Why not having a part in English? ;)
03.01.2013
Day 7
We woke up early enough so we could start the day without any regrets. Finally we run out of eggs - no omelettes for us. =( I was worried that they could spoil during the trip but somehow they didn't. The last egg was stolen by a crab, by the way, our often visitor in our camp sites here. First they are a little scary running out from the dark jungles but we got used to them.
So the plan for the day was to finish the north part of Kabui bay - check out the rocks, find the river and sleep somewhere near the channel to Halmahera sea. And we did!
Unfortunatly, there were only few rocks left in the bay that we didn't see yesterday so we crossed them really fast. The surface of the the bay was very calm since we started really early. We managed to avoid the wind with which we were struggling the half of last day. So here comes my decision as a captain - we cross the bay straight to the river. Tanya helped out - I was not sure if we should check the river in the very north end of the bay or just cross it to the west so we could save some time. We were a little out of the schedule so I was worried. Tanya asked if I really wanted to see the river and I found for myself that I did!
The north coast seemed far away but in an hour or two we were already searching the river. The second guess was successeful and we decided to go up a little. The current was not strong at all, the waters were all around, surrounding the river with mangroves.
We checked a small channel on the left side, and guess what? it is a forest and goes until the steep rocks - you could see thousands of them in previous my reports. Same rocks but surrounded by the mangroves. The mosquitos bited us, and it reminded me about malaria which hits this region. I have heard a story about one russian girl who got 2 types of it from her trip to main Papua island.
Could you please hide your head so I can make a video?
So we went back to the middle of the river where were less of small vampires and used repellent. Around 1000m up river I saw something that looked as a start of a trail. I was looking forward to check it out so we climbed up risking our necks. Kanoe was left between the trees.
Tanya was scared and disturbed, she felt really uncomfortable with the selva, may be because of moscquitos or it could be her open shoes. Though we never met any snakes yet. And I was right it was a trail, so I hoped we could meet some locals, may be a wild village or something like that. But there were just couple trees cut.
Why? In the middle of nowhere? May be there were really big trees so local could make a lot of boards from it, idk. My shoes were not proper ones either so after hundred meters when the trail ended we decided to go back. No village for us today. Though I am rather sure there must be one, somewhere deep in the jungles upriver. May be some day I go back and find it out. The ebb has started so we found our kayak surrounded by sharp roots. You know, the ones that grow upside.
Did you know that magroves somehow has their roots growing up? And there were some little strange animals as well - something between a wish, a lizard and a frog.
Fortunatly we managed to release the boat without damaging it and went down with the flow. The selva didn't show us it's secrets.
The sounds were around - strange big birds, sounded as a saw while flying, a splash - was it a croc?
We were happy that selva let us go and decided to go to the west side of bay, finally. The whole trip before we were on the east side and suffered from the wind coming from the west, so there was a slight chance to hide from it under the rocks just near the east side. In the end of this swim we were really tired, plus the wind started it's work destroying our will in continuing the trip for today. The sun was on 12 o'clock and it started to burn all around. We hided under the pyramid of an island, had a swim - all already usual, the corals, the fish ;) We were there for may be couple hours recharging ourselves with liquid and a little food. We saw a jet ski by the way, I was surprised to find it there, probably it's from the one of the dive resorts. With such device we could make all our expedition in 1 day but there is a question: is it fun? Where is the expedition spirit then?
After a while we climbed down the rock where we were resting and paddled through the western part of the bay - it also has a group of interesting islands, but the eastern group is better. We felt rather tired already + there were some strong blows of the wind between islands, which didn't help at all. Finally we passed the island part and the wall started to cover us from the wind a little. As soon as we turned around the corner we entered another part of bay. This part had no wind and we decided to make a stop again, since we'e made some hard kilometers.
We stopped and snorkeled. This time I took Tanya's mask instead of my googles. I usually prefer them to a mask due to the habbit and some fears to breath through the pipe. OMG! It was so amazing! I still remember it! We spent at least an hour their snorkling one by one (one person was supposed to control the boat and be on it just in case). I saw a parrot fish and many many others, playing with them and frightening them. + I saw couple really big fishes, around a meter long or more. They were a little far but still, I was even a little afraid. I am not used to see so big alive fish near me in the wild nature.
