportunity to see some amazing underwater life during our dives, including reef sharks, turtles, octopus,nudibranchs and many other things.
The bungalow here was also quite simple. We had a (comfortable) mattress on the floor and a big porch over the water with two hammocks. Showers and bathrooms were shared with the other guests. We really enjoyed our stay at this accomodation, especially the days when there were fewer guests there, which contributed to a really cozy atmosphere. We were also lucky to see some landbased wildlife here - one evening we saw a cuscus up in a tree, which is a Papuan marsupial. Very cute!

On our last day we tried to dry our diving gear as much as possible and then packed everything into our backpacks once more. We were driven back to Waisai in another small boat, and this was I think the only time during our vacation when it rained on us a bit. In Waisai we went straight to buy tickets for the ferry that took us back to Sorong, and eventually we could check in to the hotel nearby the airport where we enjoyed a proper shower and a proper bed before starting the journey back home.

November 2019 - Raja Ampat, Indonesien - Del I

Första delen om vår dyksemester till Indonesien, specifikt om de första tio dagarna som spenderades ombord en liveaboard.

Raja Ampat sägs vara ett av världens bästa dykställen. Området är en stor marin nationalpark, vilket gör att de kan skydda korallreven och fiskarna. Det är beläget i närheten av Västpapua, och det är också dit man flyger när man ska ta sig till Raja Ampat. Vi hade en total restid på tjugosex timmar ner - vi flög med Qatar airways från Köpenhamn via Doha till Jakarta, där vi fick checka in vårt bagage på nytt inför sista etappen till Sorong med det lokala flygbolaget Garuda Indonesia. Väl framme i Sorong checkade vi in på ett hotell i närheten av flygplatsen. Vi var ganska utmattade och spenderade större delen av dagen (och natten) med att sova.

Tidigt nästa morgon checkade vi ut och gick till ett annat hotell i närheten, där vi blev upplockade med bil och körda till färjeläget. Vi mötte upp några av de andra som också skulle med samma liveaboard som vi, och satte oss sedan på den cirka två timmar långa färjan till Waisai, som man kan säga är själva porten ut till Raja Ampat-området.

Vår liveaboard var en stor, ombyggd segelbåt med såväl soldäck och lounge som plats för all dykutrustning. Vi var 12 dykare på båten, tre dykguider plus besättningen. Jag och Valle hade en egen koj under däck som var precis så stor att det fick plats en våningssäng och lite utrymme för väskorna.

            

Efter att vi packat upp vår dykutrustning och gjort ett testdyk började vi åka söderut mot ön Misool. Vi gjorde oftast tre eller fyra dyk om dagen, och däremellan fanns det lite tid att läsa, vila eller umgås. En vanlig dag kunde se ut såhär:

07.00 Vakna, dricka en kopp kaffe på soldäck
07.30 Dyk 1
09.00 Frukost
10.30 Dyk 2
12.00 Lunch
14.00 Dyk 3
15.30 Snacks, sitta på soldäck tills solen gick ner
18.00 Kvällsdyk
19.30 Middag
21.00 Läggdags

Varje måltid var en liten "buffé" med lokal mat. Ofta fanns det ris, köttgryta, ångkokta grönsaker, tofu eller tempeh, sambal, och någon frukt till efterrätt. Till frukost kunde det ibland bara någon söt lins- eller bönröra, pannkakor eller ägg. Hela dagen fanns det tillgång till juice, flingor med mjölk, och rostat bröd med marmelad, jordnötssmör och Nutella, och frukt. Vi kunde också köpa öl eller läsk. På eftermiddagen serverades ofta någon mjuk kaka eller friterad banan, sötpotatis eller grönsaker.

nudi branch

santa clause pygmy seahorse, endemic to the Misool-area

Det var otroligt bekvämt att bo så med allt inkluderat, och varje dag njöt vi av fantastiska dyk och en vacker utsikt över omkringliggande öar och hav. Ofta hade vi delfiner som hoppade en bit bort, och såväl soluppgångar som solnedgångar var såklart magiska. Man hann och orkade inte göra så jättemycket utöver dykningen,men det var ju också det som vi var där för. Och visst var det precis så fantastiskt som vi hade väntat oss. Jag har nog aldrig sett så mycket fisk någon annan stans, som vi gjorde i det här området. Det kanske bästa av allt (för mig iallafall) var att få se mantas. Valle har sett dem förut, men för mig var det första gången och det är verkligen häftigt. Att se dem simma sina rundor eller svepa förbi någon knapp centimeter ovanför en känns nästan overkligt. De är väldigt graciösa, och väldigt stora. De "vanliga" reef mantas är oftast 2-5 meter breda, men vi hade också turen att få se en Oceanic manta, som var ungefär 7 meter bred. Det var verkligen en upplevelse!

