Author Archives: Alexandra

Review of “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune

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Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 394
Published: 2020, Tor Books
My Grade: 5 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION 

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

MY REVIEW

This book was a change of pace and kind of reminds me of Rick Riordan’s books. It was a long time ago I read anything of his, but the type of writing and the wittiness reminded me of him.

It was fast paced, many things happened, nothing too extreme, but there was always something just about to happen so it was hard to put down.

In the beginning I felt like all the characters were to witty and sometimes also mean. They always had snarky remarks to everything but that eventually toned down but I guess that makes sense. As the story progresses, they get to know each other and relax in each other’s companies and the dialogue gets more clever rather than witty.

Like I just mentioned, there was always something happening, not too many setbacks and I have to admit that the bad turns of this story were a bit lame. The story built up intensely and you kept wondering why that was so, and they made a big deal out of something that then turned out to be nothing at all basically. Which leads me to the conclusion that this was just a feel-good book. It was cozy, super well-written, it was funny, and cute as well as inclusive. It was an easy read with a happy ending and honestly, not a very surprising one either.

I feel like I have to write something about this Sixties Scoop thing as well. Honestly, I’ve read reviews of this book where they say they loved the book, until they heard about the Sixties Scoop in Canada and then they rated the book on the minus scale. These children are orphanages and are being taken care of in an orphanage. Sure, they are regulated, but that’s just the harsh reality of this FANTASY novel where “normal” people are afraid of the supernatural. So should all books about orphanages be boycotted? This is hardly the first or the last. Super silly to even make this comparison in my opinion. It was a great book, and you definitely didn’t get a “glorified version of the Sixties Scoop”. It was a cute fantasy novel about including everyone and finding family.

I give it a full rating of 5. No questions there!

Review of “Dune” by Frank Herbert

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Title: Dune
Author: Frank Herbert
Series: Dune #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 507
Published: 1965, Chilton
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION 

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for….

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

MY REVIEW

Dune has been on my TBR list for so many years now and it wasn’t until I saw the new movie that came out in 2021 that I moved the book up on the list. Back in the day, I would say that that was the wrong order. I would wait to watch a new movie or series until I had read the book or books. But as my life priorities have changed with work and working out, reading has been pushed down. It saddens me. But since this work is considered the forefather of all modern science fiction, and the move was only half the book, I would say that it didn’t really matter because the book was something else.

It is embarrassing that it took me almost a year to finish it, but the second half of it in just three days (thank you, New Year’s flu). When I had the time to read more than just a couple of pages in bed before I would fall asleep with the book in my hand, it was so easy to get sucked into the story.

I would say that the book is divided in two. When things happen, and political dialogues. When things happen, it’s easy to follow along, the dialogue makes sense, there is action and you just want to continue to read. Then there are those chapters which are focused on the politics of the story. And I don’t know if I’m just not used to this kind of language and prose, but I honestly couldn’t understand what they were talking about. It was hard to understand how they reasoned, and what underlying thoughts came to the conclusions they drew. It was like a lot of thinking and internal dialogue was missing and my mind wasn’t imaginative enough to tag along. I’m sure it was brilliant, because everyone says it is. But I just didn’t get it.

Another thing that bothered me before I got a hang of it, was that Dune did not follow just one character in each chapter. What I usually read, follows only one character per chapter, or at least very separated so it’s super clear which person’s point of view you’re following. But here, you could in one sentence be inside Paul Atreides mind, hearing what he’s thinking while talking to Gurney Halleck for example. And the next sentece, you’re inside Jessica’s head, analyzing Paul’s and Gurney’s dialogue. It took some time getting used to, and I probably got several thoughts connected with the wrong character. Oh well.

It was a book of many levels. You could tell the massive background investigation that went into this book. It’s a complicated piece discussing ecology, politics, religion with a hint of fantasy set in the far far future after an AI-war which destroyed the world as we know it. It was impressive and I did truly enjoy it, although it was a bit complicated. I will give it a 4 out of 5.It was an incredible and timeless science-fiction novel.

