Ho Lee Smokes and Sophie Marceau

  
We had a visit from our favourite guest yesterday, Ho Lee Smokes…..
Let me explain: ok, I can Bore for Britain on the joys of KBR and diving Lembeh. 35 years of diplomacy does that to you. And it’s not hard in such a terrific location as this to rave about the beauties of it all. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Most dives here are superb. Maybe you can have 10 minutes at the start of the dive thinking, “what, I paid $xxxx for this?!? I may as well stick my head in a sand castle” (WARNING for any litigious guest: don’t try that one at home). But then, as you will know if you’ve stayed here, it all starts to unfold – critter after critter until your memory bank overloads and life becomes the Big Blue Screen (or the Spinning Technowheel if you are a Mac user). Its over-whelming. And at the end of the dive everyone is trying to swap notes over What The Hell Was That: ambon periclemenes nudiwhat?

So, yesterday, all that is going on at Tanjung Kubur when Ho Lee Smokes drops by: a yellow and black Lacy Rhinopius – has to be one of the most beautiful marine creatures I have seen (I’ve not yet seen Sophie Marceau underwater but live in hope); and then a blue-ring octopus;  then, one of my favourites on the What The Hell Is That scale, my old mate the Pygmy Pipe Dragon.
On this dive I wouldn’t have been surprised if that KBR legend, spoken of only in breathless whispers by the guides, a Pygmy Whale Shark, had hoved into view. (It didn’t. Phew, eh?)
Crickey: we had guests who stood silently under the hot post-dive showers, just shaking their heads, in shock, “did you see….”. Silent nodded replies. I was wondering if I’d have to bring on my trauma counselling skills.
So come to KBR; have a wicked time; and hope Ho Lee Smokes drops by. Or Sophie Marceau.
I’ve not yet downloaded the Lacy Rhinopius pic so, for the moment, you’ll have to make do with the next best thing: Soph! You’re on girl! Pout your lips!