It’s 5 AM in Cenderwahsih Bay.  E is asleep.  I’m sitting on the porch outside our cabin enjoying the last darkness before the dawn arrives.  A few miles away, you can see hills of the mainland outlined in the moonlight.  Below our porch is the crew’s porch.  Giggles drift upward as the night watch amuses themselves with videos on their phones.

We’re sailing around the bay on the Coralia, 47-meter boat framed with ironwood and built by Indonesian carpenters entirely from natural materials using traditional Indonesian construction methods. The design is based on the Turkish excursion vessels which ply Turkey’s Mediterranean coast (no accident since the owners are a Turkish couple who also operate the Papua Explorers resort).

It has accommodations for 16 guests and 16 crew. My talent for confusing myself had put the idea in my head that this was a 47-foot boat so you can imagine my relief when we arrived and it turned out to be a 47-meter boat. 47 feet would have been rather . . . uh . . . intimate filled with 32 people. 47 meters is more than generous though. Cabins are comfortable. The common areas are ample. The three decks also have lots of outdoor seating areas including a Sky deck on the roof of the wheel house with 360 degree views from which to enjoy the sunsets and the full moon.

Our Danish captain, Henke, presides over the wheelhouse. The cruise directors are Jakob (also Danish. I’m beginning to suspect that Danes are a very boatey people) and Amanda (Canadian). Jakob has the jolly personality of a guy who can’t believe that he is being paid to sail around Indonesia in a pleasure vessel hopping in the water every day for a nice swim over spectacular coral reefs. Amanda is a former microbiologist with the sunny personality of a woman who can’t believe that she is being paid to sail around Indonesia with a handsome Dane. She reminds me of my sister-in-law, Doris, who had the gift of adding a touch that takes something from being great to amazing. Yesterday, for example, when we arrived back at the boat from snorkeling we were greeted with hot chocolate. Preeety nice, right? Well, Amanda had the crew make the hot chocolate with ginger tea. See what I mean? They both have the gift of being very professional and very organized without making a big deal of how professional and organized they are.

We are very comfortable and well cared for.

Yesterday we swam above a couple of atolls submerged in the tide.  The variety and beauty of the corals and fish are gasp-inducing (which is a bit tricky when you are breathing through a snorkel tube).  We jumped into the water beside a steep coral wall that descended straight down as far as you could see (maybe 70 or 80 feet?).  We swam south in the warm gentle current to a broad sandy incline where our guides spotted a couple of white-tipped reef sharks.  By the time I made it over there, they were gone.  The Sweet One spotted a sea star spread out on giant clamshell working on its tan.

I was feeling pretty glum about missing the sharks when what appeared to be a little flat-headed shark swam right up to me. I was all, “Hello! Little shark! How are you?” And he just wriggled right up next me. So cuddly! The local guide gave me a hand signal indicating that my little friend was a cleaning fish which was maybe still an honor, but also made me wonder if maybe I should have scrubbed a little harder when showering yesterday morning. Alex, our guide from SnorkelVenture, came over to photograph my friend and told me that my “baby shark” was a remora. He assured me that they were harmless, but it did feel less glamorous than a baby shark. Apparently the remora sized me up and decided, “This aquatic ape seems very well fed and not like an overly careful eater” so he decided to try latching on. Here’s a picture that E took.

Well, the boat motor has begun its baritone grumble, and we are underway to today’s atolls. It’s almost 6 AM. Time for the First Breakfast of fruit and yogurt, which is followed by the Big Breakfast with eggs, pastries, etc.

I told you Amanda, Jakob, and the crew take very good care of us.