I have to admit though, that I am not sure if I want to continue with Herbert’s world. Dune ended on an incredible cliffhanger and I know myself enough that that alone will probably make me pick up Dune Messiah right after I finish this post. But I’ve also, unfortunately, read that the sequels are not as good and finishing with this cliffhanger leaves the planet of Arrakis’ future up for your own imagination.

Review of “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Series: The Lord of the Rings #0
Illustrator: Alan Lee
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 289
Published: 1997, HarperCollins Publishers (originally published 1937)
My Grade: 5 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

 

MY REVIEW

I was thirteen the first time I read this book. At that time, I was devouring books like I can’t even imagine today. But I do remember not thinking that this was a children’s book. Probably because I was a child and The Lord of the Rings as a whole is marked as adult fantasy. This time I could tell. Focus only lay on where the action was, the journey was not described in words at all (which I remember the first two of the trilogy had lots of (I was too young to be able to even begin the third)). The dialogue was also very easy. Well, short and old-fashioned maybe. Fitting for the age in which it takes place. But sometimes, because of the dialogue, it didn’t feel like a children’s book at all.

The reason I wanted to read Tolkien’s works again is because I don’t feel like I was mature enough to appreciate it when I was thirteen. And also, I’ve seen the movies countless times and want to know more. And since I have many of them illustrated now, I figured it was time.

I kinda don’t want to bring in the movies in this review, but I have to say, the full story of the book is represented in the movies. With a lot more of course! But it’s all there. I remember being initially disappointed over this relatively short book being turned into a trilogy on screen. But adding Gandalf’s part of finding out about the Necromancer and his council with the white wizards was great.

Anyway, the movies are great because they are adapted from a great book. 5 out of 5.

Review of “The Fires of Heaven” by Robert Jordan

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Title: The Shadows Rising
Author: Robert Jordan
Series: Wheel of Time #4
Narrator: Michael Kramer and Kate Reading
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 36 hours 27 minutes
Published: 2004, MacMillan Audio (originally published 1994)
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

The bonds and wards that hold the Great Lord of the Dark are slowly failing, but still his fragile prison holds. The Forsaken, immortal servants of the shadow, weave their snares and tighten their grip upon the realms of men, sure in the knowledge that their master will soon break free…

Rand al’ Thor, the Dragon Reborn, knows that he must strike at the Enemy, but his forces are divided by treachery and by ambition. Even the Aes Sedai, ancient guardians of the Light, are riven by civil war. Betrayed by his allies, pursued by his enemies and beset by the madness that comes to the male wielders of the One Power, Rand rides out to meet the foe.

 

MY REVIEW

The story goes on and I’m so surprised at how intricate it is. This was book 5 out of 14 and it feels like so much has happend so far and I can’t believe I’m not even half done with the series. The work Jordan has put into this series is ridiculous!

The Fires of heaven basically follows two two storylines. That of Rand, Mat, Egwene and the other one of Elayne and Nyneave which is later intertwined with the Amyrlin Seat and Min. Perrin is barely even mentioned in this book. The storyline of Rand was a bit complicated, lots of politics, many fighting scenes and schemes. It progressed a lot though and many things happened. Especially in the end. Wow!

It was much easier following the adventure of Elayne and Nyneave. Even if a lot of the story takes place in the world of dreams. Pretty cool!

It was a long book, many events, lots of traveling, many places were visited. And so many characters! It’s hard to keep track of them all. It was a good continuation of the story and with that ending, I’m very eager to continue to listen! The Fires of Heaven gets a 4.

Last day in Bali

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This amazing vacation has unfortunately come to an end. We are back home, all unpacked, the cats are home and the thick fall jackets already feel normal compared to shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops. It’s sad how fast Bali and Gili became memories as soon as we landed in Copenhagen and drove home to Gothenburg.

28 hours of flight travel (including all the waiting and two layovers) and 3,5 hours in the car wasn’t so bad this time. I don’t know if it is the cold that I currently got or if I was just exhausted after these two weeks, but I slept through most of it. I stayed awake enough to manage two movies on the last flight, but other than that, I think I slept all the time. Which was great, because driving home wasn’t so bad.

