I spent my Easter vacation on the island of Bunaken, which is just off the coast of Manado in North Sulawesi. Then I headed south to the small town of Gorontalo.
Day 1: I thought I had a direct flight, but should have known better. There was an 8 hour delay in the Makassar airport. I finally arrived at night in Manado and took a bumpy ride through small villages to reach my boat. It was evident that I had arrived in the most Christian area of Indonesia because the village roads were lined with crosses and lanterns in preparation for Easter. It was really beautiful. I took a small boat to Bunaken island and since it was dark, a man stood on the front of the boat using a flashlight to light the way.
Day 2: The effort to get to Bunaken was well worth it! The snorkeling was the best I have ever seen! I saw a small shark, and was hoping the mother wasn’t nearby. There were so many varieties of coral and brightly colored fish. At one place there was also a lot of trash floating on the surface, which had floated over from the city of Manado. This was a bit disgusting having to clear the plastic bags, etc. out of my way as I snorkeled. But luckily, I only had this problem in one area. After snorkeling I spent a lazy afternoon napping in a hammock on the porch of my bungalow, which was right on the water.
Day 3: There was a great group of people where I stayed, mostly Europeans, so I had plenty of company on this trip! More excellent snorkeling and saw 2 sea turtles and a stingray! Also visited the small village on the island.
Day 4: Easter. I was planning to go to church and I guess I sort of went. I joined a snorkeling/diving trip where I snorkeled close to another small village. When I lifted my head out of the water I could hear lively singing coming from the churches on the island. Also found a scorpion in my bathroom.
Day 5: I took an 8 hour shared SUV ride to Gorontalo with a really nice Indonesian family. I was crammed in the back row so it wasn’t the most comfortable journey. We sped through small villages lining the road as people, goats, and ox pulling carts jumped out of the way. Saw one dead dog on the side of the road that wasn’t so lucky.
Day 6: Gorontalo. I visited the university here and saw the town which was my main goal. This is a site for next school year. I think I could go stir crazy here. Some of my experiences:
-pink rice for breakfast
-several becak drivers told me “No terrorists here.”
-people at the university were so excited to have a native speaker visit so I quickly ended up in the President’s office where a photographer took photos of my meeting with the President. Felt like someone important for a few moments.
-very friendly people
-I was the only westerner in town from what I could tell
-most food items on the menus were not available…….I was puzzled why fried fish was available but not grilled fish????????????
-several becak drivers told me “No terrorists here.”
-people at the university were so excited to have a native speaker visit so I quickly ended up in the President’s office where a photographer took photos of my meeting with the President. Felt like someone important for a few moments.
-very friendly people
-I was the only westerner in town from what I could tell
-most food items on the menus were not available…….I was puzzled why fried fish was available but not grilled fish????????????
Day 7: Returned home to find a roach on my bed and green mold covering my closet, inside and out. I had to take most of my clothes to the laundry since they were covered in mold.