oceanic manta ray

Vi såg såklart mycket annat häftigt också - revhajar, nudibranchs, bläckfiskar, cuttlefish, pygmésjöhästar och "stora" sjöhästar, pipefish med mera. Vi hade fantastiska dyk i Misool-området, men även på tillbakavägen till Waisai fick vi några riktigt bra dyk runt ön Batanta.

pygmy seahorse

ornate ghost pipefish

thorny seahorse

reef squid

pygmy squid

Överlag var vi väldigt nöjda med liveaboarden - det är ett väldigt bekvämt liv där allting är ordnat, och det finns trevligt sällskap och gott om god mat. Och man har aldrig tråkigt! Men efter tio intensiva dagar såg vi också fram emot att ta det lugnt några dagar och verkligen varva ner...

---------------------------- Text in English --------------------------------------

The first part about our diving vacation in Indonesia, and more specifically about the first ten days, which we spent on a liveaboard.

Raja Ampat is said to be one of the best areas for scuba diving in the world. The area has a big marine national park, which helps protecting the coral reefs and fishes. Raja Ampat is situated near West Papua, which is where you fly to when getting there. We had a total travel time of 26 hours (heading out) – we flew with Qatar airways from Copenhagen through Doha to Jakarta, where we had to check in our luggage again as we were switching to the local flight company Garuda Indonesia for the final leg to Sorong. Once in Sorong, we checked in at a hotel near the airport. We were pretty exhausted, and spent the majority of the day (and the night) sleeping.

Early next morning we checked out and walked over to another hotel nearby, where we were picked up with a car and taken to the ferry. We met up with some of the other boat guests, and then got on the two-hour ferry to Waisai, which is more or less the gateway to the Raja Ampat area.

Our liveaboard was a large, rebuilt sailingboat with a sundeck and lounge as well as space for all the diving equipment. We were twelve divers on the boat, three diveguides plus the crew. Valle & I had our own cabin below deck, just big enough for a bunk bed and some space for our bags.

After unpacking and setting up the diving equipment, we had a check dive in the area before heading down towards Misool island. We usually did 3-4 dives per day, and in between there was some time for reading, resting or socializing. A regular day could look something like this:

7am – wake up, have coffee on the sundeck
7.30am – first dive
9am – breakfast
10.30am – second dive
12pm – lunch
2pm – third dive
3.30pm – snacks, watch the sun set from the sundeck
6pm – nightdive
7.30pm – dinner
9pm – bedtime

(for me, it was usually too hot to stay in the sun between 9am-4pm)

Every meal had a selection of local dishes. Often we got rice, stew, steamed vegetables, tofu or tempeh, sambal, and some fruit for dessert. For breakfast we could get some sweet lentil- or been sauce, pancakes, eggs or fried rice. Throughout the day we could always get juice, cereal, toast with jam, peanut butter or nutella, and fruit. We also had the possibility to buy sodas or beers. The afternoon snack was usually some sort of sponge cake or deep fried banana, sweet potato or vegetables.

It was incredibly comfortable to live like this where everything was included, and every day we got to enjoy amazing dives and a beautiful view over nearby islands and ocean. Often we saw dolphins jumping some distance away, and both sunrises and sunsets were of course magical. There was barely time or energy to do much except diving, but that was what we were there for. And it did not disappoint. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much fish anywhere else as we did in this area. Probably the best part (for me at least) was seeing mantas. Watching them circle around you or swoop down just above your head feels almost surreal. They are very gracious, and very big. The “regular” reef mantas are usually around 2-5 meters across, but we were also lucky enough to get to see an oceanic manta, about 7 meters across!

Of course, we saw lots of other cool stuff as well – reef sharks, nudi branchs, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, pygmy seahorses (and regular seahorses), pipefish and more. We had amazing dives in the Misool area, but on our way back to Waisai we also got some really good dives around Batanta island.

Generally we were really happy with our liveaboard – it’s a very comfortable life where everything is taken care of and provided, and there is great company and plenty of good food. And  you never get bored! Though after ten intense days, we were also looking forward to simply relaxing for a couple of days to really wind down…