Temukira At Wayag, Raja Ampat…
It was early dawn when I got out from my room at Je Meridien hotel where we stayed overnight in Sorong. But I was not alone because my other companions were also out of their rooms for breakfast and prepare themselves. Joni & Weka, our guides on this trip would meet us at 06:30 at the lobby and drive us to the pier. A few minutes past seven, four Toyota Avanza which was hired to drive us started moving towards the pier, located about 15 minutes from the hotel. Arriving at the dock, the crew swiftly moved all our luggages – clothes bags, diving gears, photographic gears and supplies – the results of last night snack-panic-shopping – into the small boat to be brought on board Temukira, a pinisi ship with the capacity of 12 passengers with 12 crew that are provided by a dive tour operators to serve divers – or even non-diver tourist – that want to explore Raja Ampat archipelago. Once we all boarded the ship, Alwi, the cabin crew in-charge for this trip, started presenting fresh fruit juice, a perfect answer to our thirst, as the scorching sun welcomed us on board. Exactly at eight o’clock, Temukira started moving, slowly left the port of Sorong. Our adventure begins!
