I fly a few days after the attacks against Charlie Hebdo<\/em> and the Hyper Cacher at the Porte de Vincennes in Paris. After the horror, I have in my sights two weeks of vacation and carefree time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis departure feels like a balm after these terrifying events. There is something soothing about contemplating the Earth from above, sliding across time zones in the night, leaving one world for another. The iPhone becomes a sensor of moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRoissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport TGV station\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRoissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport TGV station\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRoissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe lights of Paris\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe lights of Dubai\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTakeoff over Dubai\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tJakarta Airport\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tJakarta Airport\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tJakarta Airport\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOn a plane operated by Garuda, the Indonesian national airline. (Jakarta-Makassar flight, January 2015)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Makassar Airport Aquarium\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tEmbarkation for Sorong\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tDawn over Papua\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nIt's a long trip, then. It starts in Rennes station, with the TGV that takes me directly to Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris. About 3 hours of travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First aerial section : Paris-Jakarta<\/strong> via Dubai on Emirates Airlines. About 14 hours in the air and a short stopover in the middle. Upon arrival, I planned a night's rest near the Jakarta airport before taking off again the next day for Papua.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSecond air route: Jakarta-Sorong<\/strong> via Makassar on Garuda Airlines. Nearly 6 hours in the air with a somewhat long stopover in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI arrive in Sorong at daybreak. There are only fifteen minutes of road to the pier and one hour and a half of crossing in a fast boat to reach my goal: the island of Kri<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tArrival in Papua\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSorong Airport\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Sorong pier\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOn the way to Kri\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tKri Island\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nI am often asked about the time spent in transportation... For this trip, from Rennes, it represents about 24 hours in total. With the stopovers and if we allow ourselves a night of rest, it takes not far from two days in total to reach Raja Ampat from Europe! But it is worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the crossing between Sorong and Kri, a school of dolphins crossed our path, like a happy omen. When the familiar triangle of Kri starts to appear on the horizon, I don't want to see it anymore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will find the island I have been dreaming of for so many months. I will see the pontoon of the Sorido Bay Resort<\/a> and its incredible blue hole in the middle of the coral. And then, above all, this fabulous, extraordinary, unique profusion of life under water. Raja Ampat, finally!<\/p>\n\n\n\n