Togians - above the water

*Discovery has been that you are never to old for the backpacker life! It is great. Meet some many interesting and friendly people at the togians, with ages anywhere from 20 ish to 60 ish.

*The english couple I came over on the ferry with stayed at black marlin, and I stayed at paradise. Turns out the girl is an actress, she played the girl friend of the the blonde slitheran guy Draco in HP4. They were a cool couple.

*At both places you have communal meals 3 times a day, and get to chat with every one there. There were heaps of people from Europe, spain, france, swiss, german, italy etc, and few english, americans and not one australian! Everyone speaks english - feeling very monolingual! Most people are devoted travellers, and many also big divers.

Read so many books!
*Disgrace (and anouther of his books)
*The witch of portobello
*Prey
*For one more day
*Gossip Girl the sequel
And time magazine

*The biggest achievement - I did not get sun burnt badly! Big moment in my life! Such restraint.

*All the local women where a rice flour and water paste to stop them getting dark skin, very white concious.

*Hung out the most with Salim the dive instuctor, Diane a swiss girl, and Micheal a german instructor when he arrived. We traveled to Manado together and diannes phone did not save Salims mobile number - so we could not hook up again. They are great guys, they have worked on bunaken together before.

*People are on a minimum of 5 week trips, many people are traveling for a year. You dont know how jealous I am. Will have to do the next.

*Saw a great doco on Aceh, about the history of the independance movement, heat breaking. It was broadcast by SBS, made by a US journo based in Jakarta.

*In switzerland sunscreen has been advertised recently as "Australian strength".

*All the single men are on the islands in indonesia girls, reakon there is a ratio of 20/1 ish.

*American guys Brian and Robert had traveled together over many years to many places - very inspiring! Brian and I went on a walk to a beach with the black marlin dogs who rescued us from getting really lost - after we had got minorly lost already! Have photos of the dogs :)

*On the last day at paradise has a great night and morning with "everyone" but particulary 4 x american women, two in their 60s, and two in the mid 20's at a guess. Along with diane we talked for hours about the US, Europe and Aust politics, our lives and travel experiences. The older women had great tails of border crossings in the 70's. And the younger girls were on a years travel, just coming down from the phillipines in an epic journey of many days on pelni --- a trip of budget hell but a good story.

*Feel in love with Bom Bom the dog - he was so cool! I have photos of him too!

Will add more when I think of it.