Into Indo...

After spending the night in Senaru following our Rinjani trek we woke up and were still extremely sore (though Sue was the one whining the most) and just wanted to relax for the rest of the trip. We figured that it was the perfect time to explore the Gili Islands. There are three islands that make up the Gili’s; Gili Air, Gili Meno and and Gili Trawangan and we wanted to explore them all. We figured we would start with Gili Air as it is the island closest to the mainland and the most easily reached.

From the moment we got off the ferry in Gili Air we couldn’t help but feel that we just landed in paradise. It was just so perfect, no cars or motorbikes are allowed on the islands so you have to walk, bike or take a cidomo which made it very quiet and peaceful. The Gili Islands are carefully monitored in order to keep the environment pollution free. The island also has retained its rural charm because tourism is relatively new. We headed directly from the ferry to where we would be staying at Coconut Cottages. Our cottage was large and absolutely amazing. It was elevated from the ground, had an amazing view from the verandah and Sue was in heaven again as the wet room in the cottage had a shower with a great view of the sky. We spent the rest of the day exploring the island and the beaches, which are some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen with their turquoise water and soft white sand. We also rented some snorkeling gear down at the beach and spent some time exploring the water and its abundance of creatures including, Hawksbill Turtles, Squid, Cuttlefish and colourful reef fish. By the end of the day we all decided we were going to abandon our family and friends back home and move to Gili Air. If only it was that easy.

The next day, as sad as we were to leave Gili Air, we were also excited to explore our next stop, Gili Meno. Gili Meno is the smallest island of the three and the population consists of only a few hundred people. Just like Gili Air, the natural beauty of the island was so peaceful and relaxing and the pace was much slower than even the other island. The islands are renowned for their diving and we were able to swim and snorkel in the warm water right in from of our villa. The island is a coral atoll so the sands are almost pure white and the water is varying shades of aqua and crystal clear. One thing we learned about this island though is that it is very conservative. Sue and I walked into town with shorts and tank tops on and we received the dirtiest looks from the locals. Also, as most of the islands population is Muslim they do not drink alcohol, so other than beer, alcoholic drinks are not available and tourists are advised to bring their own. Starting to get sad as there is only one more day of our vacation then we have to head home.

We are spending our last day in Indonesia visiting Gili Trawangan, which is the largest of the Gili Islands. We are getting sad but decide not to let it consume our day but make it the best day ever. The one good thing about leaving the islands though is a proper shower. There is no fresh water on the islands so you have to get used to taking a salt water shower. Gili Trawangan is known as “the party island” and is therefore a lot busier than the previous two islands though there are still the beautiful white sand beaches. We met some gorgeous Australian guys in one of the bars and they told us we have to go diving up at Shark Point, which is regarded as one of the best dive spots in all of Lombok. Something about the name “Shark Point” though didn’t create a lot of interest for us. Apparently though you can dive and see white tip sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, and eels. While it did sound interesting we also didn’t think it was a good idea as we would be flying the next day. We spent our last bit of time remembering the places we’ve been by watching the sunset across the ocean to Bali and in the morning, the amazing sunrise over Gunung Rinjani on Lombok.

We were all pretty quiet on our boat ride back to Lombok, sad that our trip was over but remembering all of our amazing experiences. At the harbor we took a cidomo to Pemenang, then a taxi to the airport in Mataram. Deborah made sure we had our Indonesian Rupiahs as we had to pay airport taxes for our flight home. Well, after an amazing time in Indonesia it was now time to say goodbye; but actually it was more like see you later as we would be back again one day to do it all again.

After a few days in Senggigi we were ready to move on. We decided to take a Mount Rinjani trek to see the active volcano up close. The trek began in North Lombok in the village of Senaru, the gateway to Rinjani National Park.

Day 1: After paying our entrance fee we started along on our trek. We left most of our things at the trek centre so all we had to carry was some water and clothes for the night. What we didn’t realize when starting was that there is a lot of vertical climbing on this trek when we were expecting a more gradual climb. I realized quite quickly that the flip-flops I had put on were not such a smart idea and the first chance I got changed into some sturdier footwear. For about 6 hours we were climbing up the path through the thick jungle and it was nice seeing all the flowers, birds, and the occasional monkey and deer. This interest only lasted about an hour though as the exhaustion started to set in. A bit later the pain started to come, till finally I was ready to throw Sue over the edge for suggesting this ridiculous trek (What! She slipped). After what felt like forever we reached a rest stop where we were able to have some lunch.

