Lombok and Bali

489 days ago
	Well, I am now back in school and trying to catch up on everything. But it is important to document the last holiday so screw the work and on to the second log concerning the vacation. After a rushed trek across Sumbawa from Flores, we finally reached Lombok. It was the first day of Ramadan so our bus was delayed by the overflow from the Mosques in Lombok praying in the middle of the street. But eventually we got to Sengiggi, a beautiful seaside resort town. The first night was spent catching up on sleep, but the next day we were back on track and rented some bikes to go touring around Lombok. I took my parents and Kiky along a route which I had taken on my previous voyage to Lombok. At that time my sister's friend Lauren and I were on our way to climb Rinjani, the monstrous volcano situated in the middle of Lombok. This time the journey was much more relaxed and simply breathtaking, with a great panoramic view from within a monkey forest. Following this we headed down the mountain to a nice secluded beach. But the real reason for this trip was to take my parents along one of the most breathtaking stretches of road I have seen. It is the coastal road from Bangsal to Sengiggi, which winds around the cliffs and runs past the beaches to the north of Sengiggi. It is just so dramatic. You go barelling up one hill, look back upon a calm and emerald bay with a nice beach. Around the corner you are met by the same thing, only different in its beauty and formation. As one proceeds down this road, the hills get steeper and the mountains closely defending the beaches get higher. As I suspected, my parents and Kiky were taken aback by this stretch of road. Our next day was a great one as well. We chartered a boat to go to the Gili islands, a place oft heard of in the traveller's circles as a great place to chill out. Once arriving there I can see why it got its repute. There are a number of nice places to relax just off the beach offering nice a cheap food and decent accomadation (oh, and frequently offering Mushroom milkshakes). The beach itself is on the lee of the island and so the wind is cooling but not strong. The sand is white and as a bonus the snorkelling is directly offshore. The islands have a calm feeling to them, in part due to the lack of vehicles and engines. Kiky, my mother and I enjoyed the local "banana juice" and spent the day just enjoying the wonderful scenery and good vibes from the place. After the Gilis we headed out to Kuta, Lombok. It is a place well known amongst surfers, but not really anybody else. Getting down there was enjoyable, although the stops were very commercial (let's see the traditional pottery, said our driver, meaning: I will show you a store where you can buy oodles of nifty souveniers). Kuta is a quite poor place, partially because the region is so arid that no crops really grow beyond sustenance. The beach was enjoyable, but I wasn't able to surf as we stayed there only a night. The following morning we were off to Bali to finish off the trip. Getting to Bali is relatively easy from Lombok, but the shock to those used to luxury is foreseeably large. The ferry is meant for one and all, and so the ground is pack with people, garbage, and even some poultry! The boat seems really crowded until the minute before it leaves and then about 1/3 of the people clear out. They are usually vendors, looking to sell a couple items to the last minute shoppers. Once in Bali, travelling in Indonesia ebbs and you are left with a more western, vis a vis comfortable vacation style. However, this comfort really comes at the price of a lack of excitement and possible suffocation by tourist swells. Actually, that was not the case this time around since we were not even a month parted from the last Bali bomb, and you could see that the tourism industry was suffering from such an event. I did get a chance to surf for a little while in Kuta, but due to a nasty cankersore the pain of saltwater in an open mouth wound took precedence and I gave up my single trial of surfing in Indonesia fairly quickly. But I definately wouldn't mind giving it another shot! Once we returned the vacation mode had to quickly switch off. It started to rain, we had no electricity, the house was minorly flooded, and a totally stinky mess. Now that is all resolved and the day to day is re-establishing itself. However, after a holiday like that it makes me very happy that I am still in Indonesia to explore some more!