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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
May 4, 2014
Description:
“Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.” L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Date Taken:
May 4, 2014
Place Taken:
South of Palau Gam, West Papua, Indonesia
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
Differing_Realities.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDU70000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDU70000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZDU70000s">
Category:
549, Yacht Tending Indo
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Read what others had to say:
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Not far from SuRi was a quiet little village. From above it looked like paradise. So does SuRi. So many kinds of paradise!
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Waterfront Homes
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Not all of the village looked like paradise. The reality of that subjective determination seems to depend on the perspective of the observer.
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Mainshore Downtown
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Away from the village, there was plenty of unpopulated paradise for a SeaRey peregrinator.
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Backbay
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Lines of limestone ridges extend in parallel into the dark blue water. Contemplation how lines of stress and fractures pressed into the rock formation so long ago have such visible consequences might drive a pilot to distraction. It’s easier to focus on the practical problems of splashing in between the green lines.
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Green Fingers
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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When you quit analyzing how it got to be so and focus the results, it’s easy to see the beauty. It just seems more beautiful to me if I can visualize how it came to be.
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Bue Fingers
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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There wasn’t enough time to delve into the mysteries of the universe too deeply. I was called to a mission: “One of the guests wants to go to the pearl farm.”<br /><br />Uh, oh. One of the specific conditions of my flight permit was that I avoid pearl farms. But the reason I needed a flight permit was to cater to SuRi’s guests.<br /><br />What to do? I called for the Captain. He was sound asleep after a night of driving SuRi.<br /><br />It was time for some of that command decision stuff. “Okay, mate. Call the pearl farm and ask if I can pull up on their beach.”<br /><br />The first mate tried. “I’m getting no answer.”<br /><br />Oh, no. “Okay, ask one of the guides if there is any place I can park the SeaRey near there.”<br /><br />“Matt says there is a beach at the factory. You can call the supervisor on the marine band radio when you land for directions. Take care. They take security very seriously at the pearl farms.”<br /><br />Okay, is there a flight permit violation if I’m invited ashore? I thought not. I boarded the lovely guest and departed with a plan.<br /><br />The plan fell apart after touching down in the bay. The alighting was well away from the rows of oysters in the middle of the channel. I was still within the written letter of my flight permit. Now all I needed to do was raise the supervisor on the radio.<br /><br />I got no answer.<br /><br />I circled the string of buildings comprising the shore facilities of the pearl factory. Beaching options were limited. I decided to go for the best one further away from the factory and seek forgiveness if I was wrong.<br />
| | Attachments:
Shady Parking
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Initial indications were positive. Several women in the small hut adjacent to the beach were all smiles. One went inside and returned with a camera.<br /><br />Very quickly a dark man in a “Rip Curl” t-shirt came over shaking his head and waving his arms. Not really knowing what to say, I tried “Good day” as in “Selamat siang.” It was a risky strategy given my lack of knack with language, and the diversity of Indonesian languages.<br /><br />The response was a barge of words that were completely unintelligible to a wayward English speaker. I just nodded my head. Despite my ignorance of the words’ meanings, I could tell by his body language that he wasn’t quite sure what to do with us.<br /><br />“Pearls?” I answered, speaking the universal language of money.<br /><br />He nodded. “You wait.”<br /><br />We did. I entertained my passenger by telling her that cannibalism and headhunting was almost unknown these days.<br /><br />Rip Curl returned shortly. He was waving and pointing down the beach. I pointed too. “You want us to move over there?” That got a nod.<br /><br />Fine. I got the engine started without blowing over the tin and grass huts, and motored to the other side of a jetty. I took a look at the beach there. It was not good. I turned around and went back.<br /><br />Rip Curl came again. “Wait for boss.”<br /><br />Right. It didn’t take long before a Japanese tourist showed up, gesturing about getting a photograph. That seemed to be a friendly enough strategy. He stood beside the SeaRey and his buddy took his picture.<br /><br />Shortly the boss showed up. Giving up on trying another language, “We’ve come to look at pearls,” I announced. “Is it okay to park the seaplane here?”<br /><br />“Sure. I am Renee,” he replied in a French accent. “Welcome. We already have a tour group here, but you’re welcome to follow me. I will show you what I can between necessary interruptions.”<br /><br />Perfect.<br /><br />The Japanese tourist took quick advantage of our walking away to sit on the side of the airplane for an even better Facebook photo.<br />
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Farm Security
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Renee was the consummate host for a private tour of the factory. “Pardon me if I take care of some pressing issues during our tour,” he apologized. It was a minor inconvenience for a personalized tour unlike the common fare. Part of the special tour included grasping thousands of dollars worth of pearls in one hand.
| | Attachments:
Potful of Pearls
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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In a locked room in the back of the factory a woman sorted pearls under the steady gaze of a guard. “They are sorted by color, luster, and shape,” Renee explained. “This is the first sorting.”
| | Attachments:
Pearl Jamming
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The pearl oysters were evaluated before opening by x-ray. If the pearl wasn’t big enough, it went back into the water. If the pearl was superb, the oyster was carefully opened, the pearl removed, and the oyster reseeded. If the pearl was just average, it was removed along with the animal. The shells are retained. Everything is used.