We didn’t stop long though before we were on our way again. We were hoping we had gotten past the worst of it by this point but oh no, it just got worse. It kept getting steeper and steeper till we thought we couldn’t go any further, but of course there was no way to go but up so we endured. Eventually we started coming out of the forest into the open air and the views were incredible. Having just trekked for hours we finally made it to the rim of the crater just in time to watch the sunset. While we were all extremely exhausted, there was also a sense of accomplishment. After eating our dinner and setting up tent for the night, we were so tired that we practically passed out. Going down had to be easier than going up.

Day 2: Sunrise at the crater was definitely a great way to start day 2. We relaxed and enjoyed the view for a while as we ate breakfast. You used to be able to trek down from the rim of the crater to the lake below but the eruption of Gunung Baru volcano led to its closure until it can be deemed safe again for visitors. After a bit we started our trek back down the mountain and as hoped, it was a lot easier than the way up. In some areas it was easy to just slide down the slopes because of the loose rock, just as long as you didn’t slide yourself right off the edge. There were 8 of us travelling on this journey together, and while they were strangers just the morning before, they now they seemed like long time friends. The mood in the group was a lot lighter than the day before as well and we were joking around with each other and just having a great time. Our guides even joined in and were telling stories about the volcano eruption and previous treks they have taken up the mountain.

After a while though the pain from the previous day started to set in and was making the walk a bit more difficult. We got to our first post where we had some lunch and it started to get a bit daunting while sitting there as we realized how much further we still had to go. The rest of the way down got continually harder with the jumping down hills and basically straining the body by doing so much downhill walking. Throw in a few near death experiences at which point I grabbed on to Deb for dear life and that was our trek down. After we made it to the bottom the pain and exhaustion just overtook us. We were dirty, tired, and in desperate need of a very strong drink but it was an experience of a lifetime.

The trek was definitely the hardest thing we’ve ever done, though we would definitely recommend it to people travelling the area. It is an exhilarating and rewarding experience; you just need to make sure you have proper clothes and footwear (no flip-flops).

So, it was our first full day in Lombok and we were going to make the most of it. The Senggigi area spans 10km of coastal road so there is lots to see and do. We spent the morning at Senggigi beach hoping to miss the crowds that would definitely swarm in as the day went on. There are many sellers on the beach trying to get you to buy their product, and one of the things we saw quite frequently were pearls at very low prices. While they were genuine pearls, they were of a lower quality so we figured we would stop in at some gold and pearl shops in Cakranegara later in the day for a nicer selection.

As we were going to be in Senggigi for a few days we figured we would have plenty of time on the beach to swim and shop so we decided to grab some lunch at De Quake Restaurant then head south to the town of Cakranegara, Lombok’s main shopping area. Many of Lombok’s weaving and basketry industries are located in Cakranegara so Deborah made sure we both bought some baskets for our mom’s back home. Other popular souvenirs that we frequently saw include textiles, pottery, jewelry, and furniture made from materials including bamboo and rattan. As we expected, we also found some amazing pearls of a much better quality than the ones on Senggigi Beach.

It is very easy to get around town by Cidomo, which are basically horse-drawn carriages and also the main form of transportation in Lombok. Very cool way to get from place to place. Other places should start to incorporate this as it is a great way to help with Global Warming. The horse doesn’t require any gas, you just need to feed him every once in a while. Sue and her crazy ways is now insisting she sell her car back home and buy a horse & carriage as she loves this mode of transportation.

Our next stop in Cakranegara was the temples of Pura Meru and Pura Mayura. Pura Meru is the most important temple for the Balinese here and is also the largest temple on Lombok. The temples three main meru (pagoda) represent the Hindu trinity – Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Just across the road is Pura Mayura which is a temple that’s part of the Mayura Water Palace. It consists of a large artificial lake that holds the floating pavilion. The temple is open on all four sides and is reached by a narrow causeway. It was originally part of the Balinese kingdom’s royal court and for meetings of the Hindu Princess.


After our full day we decided to head back to Pura Batu Bolong to explore the Hindu Temple situated there in a scenic spot overlooking Senggigi beach. This beach also has a huge rock with a hole in it and is a perfect spot to watch the sunset.

After an amazing time in Bali we head out to our next stop, the island of Lombok. We decide the best way to get there will be by public ferry for $5.17CAD per person so we gathered our luggage and travelled down to Bali’s Pandangbai Harbour. We weren’t on the ferry long before we were second guessing our travel choice as we were looking at 4-5 hours on a boat that felt like it would sink at any moment. Not to mention the putrid smell of vomit surrounding us.

