Quick Correction: Baubau Was the Final Goal!
Okay, let me clear something up real quick! I might have gotten a little too excited earlier when I mentioned Wangi-Wangi. Just to set the record straight: Wangi-Wangi was just a magical little pit stop. The actual final destination of this epic 30-hour ferry marathon? Baubau!
After more than a day at sea, I finally made it to my next basecamp. Here's how the rest of that crazy long journey went down.
A Glimpse of Paradise: Wangi-Wangi
Between long hours on the open water, ferry meals became one of the small things to look forward to.
I remember lounging in my bunk, killing time before dinner, when out of nowhere the constant hum of the engine suddenly stopped.
I panicked for a second, thinking we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. Turns out, we had just docked at Wangi-Wangi, part of the Wakatobi islands and a literal holy grail for scuba divers.
Looking down from the deck, the water was so ridiculously clear and blue.
Here's roughly where we were — a tiny stopover in the middle of paradise.
It was honestly torture knowing I couldn't get off the boat since it was just a transit stop. I made a quiet promise to myself right then and there: I'm definitely coming back here to dive someday. As the ship's horn blared, we slowly pulled away from the island and continued our journey.
Wrapping Up 30 Hours at Sea
The rest of the trip was a real test of endurance.
I'll never forget the local kid sitting next to me who handed me a pineapple juice out of nowhere.
It was aggressively sweet—almost overwhelmingly so—but honestly, my exhausted body probably needed that intense sugar rush. Hanging out and chatting with the locals into the night was exactly what I needed to survive the endless hours.
Right before we finally docked, I grabbed one last meal on board.
And then, after more than 30 brutal hours since leaving Ambon... we finally made it to Baubau.
Stepping off the ferry and feeling solid ground beneath my feet felt unreal. "Wow, the ground doesn't sway," was my first coherent thought. My body is completely wrecked, but thanks to my downloaded videos and studying some Bahasa Indonesia along the way, the trip was actually pretty productive.
Now, a new chapter begins in Baubau. But first things first: I'm going to crash hard on a bed that actually stays still.
