Derawan

It seems that this part of the world, the Sulawesi and the Celeb Seas are filled with little heavens.

Though the 50 minute speedboat ride to get here was quite bumpy all throughout, and at multiple occasions Fede, Julia and myself looked at beach other wondering it the boat was going to make it, when we arrived at one of the little wooden docks, water as transparent as can be (contrary to Mabul clear blue Derawan is m,ore of a clear green), we were all shocked at how beautiful this place was despite its tininess and being so far away from the rest of the world.

You can pretty much walk around the island in 20 minutes. Yet, tons of home stays and little shops. Apparently Derawan is a preferred destination for local tourism. Thank God now is not peak season.

After some door knocking and negotiating we manage to find rooms for $10 a night (expensive for my budget, but the place is so heavenly). Each room has a little balcony right on the water to watch the sunset on the back of the room, and a tiny patio on the front to watch the sun rise while having breakfast. Gigantic decent bed, and water hose and shit hole in bathroom. Kind of a luxury vs all the other accommodations I have had so far on this trip. So let's stay here a few days and relax, as I haven't really been able to do that yet.
Each room is very colourfully painted both inside and outside. The name of the home stay is Pinades, based on the first syllables of the names of each of the three daughters of Marci and Hassan, the owners. Pini, Nadia, and Destri. Oh, and they have a carton box which is a mother cat and her 5 little one week old brew born kitties. Laetitia, you would so love it!

We drop of our bags and go grab diner at what is supposed to be the best deal on the island: April Resto.
We are all starving. We splurge, $4 each for diner and drinks. It was by far the best food i had had so far on my trip. April well deserves her reputation!

One thing we discovered when arriving on the island (though it is mentioned in the Lonely Planet) is that the island is a nesting place for giant green turtles, and they tend to come lay their eggs on its beaches almost every night.

So after this yummy diner, we head out to the preferred beach of turtles and to our grand surprise, actually find a giant one just finishing laying her eggs and starting the process of digging herself into the sand to cover her eggs. What Miss Turtle didn't know though is that the WWF Rangers on site was collecting the eggs while she was laying them so that they can then protect them from the poachers until they hatch.

It was such a spectacle to watch that turtle struggle so much for the well being of her babies, and then have such a hard time to get back to the water. Every four "steps" she sort of fell in a coma, actually a break from the exhaustion (swimming in water is a lot smoother and easier than "paddling" on sand.), and after like 30 seconds she would come back to life as if she had stopped breathing for those 30 seconds. A bit scary when you are up close.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it was the full moon, and not a single cloud in the sky.

Since it was low tide we walked for a couple of kilometers on the infinite sand banks under the gorgeous stars and the full moon looking at us.

An absolutely fantastic way ending in the most fantastic and romantic way. (Only wish I had had some one to share the romanticism of the moment. Grrrrrrr!)