It is important when swimming or snorkellig without fins that you take care where you place your feet. While snorkelling alongside Yulia's I spotted a seasnake in the rocks very close to shore, along with several different stone fish. While seasnakes are unlikely to bite you, they are still best left alone. The stone fish are a different proposition. Often they are quite well camouflaged. I was snorkelling over a relatively sandy bottom when I saw a 'rock' that appeared to move a little. When I got closer, I thought there was some coral growing on it. But upon further inspection I realised it was a well disguised stone fish.
I happened to be down at Rubiah divers when a young boy came running and screaming from the water. He had managed to pace a foot on a stone fish and was in considerable pain.
This is not to put you off, there are dangers on land just as there are in the water. But it is important to look carefully before standing up.
Written Apr 1, 2012
Entering Iboih village is via a fairly steep hill directly off the well-made main road - the road itself continues around to KM Nol. For some different views, take a walk around the low road leading out of Iboih. It is a new bitumen road that is about 5km in length and curves around the coast line before meeting back with the main road. You meet up with a purposely built young mangrove swamp - planted to establish a base against further tsunamis or big storms. It is a very quiet road - in two hours just one motor cyclist drove past me. You can hear and sometimes spot monkeys in the trees and you get some good views looking over towards Gapang and beyond.
Written Apr 2, 2012
Fondest memory: For some this may not be a fond memory but it reminded me that nature has a right, and hopefully a way, of surviving.
I was staying at Yulia's on Iboih Beach and went to the dining area for breakfast. The dining area is a large concrete based open air room built on columns over the water. Around the room, there is a narrow ledge with some pot plants. There was a great deal of excitement when I went for breakfast on this particular day. One of the pot plants is a small papaya tree and, overnight, a large green tree snake had decided to take residence. The locals are not keen on these snakes. While they are generally quite timid, they are also known to jump from tree to tree, and locals have been bitten when a snake has misjudged a jump and landed on an unsuspecting person walking beneath.
To me, it was fascinating that the snake had managed to find its way out of the jungle, across man-made structures, to try to camouflage itself in a relatively small plant.
Written Apr 27, 2012
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