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  • Powell Ettinger

Seychonesia

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    🇮🇩 Sampela, Indonesia
    Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    Top new golf hat

    Kodia Island - Want to live here

    October 3 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Kodia Island. So little known that Google AI tries to persuade you it is in Alaska. Heritage visit twice per year and virtually no one else does.

    To start. Whole village turned out to greet us, and kids limed up to High five or bump fists. Almost everyone very keen to engage, and they were taking as many photos of us as we were of them . A few language lessons (Terima Kasih-) thank you.

    Next to the dreaded cultural dance, which was a delight. Many girls dancing, large pister on stage dedicated to Heritage Expeditions ( only ship that visits) , coconut drinks for anyone that wants, (several miserable types turned them down), and speach from village chief.

    Free to wonder around. Just sat and chilled for 20 minutes watching. Then bought fine new golf hat made by weaving women in the village.

    My favourite bit. Tiny restaurant offering Bersih, Indah, Sejuk, Ramah, Tertib and Kanangan. And tea. Just sat and drank tea and interacted with ladies, mum's, grandma's and Daffy, small boy with top Barnet.

    Wondered round village, people happy to talk,bor not.

    Lovely looking houses, old wooden 2 story houses with balconies, newer brick/concrete being built, several signs offering homestay, and plenty of Gang culture ( houses or streets seem to be called gang something...).

    Newly printed signs in English saying things like " build a reef, build a future".

    Rough stone Causeway across to main island, and other half of village. Carries water in pipes from spring up the hill.

    Dramatic dry hills as a backdrop. Lovely

    Fine snorkeling/ diving here too, a favourite spot.

    Japanese base

    Rommel de Jesus    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Vaguely pink beach

    October 2 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Slight tourist trap with fantastic snorkeling. "Pink Beach" it is- if you catch the light just right, only look at a small corner of it, and at the right time of day (helps if you squint too).

    But despite plenty of people the snorkelling was excellent. But some idiot didn't check the camera case was closed properly so potential major F*#k up.Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Here be dragons

    October 2 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Saw sunrise over Komodo. Early breakfast then to boats for beach. Split into 4-5 groups but, to be honest, group too big to be ideal.

    Saw half dozen or so dragon. From 2 year old (looks like monitor lizard) to big adult. Babies - only around 5% survive, not least because mother hangs around nesting site and tries to eat them, as do other adults. Babies hide inside palm trees for 2 years before emerging and taking their chances on the ground.

    Very tame deer here, dragon main prey, as are well as wild boar, water buffalo, horses (small) and even snakes and lizards.

    Dragons bite is venomous and full of deadly bacteria. Often bite their prey and follow for a week or two until dead.

    Females grow to 2 metres long, males to 3. Males fight at this time of year sumo style,over the impressionable ladies.

    Villagers somehow live in harmony with these beasts. Mostly squid fishermen they keep dragons away with sticks (like madao with lions?).

    Chicken are free roaming as dragons trash cages.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    1

    Buffadil racing

    October 1 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Bus ride to small village. Pride and place was Buffalo racing. There will be some who don't approve but it is spectacular. You have to get to far end ASAP and knock down the wooden stick (effigy?).

    Preceded by the dreaded cultural dance, though this one was better than most. Included small boys fighting and a wedding ceremony. Maybe they have Irish connections.

    Small village where everyone seemed genuinely delighted to see us. Kids in brilliant school uniform, much better than UK (chinos and beach shirt). Strange ginger soup, weaving, lots of kids and chickens and a few old houses.
    Back to ship for lunch and relocation.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Sumbawa and an Old building

    October 1 in Indonesia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    145 nautical miles from Bali, a visit to Sumbawa. Early pre-breakfast on back of deck 6 with views of Sumbawa island..

    An old building, used to be Sultan's palace. Main thing to note that it was built without nails, just wood joinery. Impressive. Mannequins all dressed as Sultan and Sultana, all look very EuropeanRead more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Bali Bye

    September 30 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Time to head to ship. 4 clients on board. 2 complaints. 1 hotel bill unpaid, I dinner confusion. Both sorted. R wins champions league of Dennis. AnA very good value. NNNRRRR. Very industrious.

