Monday 12th.
Day 3
This was to be our fishing day.
We were booked with JSM (Bali Jet Set Dive and Marine) again, the same company the kids and I had used in October for our water sports day and I couldn't wait for Rob to experience the day out with this company as it was sure to be a good one.
I had organised it all via email with the lovely Rhonda and again it all went without a hitch. I loved that we had our own personalised charter and I knew Rob would appreciate it too. We had the same vessel this time around with 3 crew members.
It was our only planned activity this trip and we were really looking forward to it.
JSM were picking us up at 7am and the Villa staff arrived early ( how utterly fantastic to wander around getting ready whilst somebody else (the lovely smiling Su and friend) takes care of the viddles!! Unheard of in the/my real world) and cooked us brekky before we headed out.
I'm not usually a breakfast fan (whilst in Bali is the exception to the rule) and they served an excellent blended fruit juice at Villa Teratai (watermelon, pineapple and lime ) which was great for a "get up and go" morning and Rob had his usual eggs etc.
Su waved us off and I promised him a fish if we got one and I still feel the shame of giving them away to others and forgetting about my promise to Su :0(
It's great starting out early, traffic isn't an issue and we drove directly to the boat mooring at Nusa Dua and were underway by 7:45.
Just fishing this time around with some deep sea and reef fishing on the agenda. They provided some nice rods and reels too.
Our Captain Nyoman making the blessing and placing the offerings in the Sea.
Although rain had been forecast it turned out to be a beautiful day and the water was nice and flat.
We began trawling after a ride of about 20 minutes. Rob caught a couple of Tuna that were a bit over a foot long and hooked on to something big too (a mahi mahi maybe?). There was some rubbish in the water issues which is just horrible and sad to see whenever we come to Bali.
It was a little annoying and comical that everytime a fish got on (regardless of the size) the crew would flap about strapping a gimble (a belt with a hard plastic holder for the rod ) on to Rob's waist.
Whilst this was going on when he had the biggun on the line, Rob dropped the tip of the rod down (a big no, no) and the fish got off ...bugga. Ah well another tale to be told about the big one that got away!
There was a lot of movement in the water for a couple of hours with a pod of we reckon around 30 dolphins in a wide circle around the boat.
We trawled around along with them in the hopes of hooking on to the school of whatever it was they were herding up.
But with dolphins about the fish are either scared away or eaten.
A couple more tuna were caught and another big one (?) was hooked and lost.
A couple of possible Marlin sightings too added to the excitement. 2 more tuna were hooked and bitten off by 'Hungry Hungry Dolphin' said the crew but we got 2 more keepers too...all good and fun I thought. Although the crew were apologetic, there was reeeeally no need.
At least something was happening! I've lost count of how many fishing trips Rob and I have spent over the years bobbing about on the sea or river , sitting on the beach, river bank or jetty whilst laughing, burning , drinking and waiting for the sound of the drag running or a tap..tap..tap (come on take it ya bugga!) on the line. All good fun and mostly memorable.
The Uluwatu coast line where we went reef fishing... Progress!!! (I think not).
We just drifted whilst reef fishing and not much was happening and it was getting hot,hot,hot just sitting. So we headed back having a little trawl on the way back.
Another big plus of JSM is that they are the only watersports company operating in their area away from this unsafe craziness.
We have seen it on a couple occasions like this and it always makes my blood run cold.
There are speed boats, parasails, flying fish, banana boats, cruisers etc. etc. all zipping about everywhere!! This time a parasail speed boat came dangerously close to us...scarey stuff.
There are speed boats, parasails, flying fish, banana boats, cruisers etc. etc. all zipping about everywhere!! This time a parasail speed boat came dangerously close to us...scarey stuff.
Getting ready to anchor in JSM's much quieter waters..
Bali Jet Set Dive and Marine - Headquarters
They have wonderful facilities at JSM nice clean toilets with showers, lounges on the beach and a bar and restaurant that serves snacks.
Rhonda had text messaged me whilst we were being delivered to the harbour that morning that if we caught a 'bug tuna' to bring it back and the chef would make sashimi with it at the restaurant and she promised she had wasabi.
Guess what I was thinking about whilst wading into shore.
Guess what I was thinking about whilst wading into shore.
I did stop and have a bit of a chat with a lady who was having a great time with her family on the beach and they were all periodically being whizzed off on some sort of hair raising adventure.
Personally I was very happy to settle for a comfy chair and an excellent lime squash (some duty free would have gone down a treat!) with a view. Rob got his Bintang, aaaahhhh life is good.