We went to mom’s place directly to pick up the cats. We were not greeted the way we were hoping to be. They ran away from us and didn’t recognize us at all. Getting them in the cages was hard and they even hissed at us. We felt bad, because they probably felt abandoned and had started to accept living with mom and her 3-year old Stella. And then two strangers who smelled weird came and put them in cages. But as soon as we came home and let them out, they were back to their normal selves. Phew! But I’m so glad that they enjoyed staying with mom. We have both loved the updates and Mikael kept asking everyday if there were news since last. Cute.

Our last day on Bali lasted until 3pm when we were picked up from the hotel. We didn’t do more than sleep a little longer than usual, eat breakfast, pack, check out, and hang out by the pool. But it was still more than just leaving for the airport right after breakfast. It was a beautiful day, clear blue sky with a breeze so it wasn’t too hot. A really nice last half day.

To quickly sum this whole trip up: best vacation ever and the first with Mikael. if our first trip together was this amazing, how will the rest be?

I am very satisfied with Flamingo Tours with which we booked the whole thing. They were very helpful before we left and it was a great trip planned. I would say that 14 days (including travel time) was not enough though. And I would dare say that I could have skipped Sanur and Swiss Belresort and added a day or two extra in Ubud and/or maybe on another Gili island than Trawangan? Although, I really loved Gili T and Blue Marlin Dive Resort. I also wish that we both would have had Advanced Open Water instead of just Open Water. The deep dives would have been amazing! I have to say that I was surprised to find out that we had an agent that would help us throughout the entire trip. Maybe i didn’t quite understand what it meant in the description on their website, but I thought we would have a driver, not a full on agent to help us plan everything we wanted help with. She arranged for us to stay on Gili T for 2 extra days instead of Sanur within half a day. With no extra charge.

What an incredible trip! I so look forward to many more in the future ❤️.

Sanur day 1: Uluwatu

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A new episode of Rings of Power was released today, so post will be uploaded tomorrow morning by the pool instead :).

2022-10-11, 11:00 by the pool

Since we weren’t too impressed with Sanur, we texted a tour guide we got to know in Ubud that we really liked and asked at breakfast if he was available. He was in fact by Sanur Harbor dropping off another guest so we got lucky! He picked us up at 9:30 and we drove down to Uluwatu by the floating highway which was cool.

The first stop was at a very local beach called Pantai Pandawa. Only Indonesian tourist were there and it was a very clean beach. Only debris from the ocean was there. Local shops along the boardwalk and no English. The weather hadn’t quite matured yet so it was a bit cloudy still when we were there but still warm as always here. Before we reached the beach, Putta, our guide warned us that we would be stared at and even asked to take pictures. Not two minutes later, two young boys came up to us and asked to take pictures with Mikael and I. Hahaha! Western tourist are very uncommon there and being so tall and pale males us exotic. Haha! I think we were asked to take pictures with strangers four times and I’m sure there was at least the same amount who tools sneak pictures of us. So funny!

We also got a lesson in Hindu about one god who got 5 children and they all had a different weapon and we’re portrayed in many movies. I can’t remember the details now unfortunately, but Outta knew his things and explained everything. While standing there by the statues, the sun came out and it got real sweaty.

Our next stop for the day was at a really beautiful beach called Pantai Melasti. Pantai means beach and Melasti means purification. It was such a beautiful beach, the sand was fine, the water blue and the waves were big. These beaches are down south in Bali, surfers’ paradise. We went in the water, we needed it. But it was tiresome with the waves and current so we didn’t stay in for too long.

The third stop was lunch at a very local restaurant that you barely saw from the outside. Iiga Warung it was called and they had amazing ribs. Lots of tourists there, so I guess that’s a local place which cooperates with tour guides. Lots of Japanese and Chinese tourists.

