Day 13
Had an early start to get some brekkie then go and get the boat to Lombok which has a different indigenous people (the Sasak) and religion (Islam) to Bali and is much more underdeveloped, so it should be interesting to see.
Hannah has not been very well in the guts so was not looking forward to the boat journey. The boat was some sort of wooden contraption that did not look safe for seafaring and had people jammed into it, but we got to Bangsal pretty quick. However, when you get to Bangsal, everyone wants to help you - for a price. Nik got irate at a man who we had tipped that kept asking for more money. The bus station is unhelpfully not in the harbour, so we went on a horse and cart to it, which was a relief with the giant rucksacks! Although whilst in the bus station a giant killer ant bit Hannah on the leg and it was the most enormous bite of the trip to date.
We got a minibus to Sengiggi which is the main tourism jumping off point. The journey there took us round the coast and Lombok was really beautiful, miles of white sand beaches edged with coconut groves and greenery. Although Hannah's travel medicine had a sedative effect and she went unconscious for the last leg of the drive.
We had booked a hotel via one of our Lombok friends,but when we got to Sengiggi nobody knew where it was and it seemed a long walk away so we got a room at the classic backpackers place here - Hotel Elen. it's a bit small and basic but will do for now. Hannah had started to come down with the man flu now too, so spent the day sleeping it off, and Nik had a power nap too. We then wandered to the Bay where all the boats are and got some snacks and had a quiet evening in watching the ultimate fighter and trying to feel better. It would be easier to rest here if there was air con, and if they didn't play muslim prayers and chanting over the loudspeaker all day and night, including at 4am!
Day 14
Feeling a bit better today, so had tea and pancakes for breakfast and went to the coffee bar and art gallery across the way to use the wifi - its almost like civilisation again after the Gilis, although they do still lose power here every couple of hours. We've booked somewhere a bit more luxe to stay in Kuta Lombok, where we are going tomorrow. it's the next big destination apparently and has lots of surf and white sand.
We positioned ourselves in front of a fan and drank cups of tea all day and updated our internet and stuff - we didn't want everyone to think we were dead! It was a good move as it was scorching outside and would probably have killed Hannah in her current state. Although, on the plus side, we have both definitely lost a few pounds!
We went back to the apartment to chill and it kept power outing the whole time so we sat outside and met the Reading gap yah's next door and their friends from the Isle of Wight and swapped stories, at times over candlelight. Then when the power came on we were able to shower and went across the street for some dinner with 'the kids' (who weren't all that young, we're just a bit patronising). The true gap yah's were amusing and mentioned such things as 'my mum has just bought a yacht' - excellent. Dinner was good, although was one shared plate as Hannah still resting the stomach. Had an early night watching ultimate fighter ahead of the bus tomorrow.
Day 15 - off to Kuta Lombok, not to be confused with Kuta Bali which is VERY different.
Took a bus from the Perama office to go to Kuta, it was more a minibus and it was only the two of us in it - score. Nik is paranoid about being late so enforced an early wake up call that was not fully necessary.
The journey was an experience. They drive like lunatics here and have some sort of road code which mainly includes beeping the horn at people a lot. While leaving Sengiggi, we noticed a lot of karaoke bars which was strange, as there are not really any people in the town, let alone people joyful enough to sing. We went through Mataram which is the capital of Lombok and was full of army, police, schools and banks. It was a bit of a dusty old hole. We then drove through an array of market villages (and a taxi rank for cidomos which was quite odd) and saw many random cows and chickens trotting down the side of the road. The markets were amazing and mainly were people selling unidentified vegetables, but there was a man selling just two items - torches and padlocks, and hundreds of them. We also saw actual school children unaccompanied riding mopeds on treacherous roads. They finish school at 12 usually here, so that gives an idea of how young these kids were that were commanding a motorised vehicle in their school uniforms.
After a couple of hot hours, we got to Kuta Lombok. Kuta in Bali is the hub of all shopping and nightlife. Kuta in Lombok is one road and a few beaches with allegedly the worlds best surfing. As it is just one road, directions are given as being left or right 'of the junction' into town. Our hotel failed to have our reservation, but we got a nice bungalow type room, and the Kuta Indah actually was very nice, with air con, lovely gardens and a pool - a treat after Sengiggi. We went for a walk to explore and Kuta is amazing and charming. It is full of local fishermen and their kids (who try and flog you stuff in the street). We saw old ladies selling fish on sticks that they were cooking on fire at the side of the road which was made out of coconut husks (so smells very sweet). Some awful people came and just took ogling photos of the fish and didn't buy any which was rude as it prob cost about 20p.
We went for a coffee at Café 7, which was very cool, but the guy who was working had to get on his moped to go and get the stuff to make our order. However we passed the time watching cows escape from a field and a boy running to get them again. Gate anyone? When we got our tea and coffee, the sugar was served in a martini glass, how cosmopolitan.
