LET'S GET STURTLED: Ali on Pulau Tengah - Alice Leonardi

Pulau Tengah welcomes you with its crystal water, with baby sharks swimming in, as soon as you set your first foot on the dock.

First thought is for sure “am I really so lucky to be here?”. Second, of course, “let’s start exploring”.

So, facts are: you’re on an incredible island, accommodated at the Ranch which is a big open-air living room surrounded by nature and equipped with comfortable rooms for everyone. The sea is 30 steps away. And you’ve just arrived, to learn and help and share, and create your own adventures.

Working hours are filled by sometimes easy sometimes hard duties, but from each of these there’s something you can learn from. And free time… there’s an ocean and a forest waiting for you.

I’ve been struggling trying to remember names of things, islands and people, wallowing in the water trying to get a good buoyancy while diving, fighting to face shyness while explaining to the guests the wonders of marine life. And yes, I’m still trying to learn how to rake the ground leaving tidy, straight lines instead of my “artistic” waves.

Anyway, after the first weeks, suddenly everything became easy, and natural, and well done. And I realized I was ready to give something back, to be part of the project.

I improved my diving skills, I experienced doing researches underwater, I did my first steps towards mangroves conservation. I learned so much about protecting sea turtle reproduction: how to find a nest, how to move eggs, how to handle hatchlings, how to wish them a good journey into the depths of the salt water.

First thought is for

sure “am I really so

lucky to be here?”.

Second, of course, “let’s start exploring”.

I’ve been challenged in my own working field, enjoying thinking upside-down to find solutions for fixing, building, inventing things with recycled materials and literally “what we have left”. But that’s the rule while living on a small island, and it’s a rule that I liked more and more as time went by.

I’ve been snorkeling the whole island, stepping on every rock, listening to every sound I could fit into my ears. I learned that plans follow the tides.

I’m fulfilled of new friendships, as my permanence here was surrounded by beautiful people that taught me such a lot of things! And ways of being, and Malay words, and ways for expressing care.

Going back to Italy now I’m feeling myself different, another time grown up, with new points of view and a brand-new knowledge about myself, other people, and of course the huge nature of this marvelous world.

I only played a very small part in protecting the environment, but lots of roads are now open in my mind to go on and continue acting towards this direction.