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Happiness is a Pile of Coconut Husks – Stories, Questions and Contradictions from the Mentawai Islands

Happiness is a Pile of Coconut Husks – Stories, Questions and Contradictions from the Mentawai Islands

      Tidak Apa Apa

  From the upstairs porch outside of my simple corner room the smooth lines of Lance’s famous right hand reef break appear, dark blue hills on the march. As they near the white washed reef an invisible zipper rips open the surface of the mounds, and the white foam interior pounces forth. Still air and ample swell have brought out the afternoon surfers. A three-story powerboat…

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Surfing and Waxing Philosophical: Notes from Kuta Lombok

Surfing and Waxing Philosophical: Notes from Kuta Lombok

    Waxing.

  We sailed into the largest city in East Indonesia, Kupang, in the beginning of August 2017. My long time girlfriend, Della, and I were completing an extended trans-Pacific crossing that started in Panama in February 2016. Sailing on other people’s boats for various legs that included stays in many of the island nations of the South Pacific including most recently New Zealand and…

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Hello friends. We’re going to put this tumblr page in a holding pattern for now. So if you’re reading this and want to see some pictures from our adventure head over to instagram.com/wayupdown or www.wayupdown.com

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Indonesian Volcanos: Mount Rinjani Summit in a Day, Without a Guide.

Indonesian Volcanos: Mount Rinjani Summit in a Day, Without a Guide.

  Mt Rinjani in a day: 2600m altitude gain, 34km round trip, 16hr hike. We left the homestay at midnight without a moon to help us. We were at the rim camp by 4am and could see the long chain of headlamps ascending the ridge as tired campers were trying to get to the summit before sunrise. By 9am we were standing on the summit.  Most of the 2 day climbers having already descended, we had the top…

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Komodo National Park. 

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Something strange is going on in komodo national park, where giant lizards feast on abundant game, and packs of tourists linger in the woods hoping only to watch. Here is an excerpt from a story about what's happening on Komodo Island. Read more: wayupdown.com/komodo-dragons ... It’s a devilish thing this island. The water buffalo were brought here. They are too big to be eaten by the lizards so the lizards just bite them and wait for them to die, of sepsis, of fever and torrential dreams. Then their body feeds up to 15 monsters, they leave only the head, because, like a snake, the komodo swallows its prey whole, or bites it into chunks and swallows it bit by bit. But they can’t fit the horns, so they leave the head, and the scull is carrion, left in the open like Antigone’s brother, picked to bone by ants and forest hens, till it is yellow and hard, when it can then be picked up by the rangers and hung like an ornament from a fence post. ... #story #travel #adventure #wayupdown #wonderfulindonesia #indonesia #komodo #komododragon #komodotrip #islands #dragon #skull (at Komodo Island)

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I found this door in a Hindu temple in Mataram, Lombok, and I'm pretty sure it leads to heaven. But it was locked for some reason so I can't be sure. . . . #photography #travel #wonderfulindonesia #indonesia #wayupdown #light #sunlight #temple

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Two brothers one wave. I'm pretty sure my brother is dropping in on me in this one. But it doesn't matter because surfing with your brother makes life seem good. Restaurants, Fiji. wayupdown.com . . . #surf #surfing #ocean #waves #fiji #travel #wayupdown (at Tavarua Island Resort)

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This man much admired my belt, so I gave it to him. 2 hours scooter ride into the hills east of Labuan Bajo, Flores, down a rough dirty track is a small town of a few hundred people, rice fields, an amazing waterfall, prolific vegetable gardens, and an enduring hospitality. . wayupdown.com . . . #indonesia #wayupdown #travel #people #adventure #wonderfulindonesia #waterfall (at Labuan Bajo, Flores - Indonesia)

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Komodo Dragons

  Komodo dragons are like saltwater crocodiles with python heads, but by midday they have assumed the posture of overfed house cats, laying flattened in the shade, one arm pointing to the north of their kingdom and the other pointing to the south of it. They notice you gawking at them, taking their picture, they pose, regal in their own minds, with the confidence of naked fat men posing at a…

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While free diving in Avatoru pass on one of the largest atolls in the world, Rangiroa, we were gently approached by an amazing great hammerhead. She hung out for almost an hour looking for rays to eat and mostly ignoring us as we tried to take her picture. More shark pictures here: http://www.wayupdown.com/portfolio/sharks-and-rays/ . . . #wayupdown #underwaterphotography #travel #freedive #shark #apnea (at Rangiroa)

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When we were in the Tuamotus it was so hot I had to sleep in a hammock on deck. But at least I saw the sunrise every morning. My buddy took this shot from his paddle board when we were anchored in the lagoon on Manihi Atoll. We were the only boat around and some of the only foreigners on the island. If you want to read more check out a story I wrote about the island: wayupdown.com/atoll-tale . . . #wayupdown #sailing #southpacific #island #travel (at Manihi (Polynésie française))

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Dragons.  

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Free. 

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The current was ripping and it was hard to dive, and hard to shoot any videos, but we managed this one. A big ray was treading water and feeding in the strong current. It looks like the ray is swimming past but really we are drifting past her! 

Makassar Reef, Komodo National Park, Indonesia. 

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Portrait of an Endangered Species. Green Turtle, Komodo National Park, Indonesia. 

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Green turtle in black and white. 

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