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EPIC JOURNEY DISGUISED AS A MEXICAN MAMA
I've just got to Gili Trawangan (or Gili Tra-la-la as everyone along the way seemed to call it). Its stunning here but a big storm looks like it's setting in so IU thought it was a good time to settle into an internet cafe and rocount the long and crazy journey here.
I left Ubud yesterday at 11 in the morning on a bus along with a Mexican guys and his 9 year old son and a German couple (who provided my entertainment for the first bit trying to figure out both of their genders - both female was my last guess.)
We got to Padangbai and got on a big ferry along with lots of Balinese and whatever people from Lombok are called, a few travellers and a lot of chooks. The German couple stayed in Bali so I hung out with Fernando the Mexican jewellery maker and Nam his son. Within 5 minute a Balinese lasy came up crying "Ah Mama, Mama - you have a beautiful boy" I think I probably scarred the kid for life with my look of horror and cry of "he's not mine!" I was about to be highly offended but then did the maths and realised that it's not actually much of a stretch to think he was my son. God I feel old! Anyway five minutes later the next person came up to complement me on my lovely child. This went on for the hour and a half we waitied for the ferry to leave and all through the 5 hour crossing to Lombok. By the end I was just saying "Thank you!" Which probably scarred the kid even more.
On the trip Fernando taught me my Mayan Astrological sign and I've now decided it's not my fault if I'm a bit fighty. I'm a Lion in western astrology, a Dragon in Chinese and a Warrior in Mayan. All a bit fighty - I don't stand a chance...
After we got to Lombok we transferred to a bus to Sengigi, got there at about 9pm, just as the skies opened! We got a horse and cart (by the way the horses here are tiny! They're not Shetlands - just ridiculously small - I feel like a giant next to them - and that doesn't happen often!) to a cheap hotel where they took a lot of convincing that I wanted a room on my own and not one with my little boy.
This morning at 7 am after a few hours sleep we got on another bus through amazing landscapes, watching kids fish in streams and people work the fields and at one point having to beep some monkeys out of the road (yup more Monkeys - these ones looked cuter than the Ubud ones but I still don't trust em!)
I said goodbye to my new family as Fernando and Nam were off to another island and then it was time for the boat trip to Gili. The weather today is decidedly moody and it took a while before we could head off because the waves were too big for the little wooden long boat. Eventually it was time to board and that in itself was an adventure. I was wading out to the boat when two guys came up behind me and lifed me up - the rude b*****s taking to opportunity to cop a not very discreet feel. There was a quandry - I was suspended over the water so the elbow I wanted to swing back would have resulted in being dropped. Luckily my angry face and a few choice swearwords had me thrown unceremoniously into the boat. The crossing was a bit on the wild side with big waves but we managed to get here safely (if a bit wet)
Gili Trawangan is a interesting spot. Very like Thai Islands - a backpacker playgroiund. So far I've seen a siugn for "Fresh Magic Mushrooms" one for "Bloody Fresh Magic Mushrooms" an even one for "f***ing Blookdy Fresh magic Mushrooms"!! I'm thinking of heading on to Gili Air or Gili Meno tomorrow as it's all making me feel a bit old. After all I am an old Mexican Mama...
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