    Saw hotel chief pinned to his desk by Dennis Dull. No escape.Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    1

    Shit coffee

    September 29 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Jenny (Yenny Worle, not Schulz) very kindly organised a car with a lovely driver (Kadek) to take us out for the day. At first we were offered a motor bike to ride but without an international driving licence that was a no go (CW very pleased I think). So a car arrived promptly at 10.00.

    First stop, Laundry. Then Paddy fields and Batur volcano, before arriving at a lovely small plantation and traditional house. Many many different fruits and spices grown here, as well as tea and coffee. Including, allegedly, the world's most expensive coffee, Kopi Lewak. Ordinary coffee, eaten and shat out by a palm civet! Allegedly the civet enzymes do something special to the coffee. Even though i don't like coffee, we bought some.
    And tea, and chocolate - Chilli, dark and milk.

    Things grown here include: Coffee (Robusta and ARabica, pineapple, pink bananas, jack fruit, durian, vanilla, cacao, honey (the smallest bees i ever saw), and many other fruits.

    Traditional Bali House set out to the points of the compas. Mini temple, kitchen, grandparents house etc all in allotted places. Some trad drumming and full set of tea and coffee tasting.

    Must have misunderstood costs of coffee, as bill was hugely more tha expected!    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    1

    Bali - Hi. Batur volcano. Templetastic

    September 29 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Road trip. Not far, 40 kms or so, but traffic so bad it took 3 hours or so, Stopped at "Paddy field " experience, which included expensive restaurants/bars, zip wires, huge swings, paddy field "trekking", infinity pools full of girls in micro bikinis - and a few paddy fields.

    Not sure if they got the irony/joke, but 1 couple wearing identical Arsenal shirts with "Rice" on the back.

    Next to Kintamani for lunch with splendid views of Batur Volcano. Realised were actually dining on the rim of the Caldera.

    Laughed at "Cluck Norris" chicken wings on menu

    Roads lined almost all the way by houses. Seems like every third building is a temple, and most houses have their own temple as past of the lay out too.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
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    Bali - Hi

    September 28 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌩️ 27 °C

    Good flight. Immigration a breeze, then had to wait 75 minutes for luggage. Stroppy taxi driver was going to leave. Persuaded to stay.

    Hyatt Bali. Quick shower,decent pizza, crash

    Not my usual haunt. Very comfortable, top gardens. Choice of restaurants, access to beach.

    Top snail though.

    Weirdly every car/taxi gets checked underneath for bombs, but anyone can access from breach side.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    1suck it in boy

    Last day

    September 27 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Last day in Seychelles. We were shown round Pegasus, sea pearl and Sea star, and met ,2 guests , Kevin and Adele.

    Sea Pearl better than expected but accommodation very basic.

    Bus to Coral Strand where aggressively unhelpful staff refused entry. Switched to delightful Augerine. Lunch in beach shack, huge ice cream, quick snorkel, and off.Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Praslin championship

    September 25 on the Seychelles ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The big golf match. Ettingers v rest of world. Very plush hotel, £10 for a coffee, buggies, very good clubs, 10 balls each. Hot, difficult course with 5-6 spectacular holes, including amazing 15th, and spectacular difficult 18. Balls situation touch and go and we only got as fast as 18 by not playing 17, finding 4-5 balls in lake and finishing with. Couple of balls off practice range.

    Golf was the winner on the day, as we're the Ettingers. Just. I think.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    La Digue

    September 24 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Rent bikes, decide to go to Cafe perched on top of island - foolish. Met Jack n Lexa on the climb. Unfeasibly steep, required pushing most of the way, even Caroline's electric bike couldn't make the last bit. But fantastic views from Restaurant, and world's biggest spider's web on way. Spotted some Seychelles blue pigeons.

    Next to Anse Source D'argent (translates to 'money spring'). Pay to get in. Beautiful beaches, lots of punters (by local standards), beach bar, minor snorkeling, tortoises in enclosure, lots of preening selfies.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    So who's marrying who? Big day part 2

    September 23 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    It was decided that the bride and groom should arrive separately, simultaneously in our own tenders. Worked brilliantly.

