fred wobus . com

Boy laughing

I have just uploaded a new album of photos from my recent trip to Indonesia to the gallery section.

Jenli and his daughter

I am nearly finished sorting and editing my photos and underwater photos should appear here shortly. But before I get stuck into the weird and wonderful critters of Lembeh Strait there are some charming photos of local people that I met on the travels in the Minahasa district.

Kids in the local villages were particularly fun to photograph. Ever fascinated by the instant preview on my digital camera they were literally falling over themselves to have their picture taken. Young or old I did not meet one unfriendly soul …

See all photos in the album Sulawesi smiles :

(more…)

Several hours ahead of my luggage I have made it home from my 2 week trip to Indonesia. The airline “forgot” to load up my bags (containing the mobile hard disk with all my photos). Hence this plain posting without any of those pictures that are still stuck in Frankfurt.

My trip was broken into 2 halves with a week spent with a local guide on an overland tour of the Minahasan highlands in North Sulawesi and the second week diving in the blacks sands of the Lembeh Straits.

The highlands tour with Mr. “Bagus” was a lot of fun and quite adventurous. Up to our necks in a river we trekked to a rarely visited waterfall in the middle of a jungle. Another trek up a volcano was dogged by rain and fog. A local market had grilled dogs, bats, rats and even a large forest python for sale. We spent one morning with a group of monkeys in the forests of the Tangkoko National park and generally left out no opportunity to look around, take pictures, make friends, have fun and the occasional beer.

The week of diving and underwater photography couldn’t have been more different. The weather cleared up and my holiday got back in touch with civilisation. Compared to the less than basic accommodation at some places in the highlands (esp. at the Tangkoko National Park), the Lembeh Resort was an “oasis of luxury“. The diving package included a very informative and well-put together Underwater Photo workshop run by Mark Webster.

People don’t come to dive in Lembeh to see Jaques Cousteau style coral reefs. They come to stare at barren black sand flats hoping to find some of the rarest and weirdest underwater creatures on the planet. And “WOW” did we see weird stuff. A fish-munching bobbit worm, and graceful wonderpus, a shy blue-ring octopus or a rare slender seamoth are just some examples.
As I said, the photos will take some more time. At first I will try to put some people shots and group photos online for all of the lovely people that I had the pleasure to meet in Lembeh. New albums with jungle and underwater photos will have to wait a little longer.

Thanks to Mr Bagus for driving me round the highlands, to Mark for going out of his way to teach us to take better underwater pictures, to Jandri for showing me all the cool critters and all the staff, boat crew and guests.

Now, all I am waiting for is my luggage…