CULTURE SHOCK… a short 3-1/2 hours plane ride from Singapore landed us in another time and place…. Manado, the capital city of the island of Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. A shocking contrast to the clean, sophisticated, urban country we had just left. The dive resort van picked us up at the airport, along with a friendly couple from Belgium, and we began the 2 hour ride to the opposite side of the island. Not many miles…but the roads were in such terrible condition and the fact that half the trip was met with dreadful torrential rains …at times I was convinced it was hailing because the rain drops pounded the van so hard. Most of the small streets were flooded..up to a couple feet in places. The kids were laughing and playing in the run off areas which were like dirty swimming pools from all the trash and mud being washed downhill.

Similar to Bali, EVERYONE rides a motorcycle… the whole family of 6 can fit on one motorbike… and so the van driver spent most of his efforts on avoiding colliding with the motorcycles that weave in and out of lanes like maniacs.

As we drove thru the countryside and several tiny towns, the poverty was overwhelming. Most families live in a metal lean-to…. that is literally leaning one direction or the other. There’s a wire from the corner of the house to the nearest tree and clothes are hanging to dry. The yards are full of dogs, old tires, and trash. Lots of the vehicles are broken down and rusty… and many buildings are abandoned. When we made one stop at a “supermarket”, the smell was similar to a dead goat.

We finally arrived at the dock where our dive boat picked us up and took us across the bay to Lembeh Straits. FLASH AGAIN… a jungle paradise with an amazing view of the water from our cliffside villa. This resort, like many in Indonesia and the Philippines, employs many local villagers, supports education, and provides food to the surrounding communities on the main island. One of my favorite memories from a few years back is working at a soup kitchen on the island of Dumaguete, in the Philippines, serving the local kids lunch. The dive resort there provided the teachers, school building and lunch for about 200 kids living around the landfill. As I spent time at the school, I quickly realized the children were not getting any fruit and were missing school due to frequent colds. I was able to make a deal with a local fruit vendor to supply a piece of seasonal fruit to each child five days a week for one year… a total cost of $400. Later when I returned home, the resort staff sent me pictures of the kids enjoying bananas as if they were lollipops. A small difference in the life of a child can often have a huge impact. I’m hoping to find a way here on this island to “make a difference”.