Fourth stop was GWK where we stayed for almost two hours. It is a cultural park designated to the world’s third largest statue of Vishnu riding Garuk and is 121m tall. There we learned about the big ceremony in March where they build several massive demons and burn. They day after is the day of silence and nothing is open that day. Not even the airport. If you are visiting as a tourist, you are not allowed to leave the hotel room that day. The day after that is Melasti day (purification) and it is for healing. I think that was the way it was. We also saw a Barong dance at the small amphitheatre inside.


To the left: The good king. The middle: his wife. To the right: the king’s brother.

To the right: The demon king. The middle: His younger and evil brother. The left: the youngest brother who was good.

Squirrel. They are rare apparently.

The Ogoh-ogoh.

At 4pm, we headed for Uluwatu Temple to watch the Kecek and Fire Dance at sunset. We got there on time, got our tickets and walked around on the temple grounds for almost an hour. Uluwatu means “On the edge of the rock” which is where the temple is located, right on the side of the rock. Uluwatu was really beautiful with its 90 degrees cliffs. And finally, after almost 2 weeks on Bali (okay, 7 days on Gili T which don’t even have monkeys), we saw the monkeys! There were a few by the parking space and then we saw some running around on the walls surrounding the temple grounds, but not too many. But we were careful and held all of our possessions inside the backpack. So sparsely with photos from when walking around there.

The view was incredible. I was hoping to see whales breaching in the distance like I could in California, but there aren’t any whales here. And the surfers were unlucky with bad waves so we didn’t really see any of them riding a wave.

In the big amphitheatre facing the sunset, we got amazing seats at the top! We sat there for almost 30 minutes but it filled up so fast. The sunset was very far away for some reason but it still gave a colorful background picture to the dance which was about the good king and the bad king fighting over the good king’s wife who was kidnapped by the bad demon king. To his help, the good king vad Hanoman, the white monkey king who fought by his side. The dresses and costumes were so intricate and colorful and the music was not music but the choir of 70 men singing or making beats. It must have been exhausting making that noise for so long! During the performance, we saw a monkey climbing the rail on the other side of the theatre and stealing something from a tourist, glasses or something. Then we had one, right behind us but it didn’t get anything. I thought the monkey went to bed at 6pm, when the sun det, but I guess they knew that there would be a ton of people leaving the theatre one hour later because oh my so many monkeys were out!! They were climbing the cables, lurking in the trees and tried to get over to the stadium. They were everywhere! But nothing happened to us, nothing was stolen, no one was bitten.

Also, a while ago, Putra didn’t say when, they found a white monkey, not an albino, but a white monkey. And apparently when they brought him to the temple, all the monkeys in the forest cheered and roared when the king arrived. There was a huge ceremony and the prime minister was there as well. They put him in a cage for his own safety since he will most likely be hunted which I definitely understand. So putting him in a cage was hopefully the lesser evil.

The very last stop of the day was seafood dinner by the ocean but the restaurants were closed because of the ceremony today so we got dinner at a restaurant close by the temple. Mie Goreng and Nasi Goreng for the last time this trip. It was really good. Up until that point, my stomach had been perfectly fine. But I had to leave Mikael alone for a bit to try out yet another restroom. Much improvement though! Or maybe it’s just the Immodium pills, I don’t know. It did hurt a bit in the evening again while we were watching episode 7 of Rings of Power. But the night was fine.

Since I’m writing this by the poolside, the sun is annoying and I can’t really see which pictures are good or not, I will upload pictures when we are at the airport later and have some time to kill.

Hello Sanur, Bali

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Today was the day when we unfortunately had to leave paradise. But we made the most of it, set the alarm at 5:30 and observed an incredible sunrise over Mount Rinjani (active volcano) on Lombok.

We enjoyed our last breakfast on the beach, packed up, checked out and walked to the harbor and had a chance of waving Rahman and the Blue Marlin Dive Resort goodbye on our way past.


The boat ride today was bumpy and Mikael got really seasick. I was tired and managed to read 3 pages and then I fell asleep. Didn’t sleep for too long. But a couple of times anyway.

In Padangbai, we were greeted by our driver, we stopped to buy snacks (chips and cola), which was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I think we have eaten way too little salt this trip. Even if we’ve been careful with drinking Resorb.

