In previous post I’ve been brave enough to confess my -almost unreasonable— phobia about the sea. And I clearly remember; past summer, I couldn’t wait to dive into the magnificent coral reefs and eventually give a humble salute to that big fella; the deep, blue ocean.
And THAT, my friends, should be called a progress!
To my eye, heaven does exist, it is a place on earth and answers to the name “Karimun Jawa”.
Indonesia is a 17.508 thousand islands archipelago. I’m living one of the biggest mind-fucks I’ve ever had. If this place is exceptionally beautiful, what would possibly one witness while exploring the other 17.507 islands remaining???
So, I took the bus from Yogyakarta, another bus from Semarang only to reach Jepara and then board on ship to Karimun. Nine hours and so to enter serenity. Totally worth it.
It is August. And the small 7 islands here are empty. Ι, inadvertently, compare this situation with Greek islands. Massive crowds of people all over Greek islands compared to this cute and cozy atmosphere makes me feel like “the chosen one”. However the rapidly expanding tourism all over Java and especially in small paradises like this one will surely -at some point- change the sets here too.
Few tourists and mostly locals walking around. Empty roads, cozy small and colourful houses, narrow streets, palm trees all over, it totally seems like a fake place, pulled out from a cartoon!
Nice guys from the hostel lent us their motorbikes to loiter around. Hostel. Not that satisfying if you consider that there’s always the camping choice, nevertheless some times life brings you at a point where you have to “adjust” or “compromise”. Suffice to say, it was not possible to camp this time. But thankfully, a really nice hostel -maybe the nicest I’ve seen so far- , with a small yard, full of hammocks and singing geckos hanging around was waiting for us.
***
First night and we visit a beach. Total dark is covering the island. Electricity is a new facility in this island; actually last year’s “entry”. We reach a small beach, there is no light around. F.U.C.K. It is pitch black and my vision is really low. Getting slowly used to it, I reach a point where I feel grateful for that darkness that lets me count every single star on the sky collage. But, is this milky way? What the hell?
Today, my attitude is laid back.
Milky way above my head.
It’s like, somebody took a huge brush and tried to mix in circles night’s black, stars’ supernal white and magic’s invisible…The result, as I see it, is milky way.
This is so beautiful! I have a rosy attitude.
And I’m in the mood to dissolve in the sky…
“What was there before the Big Bang? Well, you see, there was no before because before the Big Bang, time did not exist. Time is a result of the expansion of the universe itself. But what will happen when the universe has finished expanding??”
-Mr. Nobody-
And then I remembered, how small and ephemeral we all are in this world.
*A sweet night followed, along some pertinacious singing geckos that -with an unconventional yet strangely familiar lullaby- made me float above “my” hammock…*
***
Second day and we board in for the island hopping.
I look at the water, damn! It’s like I photoshop it with my eyes! Too blue to be true. And remember, I originally come from Greece, I shouldn’t be that amazed with crystal clear water!
We stop, somewhere in the ocean, and we jump for some snorkelling. A whole furious fish community is revealing in front of my eyes! They are rushing, passing right next to me, begging me to feed them (I’ve been told this is actually pretty bad, human activities are affecting fish chain in a harsh way).
Nemo and his father
Therefore, I skip feeding them and I just -in vain- try to pet their heads, I want somehow to hug them! I eventually quit trying, just tone in with the environment considering that, when you see the coral reefs you are damn sure that nothing dangerous can ever take place in here. The environment is too colourful to cause or host any kind of damage. And there I was, surrounded by these fellow colourful existences, in a very promising process of befriending with big daddy, when I saw Nemo, hanging around with a “Dori” fish. I, then, swore I would never eat fish again (oath already abrogated).
Tiny islands that you can walk them around in less than 10’, sand that slips through your hands, coconuts and the ocean, all encircling you. I, still, till that day, want to cry my essence out for not having the chance to camp in that dreamlike spot.
In a nutshell.
Progress in sea’s bullying reported.
Less afraid indeed.
I’ll keep you up to date.
Over.
chilling after another won battle with the big fella
"The itchy-feet disease" 
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