Personally I was very happy to settle for a comfy chair and an excellent lime squash (some duty free would have gone down a treat!) with a view. Rob got his Bintang, aaaahhhh life is good.
I spotted Romeo from our October adventures with JSM but I resisted the urge to stand up and shout 'Romeo..Romeo" all forlorn like , I was with my husband after all .
But when I spotted Ryan standing on the beach I hot footed it over there ( burning my feet on the sand all the way) and we caught up and reminisced .What a lovely, very special guy he is. He had been our ' guest relationship manager' last trip.
He remembered Mrs.Puff ..how precious :0)
But when I spotted Ryan standing on the beach I hot footed it over there ( burning my feet on the sand all the way) and we caught up and reminisced .What a lovely, very special guy he is. He had been our ' guest relationship manager' last trip.
He remembered Mrs.Puff ..how precious :0)
Our sashimi arrived and was more than delicious, it would be hard to get it any fresher, thats for sure!
The wasabi was fantastic and I found out later from Rhonda that the chef made it himself from fresh wild ...?...was it wasabi root , I've forgotten (did she say horseradish), I know it definitely tasted like the most excellent horseradish I've ever tasted, just brilliant and I'm having a wonderful taste memory whilst writing this...excuse me for a moment....I need a bit of quiet time...Yum.
Rhonda had been preoccupied behind the desk since we'd arrived back and I had figured it wasn't a good time to say g'day judging from her furrowed brow, I later learned she was having some IT issues but had eventually got them all sorted.
She took the time to sit and shoot the breeze with us before she hurried off to an important 'Clean and Green' meeting with some other water sports companies that she is trying to convince to recycle their used motor oil rather than dumping it in the sand!!
You've just gotta admire the efforts she's going to, to do her bit for her local community and also when it comes to re-greening Bali.
JSM employs 65 members of the local community and they hold regular 'Earth Day's' with the locals on the beachfront, the latest was covered by the local paper.
Here's the link to that article, if you're interested :
http://balikecak.com/beach-cleaning-by-bali-jet-set-dive-and-marine-sports/
They also have a 'sustainable tourism policy' in place which includes "Say No to Disposable Plastic" (a Bali Hotels Assoc. initiative, for which Rhonda is a team leader.) exceptional..I love the way these people think!
I tried to link the PDF file containing this policy but obviously lack Rhonda's IT skills.
This is a company that is pro-active in assisting, educating and sustaining their little piece of the world. I take my hat off to them, considering the plastic invasion only began around a short 15 years ago for Bali.
There are real issues with the locals fathoming and dealing with the impact and it's becoming very apparent
I live in a State in Australia (SA) that has, unlike the rest of our vast - vast country, recycled plastic since year dot and will now pay you 10c if you take a bottle to a recycle station (used to be 5c).
Plastic bags have been banned from supermarkets for years and what a surprise ..! we all cope without them. For some reason the rest of the country takes issue with it ....go figure.
Ok I need to stop with my Eco rant before I start talking worms, composting and permaculture.
Rob and I can't wait for the day we again have the pleasure of trying for a mahi mahi or dare I say Marlin with JSM.
Selamat Malam
Oh Yea and 'The Dude Abides' :0)
You've just gotta admire the efforts she's going to, to do her bit for her local community and also when it comes to re-greening Bali.
JSM employs 65 members of the local community and they hold regular 'Earth Day's' with the locals on the beachfront, the latest was covered by the local paper.
Here's the link to that article, if you're interested :
http://balikecak.com/beach-cleaning-by-bali-jet-set-dive-and-marine-sports/
They also have a 'sustainable tourism policy' in place which includes "Say No to Disposable Plastic" (a Bali Hotels Assoc. initiative, for which Rhonda is a team leader.) exceptional..I love the way these people think!
I tried to link the PDF file containing this policy but obviously lack Rhonda's IT skills.
This is a company that is pro-active in assisting, educating and sustaining their little piece of the world. I take my hat off to them, considering the plastic invasion only began around a short 15 years ago for Bali.
There are real issues with the locals fathoming and dealing with the impact and it's becoming very apparent
I live in a State in Australia (SA) that has, unlike the rest of our vast - vast country, recycled plastic since year dot and will now pay you 10c if you take a bottle to a recycle station (used to be 5c).
Plastic bags have been banned from supermarkets for years and what a surprise ..! we all cope without them. For some reason the rest of the country takes issue with it ....go figure.
Ok I need to stop with my Eco rant before I start talking worms, composting and permaculture.
Rob and I can't wait for the day we again have the pleasure of trying for a mahi mahi or dare I say Marlin with JSM.
Selamat Malam
Oh Yea and 'The Dude Abides' :0)
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