At 2pm, after an hour in the craziest car ride I’ve ever been in, we checked in at our last stay on this vacation: Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar in Sanur. Unfortunately, the Deluxe room that we had booked was full so we got upgraded to Grand Deluxe room with our own private jacuzzi.

You can tell that this is an old hotel and not much has been done lately and I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed. The pictures look much nicer. Of course. The pool area is really nice though. We’ve already checked it out.

The jacuzzi is not an option since there’s no hot water out there. What’s the point of having a jacuzzi if you can’t have hot water in it? Too bad. But on the other hand, we had unlimited hot water in the indoor shower! Neither the shower in Ubud nor Gili T had hot shower water, haha! Gili T had for maybe 3 minutes.

We didn’t stay long in the hotel, repacked a bag and headed for the beach which isn’t more than 10 minutes of walking from here. We also had late lunch at “Cafe Smörgås”. A Swedish cafe on Bali? We were really hungry and it looked like a really nice place, so we decided to try it. Mikael had meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy and lingonberries and pickled cucumber. And I have to admit, that it was a great one! The owner is Swedish and started this cafe 14 years ago. I had something asian though, probably the best vegetarian spring rolls I’ve ever had. And popcorn chicken.

After lunch, we wanted to hang out by the beach for a little while but we’re disgusted when we came to the beach. So much garbage and plastic! It was also low tide. I wonder if it will be different tomorrow morning during high tide and if someone will pick up those plastic piles?

We were sad, and extremely sweaty! So we walked back to the hotel complex to lie by the pool for a bit. We did that for maybe half an hour and then the sun disappeared behind the hotel. Since then, we’ve been chilling at the room. We skipped dinner tonight which feels nice actually, then we watched two episodes of the latest season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Now, Mikael is sound asleep and I’m writing this and half watching the spectacle that’s going on outside: the massive storm! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a storm this intense before. Lightning lighting up the whole sky at least every other second! It’s cozy! And safe to be on the inside.

Gili T day 5: Paradise (incl. Bali belly…)

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Tonight, I am once again in too much pain to be able to go through pictures and write a blog post. But it will be uploaded tomorrow 🙂

2022-10-09, 19:00

Yesterday was a perfect day in paradise, and that of course includes Bali belly. It is manageable, but in the evening and nights it gets really bad. But during the day, if I don’t move or dive, it’s fine. The day started with amazing weather and since Mikael’s sinuses were a bit off since the dive the previous afternoon, we skipped the first fin dive and decided to do the afternoon one to Meno Wall, since we hadn’t done it before. So the morning was spent doing nothing, lying on the beach, eating bruschettas, cooling down in the ocean. It was the perfect morning. I finally got some time to read! And I finally got a little tan, haha.


At breakfast it was a bit cloudy, but that cleared up as soon as we left the hotel for the beach again.

The dive at 2:30pm was to Meno Wall, a new dive site to us. The dive itself was great, but it was depressing how much dead coral it was there. We saw tons of turtles again, a tiny tiny pink nudibranch and an almost as small black seaslug. It was a great last dive, these walls of coral is pretty awesome. We also saw three big puffer fish, one yellow which was pretty cool.

We paid for all of our 14 dives and it totaled to 380 SEK per dive. That’s pretty good for boat dives, everything included.

Our last day on Gili T ended at Scallywags restaurant where we decided to go all in. We both had grilled lobster for dinner (first time ever for me). And with drinks (which I couldn’t finish, even if it was a mango daquiry, my stomach just said no) and deserts the check ended up at 1 800 000 Rupiah. But that’s still only 600 SEK per person, haha! But it’s impressive to manage such a check on Gili. Normally our dinners end up at 300-400, maybe 600 if it’s been a nicer dish like mahi mahi.

It was good, but more meat-y than crawfish that we are used to eating. The moon was one day away from being full, it was warm as usual, good food (several nice toilets visits) and good company made it a very nice last evening 🙂

Gili T day 4: More diving

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Bali Belly is apparently a common thing and it’s still ongoing for me. But much better today. Now it’s basically just cramps, which is pretty bad in itself, but it could be a lot worse I guess.