    Crew had set up chairs, a bar and a small arrangement of palm fronds. Brilliant. As we set off for beach there seemed to be quite a few other punters hanging around, but amazingly during the three minutes it took to get to the beach they had all disappeared.

    Caroline looked - well, you be the judge.

    We were introduced to the fantastic Ralph Moses Barbe (Pronounced Barbie) - A Ray Charles look-a-like, who wanted to check 1-2 things before we got down to business. He had a large register and a piece of paper with the relevant details of who was doing what.

    Anyway, all went ahead as planned, with wrong names and ages announced during ceremony, but we think is it is all correct now and we have a certificate that we think is legal. and mostly correct.

    1-2 small mistakes though. My name was correct, but it turned out i was Marrying Jenny, not Caroline. And a few other minor details (DOB, POB etc) but he seemed very cool with it all and said it would be fine (Jenny really not so sure.

    Celebrations kicked off with champagne, and DJ Tom of Edinburgh on the turntables (Spotify). He had checked some favourite tunes and was told "Black Betty". Greta s it is it is really a song that means more to Erna and I, (We met in Black Sallies restaurant in Snowy Mountains, OZ) so unusually i had the first dance with Erna, not the bride!

    Rubens followed through with his promise of a DJ and budgie smugglers, beach cricket was enjoyed, with Caroline bowling me out first ball, and crew member, outdoor Sean, who had never played, or even heard of, cricket before, cracking his first ball miles.

    We even found a tired old 140 year old Giant tortoise to join (?) in the fun.

    The party and the champagne moved back to the boat where a BBQ and plenty of vigorous dancing , including some crew members, Rubens and Whizz, neither of whom had ever been seen to dance before. Most people faded sometime after midnight, which, to be fair, was 8 hours after the party started!    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Water fun

    September 22 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Pulled in by Grand Anse on Praslin. Some half decent snorkeling though dark skies and rain made viewing a bit dull. Whizz trying to master SUP and a fine swimming race between crewman Sean, who is on Seychelles national team, Whizz n Jack. Sean just winning as finishing line approaches, but stopped, and Whizz pipped Jack by a foot or two.Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Cousin - Tortoises and hares.

    September 22 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Aride visit. Tom of Edinburgh off to Dr as blood and fluid from ear. Mr Mallon laid low so only 15 participants.

    Highlights
    Ride to island on speedboat that beaches at high speed.
    160 George still trying it on with the ladies!
    They do have hares here. But no races.

    Notes
    Brown noddy

    Seychelles magpie robin
    Only 26 left at one point

    1994 introduced to cousin. Now 83

    5 islands in Seychelles
    Now 400 birds.
    Rely on insects

    Moorhen
    Seychelles fody
    White tern. Never build nest

    White tailed tropic bird here
    Red eggs!/

    Red tailed tropic bird not here but on A ride

    Seychelles birds only lay 1 egg at a time    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Dive disappointment

    September 21 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Having been told that padi divers would go first at 09.00 the time got moved to 11, then 1 and finally 3. 😠. Frustrating as I would have kayaked, beached, snorkelled if I had known.

    Pe, kw and ER struggled to equalize so aborted. Visibility so poor PR and PM dives aborted.

    Cw and girls, Sha n Pete went ashore in tender. Had to be dropped on small beach due to rough sea. Scramble to get to nice beach with cafes. £24 for 2x pineapple juice and 2 x coke. Had to scramble back to. Get tender back.

    Disappointing snorkeling/diving. Poor conditions.

    PR lost weight belt. Pe weight belt broke. Not great    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Rough

    September 20 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Panic circuit of Victoria in search of a hat. Must have been a run on men's hats. A few much too small hats, many ladies hats and some baseball caps before a very standard panama style purchase

    Met Lara, Shania and Amit from Silhouette in their converted container office with coconut drink.

    Rough crossing to Praslin though skipper Ronnie described it as calm. S & J became Huey and Ralph. But others, Caroline and Katie proved patches work.