Then it was time to leave such a nice place. The sun was slowly getting down and we started to search for a place to camp. Unfortunatly all the small bays on the right hand had no beaches at all. Mostly it was 2-5 meter vertical rock, and then a slope covered with some trees. The left part of the bay seemed to be really far away. Anyway we didn't want to cross so open space, also it was just in front of the invisible channel to the open Halmahera sea which could mean strong currents and winds. We couldn't see it, but we could expect...
Another deep bay we checked had something like a lake in the end - I mean again mangroves but the corals too the same time. I have never seen such micture before. And there was a pass into it. Still it didn't suit us, you can't set up a tent on the mangrove roots. The sun was getting down and we were paddling and paddling. We both started to worry, our *battaries* were low, there was some wind time to time, the day was long and fullfilling and it was time to complete it with a good rest. Passed couple more strange islands, already being a little to tired to be so impressed again.
We saw couple boats on the left side of the bay. They were going from somewhere behind Lindung island to the channel. At least we knew we near it.
I was ready to give up and we checked out one rock where we were able to climb up from the water, it had a level from where it was possible to start climbing up. I thought it was our last chance before the darkness falls down - we both went up and there was not enough space for the tent, no water, and it all was all in sharp pieces of rock. As for me - better this then nothing, but Tatiana said we couldn't stay there. Well I was already in a little crazy mood so we, we decided to sail even with our head lights on, but to find a good camping place, may be even make it through the channel.
Fortunatly the very last minute just after that rock I observed something on the left side of the bay which was not so far away anymore as it becomes narrow near the channel.
It was a hut! A house above the water! We couldn't believe our eyes, what a relief! We burst out laughing with no reason, we couldn't help shaking! Solid plane clean and dry surface! The place was a present to us! But when we landed I understood that presents has to be paid. The price was something like 40usd per night per person or smth like that. Just for the hut with a mosquito net. The owner was not there by the time we arrived. We found all doors closed and it was possible to camp only in the "hall" where was no door. Well, we realised that the owner can come and charge us for camping as well. Tanya was shocked by the price, she used to live in the way much better conditions for 5 times cheaper in Thailand, and of course none of us was willing to pay for such "comfortable place". Oh, there was a book there, but of course we didn't sign us in, just checked some pages that there were some people from USA, Spain and etc. in the hut before us.
A really good thing - there was a water source! Near the end of the berth there was a closed toilet and the steep rock started almost from there, behind the door. We could hear the water falling down from the rock and some part went through the pipe to the berth. We had almost a proper shower under the fresh water with shampoo and soap - something we desperatly needed at that moment.
The sun was not crawling down anymore, it was already behind the trees meaning we have last 25 minutes before Papuan night will swallow us alive. We decided not to deal with the owner in the morning (who can know when he comes), and to stay on the small island/penensula where somebody (probably the same owner) has cut the bushes, so there was rather flat place for the tent with plenty of woods to boil water which we had just gathered from the source. It was 50 mt away from the hut and by the time we were up and set up my crazy construction by the mistake called a tent (dancing all around trying to tight it up to some bushes or roots so we can have it standing) it was dark. The southern night fell on us and covered as a big blanket, or may be as it fell down as ceiling and crashed our weak bodies into pieces on the unflat floor of our tent.
Near the hut.
While we were still setting up some details with our headlights on (I was still caring thing from the boat), somebody passed really near by the motorboat, we assumed it was an owner, he screamed something but we couldn't understand him. They have some short sound like Auu-Auu but we didn't know the password.
We decided to sleep. It's a very strange feeling when you are in the darkness and it's Papua all around you. You certanly know that there is at least one local guy somewhere near, spending the night in the darkness as you do and nobody else for some kilometers. They never came to us before, he didn't this time either. We were too tired to worry and fell asleep.
Result: 24-25 km per day. A mangrove river, good snorkling, interesting islands and long fences of rocks on the northern part of the bay near the channel.