Shuffle Again!

Again!

Yes I can't believe it. Once again, like last year, I return back to a frozen wasteland. With snow everywhere, the transport system has been paralysed by the dwindling supplies of salt and grit. They say this is the coldest spell in the UK on record for the last 60 years. Just a few days ago, I was in a tropical paradise.


In fact, on Christmast day, I went diving in the Sulawesi Islands. There is a marine reserve near Manado, capital of North Sulawesi, and I saw plenty of fantastic aquatic animals which I cannot name due to my limited knowledge of marine life. I saw plenty of turtles, octopuses, cuttlefishes, crabs, and shrimps. I also went wreck diving, which was really eerie. There is a 1945 cargo wreck lying a the bottom of one of the dive spots, and I half expected to see the ghosts of the crewmen still manning the bridge as I swam around it.

Manado Tua (Old Manado), a volcano shrouded in timeless mystery!

Manado has several volcanoes, some of them extinct while most of them are dormant. This contributes to the rich nutrients in the soil and water, leading to a wide diversity of life on the land and in the sea. Unfortunately I could not take any pictures underwater as I did not have an underwater camera, so you'll just have to be content with the pictures I took on land!

The dive resort

Loading up our dive boats

Off we go!

One of the dive beaches

Friendly dolphins

Friendly views!

Anyway, now that my holiday is over and I'm back in Bristol, I feel very nervous about returning back to work. As I've not been in the office for 1 month, I must have thousands of emails waiting for me in my inbox. I hope I don't have a whole stack of reports or drawings on my desk waiting for me when I get back. And I'll have to practice my shuffle to work so as to avoid getting spit off the icy pavements. I am soo not looking forward to Monday....

Sigh....