We spent the rest of the day by the pool watching the hotels other guests which included an odd tour party, and some cool old surfer men. We went for a dinner at Sunset Café which was pretty much next door and had only been open 3 days, with just 3 lots of customers. The guy who works there used to be at the Novotel up the road but is branching out, which was especially impressive as he was from a nearby sasak village, where they don't speak English or Bahasa Indonesia and live in homes made of mud and dung. We had fun watching the kids across the way who all met up at sunset for a game of football. The young girls stared at Nik. This is to add to the fact that in Sengiggi some kids called him Mr Giant Man. The guys here are all small clearly.
We have taken to watching our download of series two of True Blood to pass the evenings, especially as although our room has a tv, what you get to watch is dictated by someone in reception and what they happen to be watching at the time. Plus the power is out half the time. We have also spent a LOT of time watching our gekkos on the porch as they are very good ones and fight a lot. One has had his tail off.
Day 16
The joy at breakfast of an alternative pancake - pineapple and honey! Despite the full moon last night which heralded the end of the rainy season apparently, it was a decidedly grey day but we went to go and look at the beach. The surfers beaches are all a few km away so we were walking along the working fishing bay, which had some rather big waves and a little river we had to walk across. When we got to the other side some local children chased us with a stick and a coin, they were amazing. The sasak kids are really small and really pretty but the boys have really deep voices and it's a bit unnerving and makes Nik feel emasculated.
We walked along the beach which was strewn with coconuts after the stormy night and also amazingly well disguised crabs. The scenery was moody but beautiful and unspoilt. We found ourselves on a secondary road near the proper road, which was full of surf shops and cafes, including Rasta surf shop, whose owner we met while on Gili T in fact. Eventually we walked back onto the main road through the village where we saw lots of goats trotting about and rearing up at each other and fighting. All the children in the more remote places all say hello and ask your name, even when they're not selling - its our new celeb lifestyle.
We had a drink at another little café and shared a Japle (alt spelling: Jaffle) which is a toastie (we had cheese, dipped in Sambal of course!). Nik got mistaken for a German. We headed back to the hotel and on the way decided to buy a memento of a couple of bracelets off of a couple of kids up by the hotel. We paid just over £1 for two of them and the kids were ecstatic, literally running down the road shrieking and shouting and waving the money in the air - so cute and approx the happiest children we have ever seen.
We went out for yet another shared plate of food for dinner, and had a Lombok dish of rice and vegetables (inc the amazing salt water spinach they grow here) with home made sambal sauce. People get really excited when you order local food so its our duty to try it. And they need all the help they can get, what with the power going out REPEATEDLY. Then, back to the hotel for an early night as we head back to Sengiggi on the 6.30 minibus.
Day 17 - Sengiggi the sequel
Up early (before 6am as Nik said we definitely needed over half an hour to walk the 100m to reception) to get the minibus from the hotel at 6.30am. Was a nice sunny time of day in fact. Small spanner in the works was that when we came to pay for our room they wouldn't take a card and we didn't have quite enough money to pay for it - eek. The man was not too pleased, especially as he had got up to check us out (we know this as he looked tired and put his shirt on behind the reception desk as we stood there). Eventually we came to an agreement by giving him some English coins, and in fact overpaying, but hey ho.
Slept most of the journey back, although did see a couple of notable things, including people walking a cow on a lead, and a woman throwing a bucket of excrement into the river. Nice.
Returned to Sengiggi which in the early morning when it is not scorching hot, is actually quite nice. Especially as this time we are staying in better digs further down the road, amongst the safety of the police station and the Sheraton, which seems to keep hawkers away. As we were super early, we went for breakfast and Hannah had a croissant (oh the variety) while Nik had the world's greatest poached eggs on real toast of real bread (not sweet pre-sliced nonsense like you normally get). Then we went and booked our very exciting trip, where for the next three days we are on a tour across Lombok, to Satonda island off Sumbawa (the other big island in Nusa Tengarra) for swimming and snorkelling, to Komodo to see the dragons, and then to Flores island. Cannot wait. Although as cabins are for three people, we may have a stranger in our midst. The tour lady joked to Nik that he might get to share with two girls, but knowing our luck it will be some sort of hairy sex pest.
We came back to the hotel and got to hang out by the pool with our 'chanel' towels for a few hours before check in, and meant we got to enjoy the sunshine before the inevitable afternoon rain showed up. Although Hannah did get bitten by a mini fire ant and actually saw it in the act. It was a bad one. We also had a gekko visitor by the pool and saw a wasp, which was unusual. There was also an eagle type thing in the hills that we watched for a bit.
Our room is a little bungalow on the hill with a funny miniature carved door that even Hannah almost has to stoop to get through. It has a flushing toilet, actual bed linen and towels, soap, shampoo, toilet roll, air con and a tv with some English language programmes. However, the much sought after hot water remains elusive and is, at best, luke warm.
Had lunch and saw a fisherman with a massive Tuna come to the restaurant and sell them the fish. Went back there for dinner and Nik ordered tuna, maybe the very same one! Hannah remains vegetarian and only drinking tea and bottled water although is now up to eating whole meals. The restaurant by evening is some sort of ex-pat Aussie hang out playing Rod Stewart, watching Aussie Rules and having games of pool. Was not like being in Lombok, other than all the amazing cats knocking about as ever. There was a western man with an Indonesian bride who was the size of an actual child I.e. significantly more miniature than Hannah. Wrong.