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Pearl like
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Shells dried in racks outside the factory. Everything is used. Nothing wasted.
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Aftermath
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The tour ended in the factory’s show room. Renee gently maneuvered the native sales lady out of the way, putting his “Life’s Too Short” message on display in front of his prospective customer. He was masterful in not being a salesman while effectively sharing his message.
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The Sell
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Yes, as a matter of fact it was the biggest, nicest one in the shop.<br /><br />Renee was additionally rewarded for his hospitality by getting to sit in the SeaRey for a picture for his Facebook page. He was beaming.<br /><br />On the way back my self-styled “Nag-ra-vator” was also beaming. She was unconcerned with missing another dive. We unanimously agreed that we had made better use of our short time.<br />
| | Attachments:
The Buy In
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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My reward for accomplishing the morning’s mission: I was left behind! The owner borrowed my SeaRey for a short flight of his own.
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Left Behind
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The Captain spoke thusly: “We are moving. Follow us. It will take a couple of hours to relocate.”<br /><br />And, so I did get my reward for the day: two hours to spend just flying around. Our local guide, Matt, offered to be co-pilot. I figured that was a good deal. A bit of local knowledge can always come in handy.<br /><br />Contrary to the Captain’s order, we did not follow SuRi. We took the great circle route.<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
Reefs Up Close
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Another version of paradise? Perhaps. It did look idyllic.
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Fully Occupied
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The village has developed its own regulations for marine conservation. That’s likely a good way to preserve paradise (unless the bureaucrats take over).
| | Attachments:
Island Life
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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A Christian church was set in the center of town.
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Slice of Life
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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There are approximately 150 families living on the island, making a life from the bounty of the surrounding sea, and an occasional tourist boat.
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Beached Boat
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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A simple fishing village? Perhaps, but it has a reputation as being a fine stop for diving boats providing a shopping distraction for water-weary guests. The fishermen's wives can be found weaving Mexican or cowboy hats in colorful Indonesian fashion under the guidance of international aid organizations.
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Tour Stop
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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So many waterways to explore! You just can’t sample them all.
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Back Channels
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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In the middle, a blue sink. It looked a bit small for the SeaRey.
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Wet Spot
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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This strange craft is a specialized fishing boat. At night the nets are dropped into water and bright lights are turned on. Squid come to the light and the nets are raised.
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Nightfisher
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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After flying over too many little deserted islands with pretty beaches, it was time to explore one from sea level.
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Approaching Ideal
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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You want paradise? It wasn’t here on this day. Almost. In the background a storm grew making any possible paradise of a short, transitory nature.
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Parked in Sunshine
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Sitting under the coconut palm watching gentle waves lap the beach, it seemed that all was right with the world. Suddenly there was a tremendous crash! A large green bomb smacked down between where Matt and I were sitting. We stared at it in silence for a few minutes, contemplating the barely missed headaches.<br /><br />When I got back to the boat I asked SuRi’s paramedic about hospital resources. “The nearest hospital is in Sorong. SuRi has better resources on board. Note to self: when sitting under a coconut tree in a tropical paradise, wear a hardhat. <br />
| | Attachments:
Tropical Bomb
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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Feeling just lucky enough to escape paradise.
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Survivorman
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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There was no shortage of SeaRey accessible beaches, but the Captain only gave me two hours of flight freedom.
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Beach Bounty
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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There was a lot of transparent water for checking out the all things aquatic. In the middle of this blue hole, we spotted a fair size black tip shark. There were also plenty of manta ray, an occasional devil fish, and even a dugong. Matt said whales are often seen, including whale sharks. He also report a saltwater crocodile was seen not far from the idyllic beach were so recently parked on.
| | Attachments:
Blue Holes
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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After a couple of hours of freedom we reconnected with SuRi in a quiet bay north of Palau Batanta. Matt joined the guests for a hike to waterfall on the big island. I didn’t ask if he told them about the saltwater crocs. They like the mangrove swamps.
| | Attachments:
Jungle Cruise
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The water and air were perfect for SeaRey play. One of the crew went with me for a local tour while waiting for the guests to return from the waterfall. We flew over the waterfall. It wasn’t impressive from the air. Reports were that it was a difficult trek for a brief time splashing in the cool pool at its base. Flying in the smooth, calm air was a better choice.
| | Attachments:
Late Calm
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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As the sun was setting I got a radio call that one of the guests wanted to be picked up for a twilight flight.
| | Attachments:
Last Catch
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Dan Nickens - May 04,2014
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The SeaRey had barely jumped into the air when there was a sudden loss of power. No worries. I was set up for a quick return to the water, so I pulled the throttle back to idle. When I did that, the engine sputtered and ran again. Roughly.<br /><br />Not wanting to call for a recovery boat, I slowly added power. I got just enough power to hang in ground effect. Nursing the stricken craft into a shallow turn I started looking for any obvious problem. There was none. The engine ran roughly at partial throttle and not at all at takeoff power.<br /><br />There would be no twilight flight for anyone on this day. After staggering around back to SuRi, the best that could be done was to line up for a lift back aboard. It was a disappointing ending to a spectacular day.<br /><br />Paradise lost?<br />
| | Attachments:
Late Landing
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