Despite the terrible journey we arrived in Lombok just south of the city of Mataram. We didn’t have to worry about finding transportation when getting off the ferry as there were people everywhere trying to offer us transport and grabbing for our luggage. We settled on a Bemo to take us the hour journey from Lembar Harbour to Senggigi where we would be staying. What we thought would be an hour journey though turned out to be much longer as the driver had no set route and kept stopping to pick up locals. It seemed to take forever, especially for Deborah as the driver kept asking her to marry him. We did meet some very nice people on the way though that told us about how the Bemo’s were originally brought to Indonesia by the Japanese Government as part of a disaster relief package in 1962 but today they are the main means of long distance transportation in Lombok.

We arrived at the Bulan Baru Hotel and were not disappointed. The hotel is located just 7km from central Senggigi so it is quick and easy to get into town yet we were away from the noise and the crowds. It’s location in a green valley, surrounded by mountains and jungle was amazing, but the best part was the open-air garden bathroom in the hotel room. Sue loved the bathroom so much that I thought that she was going to end up sleeping in there.



As we were all tired and hungry from our journey we figured we would stop at a restaurant for something to eat. We ran into some other guests at the hotel and asked what restaurants they would recommend and they said Quali Restaurant and that we have to try Ayam Taliwang. Ayam Taliwang, we discovered, is basically a small grilled chicken doused with a red-hot chili sauce and is one of Lombok’s most popular dishes. It was amazing, but when they say spicy in Lombok, that is exactly what they mean. Deborah and I couldn’t help but laugh at Sue as she hates spicy food and was crying for hours after eating this dish.

After our meal we decided to just kick back for the rest of the day. We grabbed our swim gear from the hotel room and headed across the road through a small coconut grove to a practically deserted beach to swim and relax.

We woke up early today as we are heading 30 minutes to the southern tip of Bali to Uluwatu. This area of Bali is most famous for its unique position as it is located on cliff’s edge. Furthermore it also is known as a top surfing and diving destination and also holds the oldest temple in Bali. We arrive at our hotel the Uluwatu Resort. This resort was recommended to us by some locals back on Kuta Beach. The hotel is renowned for its view, as it is positioned on the cliff’s edge just above the world famous Uluwatu surf break. We check into our room and are astonished with the fabulous view of the Indian Ocean; our verandah is perfectly situated to gaze out upon the waves. We have also been told the view from our balcony is the perfect location to catch yet again another beautiful sunset over the ocean. We are in paradise!

Uluwatu Sunset

We do not stay in our room for long as we have our driver waiting for us. We hired a car today and only paid $15CAD for the day. We are now heading to Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple and our driver explained to us that it is known as the most spectacular temple in Bali. It has been said that with its location, it guards the Balinese from the evil spirit of the ocean. He also continued to warn us about the monkeys and to take off any valuables like sunglasses, hats and cameras as the monkeys tend to grab them and take them away. Deborah did not like the sounds of this! Now we know why; the monkey’s were attracted to her. She had three monkeys who would not stop following her, the monkeys are rather aggressive too as it felt as though they were trying to win over Deborah’s heart. They began fighting and then really beat each other up. The driver mentioned that is not rare to see the monkeys throw themselves over the cliff’s edge if they lost a battle, and sure enough that is what the monkey did who lost. Wow, that was disturbing!

monkey

uluwatu

As the sun began to sink into the Indian Ocean, the views become even more stunning. Before we knew it there was a tradidtional dance called Kecak which began. This very traditional dance is held daily at the temple at sunset, the dance is also known as the monkey dance. The dance consists of 50 men wearing only a loin-cloth and their upper bodies are left bare, they chanted and danced around a coconut oil lamp and it was rather amusing to see. It did not take long for us to understand why it is called the “monkey dance”.

Kecak_dance

l-Uluwatu-Temple-after-sun

We then had our driver take us back to our unique hotel as we are all exhausted from a very interesting day. We spent the next day relaxing and enjoying the views from our hotel. Cindy and I went on a little adventure to find the beach near-by as I had to catch some waves at this awesome surf spot. We had to hike through this before getting to this amazing little beach area.

uluwatu beach

uluwatuu beach surfung

We spent the afternoon playing in the waves, but made sure to head back to hotel before sunset. We met Deborah in the room who was anxiously awaiting our arrival so we could enjoy our last beautiful sunset on the island of Bali as first thing in the morning we are heading to the island of the Lombok.