This morning was the best so far. The view from our breakfast was incredible, the sky was almost clear and it was really warm at 7 already.

I decided that my stomach was well enough for a dive and we tried the 9am fun dive with Blue Marlin today to Sharkpoint. We had the same divemaster Rahman but got another couple joining us, a 30-year old pair from Australia. We saw the same baby sharks as the other day under the rock but today there were countless other divers (last time it was just the three of us), so it took away some of the amazement. But it was cute that three of the sharks were sleeping all lined up next to each other.

We also saw a couple of morays, one of which were swimming. A blue-spotted stingray. A tiny tiny nudibranch and of course a ton of tropical fishes and corals. I saw no turtles on this dive, first dive here I didn’t see any.

On the way back, my stomach was acting up a bit, but after lunch, we relaxed by the pool for a bit and then went to the second dive today at 14. On Friday’s there’s only two dives instead of three because of the longer prayer from the Mosque.

The second dive today was Bounty Wreck and we were ready for revansch after last time when we had technical issues with my BCD being too big and the current. I don’t think we can call it a rematch yet. This was a stressful dive in other ways but I think everything worked out fine.

So for this dive we had an elder Dutch couple (50 maybe?) Joining us and Rahman. They said they had around 50-60 dives, which would make them fairly experienced. We descended and started the dive as usual but after around half, just when I’m about to swim up to three big turtles lying next to each other on the ground, I see Rahman shoot back and I turn around and see Mikael swimming towards me and behind him, halfway up to the surface is a bubbly mess of one of our diving buddies. Her husband was further down, trying to get Rahman to help him help his wife who kept ascending. For those of you who don’t dive, that’s bad! You can’t get up that quickly from 18m depth without doing a safety stop of 3 minutes on 5m depth. The risk of decompression sickness is much higher if you don’t make the stop. Mikael and I ascended a bit but stayed at least at 10m and let Rahman handle the situation. Eventually she came back down and the dive continued. She signaled she was fine. So we descended again and continued.

We were at the wreck itself for only a few minutes, much air was lost and we needed to end the dive.

Later, she seemed fine and told us that she couldn’t deflate her BCD when trying to maintain her boyancy under water. I hope she didn’t get decompression sickness. Because that’s bad!

When we all surfaced, I panicked a little when I saw Mikael’s face. He had blood all over his cheek. And when he removed his mask, his face was so bloody!! His sinuses had burst while descending after the woman came down from her “accident”. He could feel it then, something warm filling his mask, but he thought is was mucus. So he did half of the dive with a mask full of blood. I’m glad that he had a mask with UV protected glass. I would have freaked out underwater if I saw his bloody face. We would have had to ended the dive. Apparently it’s not too uncommon for this to happen. But it looked gruesome!

After the dive, we went to the hotel, relaxed for a short bit and got ready for dinner. We met up with the Australians and had dinner at Pearl. It was a very nice evening. And in the background, over Lombok, there was an ongoing massive thunderstorm the whole evening so we had lightning lighting up the sky all the time. It was beautiful.

Gili T day 3: Bali belly

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So today was not fun… When I woke up my stomach was cramping more than I’ve ever experienced. I spent the morning sleeping and sitting on the toilet. We missed breakfast because we didn’t leave the room until 10:30. The cramps and dizziness has come and gone throughout the day and my appetite has been zero but I’ve forced food down and eaten light and easy things.

We had breakfast, pancakes, at Blue Marlin Dive right as they were leaving for the day’s second dive. We then exchanged money and went more south to sleep on the beach for a bit. It was completely cloudy today which was nice. We stayed for about 2 hours before the rain came and that’s when we went to Pearl Beach Lounge for some late lunch. Back at the hotel, we watched the latest episode of Rings of Power and then had dinner at Scallywags restaurant by the ocean.

Not the most exciting day. But I’m hoping more than anything that my stomach will be fine tomorrow so we can go diving again!