my ocean trinkets

bangka island --> part VI

chapter six: farewell to paradise

bangka island --> part V

chapter five: the buddhist temple, signs, wire and pork

pak

at pak's suggestion, we went to this colorful and very tasty chinese restaurant.  the best part about it?  PORK.  otherwise known as babi. i ordered black bean pork (babi tausi) and ate with gusto. 

bangka island --> part IV

chapter two: parai beach day two's sunrise was exceptionally lovely.  we spent the morning at our beach, then Pak came and took us to parai beach for the afternoon.  since the sun was out, we had the beach to ourselves.  indonesians do not like the sun!  white is better!  it started getting cloudy and stormy at 2:30 and suddenly the beach was teeming with people.  so funny.

day two's sunrise

parai beach resort

little crabs burrow into the holes and make these little sand balls which they push back up to the surface.  so clever these little crabs.

bangka island --> part III

chapter three: tanjung pesona in all its magnificent and epic glory 

i woke up at quarter past five before the sun came up and got to see this beautiful purple and pink view of the ocean.  i puttered around until six to meet serena for yoga and a very interesting meditation session guided by serena.  i don't think i'm very good at meditating.  it requires quite a lot of focus.  breakfast consisted of fried rice, slices of bread, kaya jam, butter, deliciously strong coffee and some seriously deep fried eggs.  after a filling up, we mosied our way back down to the sea and swam, held hermit crab races (cruel, i know, but we couldn't help ourselves), read, drank water and ended the afternoon under the warm, warm water while a thunder storm rained down on us.  we finally got out when we realized how close the lightning and thunder were to us and thought it might be a good idea if no one died from being struck by lightning.  after a warm shower and some dry clothes, we made our way into town for dinner at eat&eat, an open food stall lot featuring a very refreshing watermelon juice.

even emptier in the early morning

saturday's sunrise

as suki would say, this is very woo woo and i agree. 

our first annual hermit crab competition...

...followed by who could eat the most hermit crabs!  yum!
that is a joke.  no hermit crabs were eaten at the beach.

word spread about the races and soon everyone wanted a part in it!

okay, this will only be really hilarious to guiyang, xining, guilin and anyone else who saw that ridiculously embarrassing picture of me and the wedding party at dave and guiyang's wedding.  anyway, is this or is this not totally reminiscent of the time the photographer told everyone to smile and the picture he got was of me going completely overboard thinking that's what we were supposed to do?  picture head back, full on cackle face, leg flung out doing who knows what.  well, nick said, splash some water up and this is what he got.  i look like i'm in a tampon ad.  be free.  be active. be you.

they look like HUMANS!