    Quite spectacular crossing past a few uninhabited islands, and Cousin, with a glimpse of some Bottlenose, and various shearwaters flitting.

    Anchored in sheltered bay off Anse Lazio.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    11

    So all Rabbis should drive convertibles?

    September 19 on the Seychelles ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Breakfast. Fresh fruit. Omelettes, toast n jam.

    Jack, Lexas, Maisie, Tom n Whizz arrived. Mallons rucksack retrieved. Whizz very happy to find resident dogs!

    Boys all off to beach for a swim while girls head to hills for Sarongs making session. Rastas, giant tortoise (that ate all the leaves used for painting and decorating sarongs) .

    Pete, Paul x2, Jack and Powell played beach volleyball. Top Gun this was not. A lot of time wallowing in the sand, and retrieving the ball from the sea. Then to shack for fish, prawn, octopus, shark curry and coconut drink. Grand reunion with girls,break altogether for first time.

    One of those convoluted conversations where someone only hears the last line (So all rabbis should drive convertibles) but have no chance of working out what the conversation was about. Apparently Volvos are very popular with Hasidic Jewish community as they have high roofs, enough space for a big hat.

    Dinner at Augerine. Creole buffet again.not quite as good as previous night, but more Ambience, and magnae of swimming pool wine (white).    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Augerine - perfect

    Sep 18–21 on the Seychelles ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Met by transfer man and given chat on Seychelles en route to hotel.
    3 languages. Creole, English and Creole (surely French). Ask someone something in French they will answer in English. But Creole is main lang, heavily based on French. Bonzou - bon jour -hello. Servants downstairs would mishear French masters.

    Inhabited in 1740 by French, ceded to UK after defeat of Napoleon in 1814. Became crown colony in about 1900. Offered independence in 1973 but wanted to stay as a colony. However coup a few months later and became independent.

    Hotel arrival. Met by Doris and given a fruit drink. Quick look at beach - glorious.

    Disturbed by giant tortoises in tiny pens outside hotel but think they belong to Awful looking Beraya hotel next door.

    Quick visit to room before swim. Water not as warm as expected but lovely temperature. Tried snorkeling but no fish here. Seems to be tiny jellyfish with tiny stings. No mark but a bit like a nettle, but not as bad.

    Drink in garden, flying foxes about and I watched as 2 seemed to be fishing or skimming the sea.

    Lots of exotic bird noises but Merlin says only 30% of birds here recognized. Only picked up Mynas.

    Walked along beach, to dinner. Fine sunset. Creole buffet, super tasty. Asleep in record time.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger

    Debbie from Birmingham

    September 18 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Top deck of a380. Wheelchair seat (didn't seem any different)… very comfortable but why wait so long before serving second dinner ( after champagne and steak in lounge). Flight too short. Godfather 2. - one of longest films ever made, so flatbed not used as long as it could have been. Turned down mattresses! Still v comfy.

    Dubai airport is vast. Rows of A380s and 777s - plane spotters dream. But terminals are vast and numerous, added to the fact our plane has no gate, we had to walk a long way, catch a train, walk some more, then 15 minutes on a bus.

    Amazed to find we are on 777 to Seychelles. Expected much smaller plane. Economy full but business almost empty. Apart from 3 annoying piss heads in row in front.    Read more

  • Powell EttingerSeychonesiaPowell Ettinger
    11

    The road to Heathrow

    September 17 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Collected on time by Mallon taxis. But that was the easy bit.

    Woke up this morning frustrated by useless Etihad system that wouldn't let me check in. Seems reason was that flight was cancelled. Useless emails from Etihad, but turns out flying Emirates instead. But Etihad 'customer services" clueless.
    Anyway. Business on Emirates. Can't complain. Top deck of 380. Free champagne in lounge and on board. Flat bed. Problem was flight was top short.

    Now to Dubai for a surprise (for them) meeting with Paul and Erna.

    Couldn't resist godfather 2. One of longest films ever made. Who needs sleep

    Drive to LHR not easy with 1 hour delay due to vehicle fire.    Read more

    Trip start
    September 17, 2025
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