Pacific ocean, Australia

Hi- I am sitting on a boat in the pacific ocean occasionally getting to snorkel on the great barrier reef. I am on live aboard boat with a dive group called pro scuba. This was one of the prime reasons I wanted to come to Australia. I even remembered to bring my dive card. S you might be asking yourself why isn't Jean diving. The answer to that is that I couldn't get my ears to clear when I went diving in The Gilli Islands in Indonesia and when I got to Australia and had paid for the trip and was talking to their staff they suggested that I go see the dive Dr. At the 24+ medical clinic. I did and he checked my ears when I was holding my nose and blowing out and the ear drum was not moving so I have a temporarily unfit to dive problem. Fortunately, their are 5 other people on the boat who are also snorkelers.
Yesterday,the first time in the water I didn't use my common sense. It was apparently on the blink. The water was very rough and I got in anyway. I was very scared. I ended up waving my arm with the distress signal and they came and towed me back to the boat. It was challenging to swim in the rough water, challenging to see anything in the rough water. It was grey, cloudy and raining.
The second time in the water ni stayed close to the boat and was in the water about 10 minutes. The third time, I went out with one of the dive instructors and we went out to the coral and saw some beautiful fish. Some of the same fish we saw in Indonesia. I guess they followed me here.
Now this morning it is raining again and the water looks rough. So I am writing instead of struggling in the water. Pro-Scuba is a pretty professionally run group. They take no more tha 32 people out at a time. If you are a diver or are getting your dive certification you can do it on board. You have the opportunity to dive 11 times, snorkel 9 times. Snorkelers do not snorkel at night in the dark. They check us in as we get in the water and check us out as we get out of the water. There is a lookout on the top of the boat looking out for all the people in the water. This is apparently stinger season and so we are all wearing a full body suit that covers your hands, head, neck, and legs with a strap under your foot. This is really when I miss Jim. He was a great dive buddy. You never dive alone. I would really like to have a snorkel buddy. There is a woman from Germany who is here with her brother who has befriended me. There is another German girl that I might team up with who also got scared yesterday in the rough sea. She doesn't speak as much English as the first one. I don't know anyone's name.
It's a bit like going to dance camp. You have certain times to dive, someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning up and you are there to have a good time. Every body else on this trip is from Europe. Most of them are German, some Swiss, and a couple from Holland and me. Traveling by myself hasn't been too bad. There are some disadvantages and advantages. You canto on the tours you want to but you do t really have anyone to discuss your decisions with.

Indonesia

HI
I am in Indonesia now. Today we left Lovina and have arrived at this fabulous hotel called Strawberry Hill. The reason this is a fbulous hotel is because it has tv that works, internet i the room as well as the restaurant, a seperate shower as well as a bath tub, a balcony, soft shhets.
This is actually the first hotel we have stayed in here that has tv that works.

So i arrived in Ubud, Indonesia. The monkey forrest is there. Let me back up, I went to the emergency room in darwin, australia the day i left and they xrayed my wrist. it sounds like it's not healing exactly right but it is healing and the good thing is they took off the plaster cas and put on a removable hard plaastic splint. That means I have been able to go swimming, and snorkeli \ng and get in the waterfall. It has made this trip so much moe enjoyable. For the past 3 nights we have been in Lovina. Yesterday, we went snorkeling. The fish were so colorful, the water was so beautiful. Crystal clear turquoise, and when you look past the coral the dark blue was beautiful as well. There was one fish that reminded me of some wild colored tennis shoes. we saw purple tipped coral, electric bluefish, lightturquoise colored fish, needle nose long skinny fish, nemo-clown fish in tow colorations. I had forgotten how beautiful the fish are since it has been so long since I have been diving, snorkeling or to the ocean like this. The snorkeling guide on my boat was so thoughtful. Our first snorkel was from the beach and the second one was from the boat. I was not sure I was going to be able to get back in the boat from the ocean with only one useful hand. He had the boat driver pull the boat up very near the dead coral. So in effect iwas able to get back in the boat with a minimum of help.
We were snorkeling at Pulau Menjangan in Bali Barat National Park. We bought a picnic lunch of rice, chicken, green beans, and some peanut thing. It was delicious.

We have seen weavers makiing sarongs, and dyeing the yarns in a pattern, trekked through the rice field, sweated buckets. It's an unusual time for this region. It's been hotter here the last couple of days than usual. On the trek through the rice field, i finally had had it. I caught up with that guide, his name was Numan. Everyone is named the same thing here. First born boy or girl is Wayan, second is Made, third is Numan!Anyway my ace was red, I was not having a good time, I was sweating buckets and it looked like we were going to be walking another 45 minutes. I asked him to call someone to come and get me. So the best 10,000 rupiahs I have spent. I paid a young man to take me to the bridge where we were having lunch on the back of his scooter. Although when we were going down the hills and his breaks were screeching I was praying they were going to hold and work. It's time for dinner. I will finish up later.