Amed & Dangerous

Amed’s not far, just 10km or an hour; if you are planning to come although the roads are pretty good, they are very twisty turny, don’t expect to hurry anywhere. We find Jukung divers (as recommended by Chris Brown) and make plans for our dives tomorrow. It’s all rather businesslike with the somewhat humourless Dutch but OK. Find a room for the night at the second place of asking and settle into yet another massive hut on a beach. Risk a cocktail (it IS my birthday) The list reads perfectly normal: Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Caipirinha, Pina Colada etc. except for whatever alcohol it’s meant to be, substitute Arak – slightly weird aftertaste but we survive.

After our dives we check out the other PADI centres. There are lots of dive operations here but PADI isn’t strong. Eurodivers is run by a tall blond Hungarian and they cater mostly for the French. She took our card but not very welcoming. At the Puri Wirata they are much more convivial. The young Belgian manager tells about his resort and we book to dive the reef in front, tomorrow. Well, we can have nitrox.  

Overnight at the Pondok Vienna a couple of km further on at Lipah beach – another bargain for 450 Rupiah including breakfast & dinner.  

What we hadn’t bargained on was the owner’s brother. He spent the entire evening saying his dream is the same as ours and he knows lots of people (mostly his family) who all have restaurants villas and dive centres. He provides them all with business advice. We can stay in his house in Amalpura, use his car, he can sort out the visas and all we have to do is get the website up to market our resort. All sounds rather crazy but we won’t dismiss it completely. Exchange contact details and will be in touch when the holiday is over. After all we are homeless.  

Morning dives fantastic but no time to dry the gear as we have lots to do before nightfall. Not least driving into Amalpura on festival day (it’s always a festival day of one sort or another here) to find the only ATM for miles which takes VISA cards.  
Then swing by the Lotus Bungalows in Candidasa as the attached dive company (Gangga) had been really positive about our prospects when we wrote at the beginning of the year. However, not this one. The chap I need to see is on one of the Gilis off Lombok. Oh well, next time. Just wish we could find the internet to see if he replied to my last email.

Oh yes forgot to say – the internet is very sparse round here, as if you hadn’t noticed by our silence for the last few days.