It still surprises me to come home and find that, after only a day or two, every trip feels like a dream. Near or far, traveling lives in the same part of my brain as dreaming: I dream it up, it happens and often feels somewhat dreamlike, then I go home and it becomes a surreal memory.
That is not to say that Indonesia was all dreamy: it was quite real. As in any developing country, there is no trash system: trash lines the roads and the popular beaches or gets thrown into burn piles in tiny courtyards. The toilets are the stuff of nightmares (especially when mixed with public transportation). The showers are cold - unless you are forking over that extra wad of Rupiahs. We, the bulés (white people), enjoy (or endure, depending on the situation) the status of millionaire, literally and figuratively. Just $100 converts to about 1,000,000 Rupiahs - a sum the rare Indonesian makes in a year. And so, $1 meals abound and $6 accommodations are easy to find (yes, that's if you can sacrifice the hot shower). It is a budget traveler's fantasy, assuming that budget traveler has the kahunas to haggle nonstop for correct prices.
Meet the budget traveler who is just that: my lovely cousin Anna. She has spent the last 6 months (or more?) adventuring around southeast Asia, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. She has some amazing stories; I am green with envy of her experiences. We spent about 9 days with her on the islands of Lombok, the Gilis and Bali.
 |
| Riding a good samaritan's good will on Bali (the peace sign is still cool in Asia). |
We Begin.
We began in south Bali. I think the only way I'd return to south Bali is if I got really good at surfing. The beaches are crowded; there are hawkers everywhere trying to sell this and that. Gated resort communities tower over Balinese slums. That said, there are some gorgeous vistas, such as the ones from the Ulu Watu temple in my previous post. Obviously there is much to like about south Bali given the hoards of tourists and Aussie surfers. And we certainly found something to like: a deluxe, get-rid-of-your-jetlag hotel room courtesy of Ben's mom and stepdad (thanks Anne & Wendell!). Check out our pad for the first two nights of the trip:
 |
| Yep. That's right. We had butler service and hot water here. |
Bali to Lombok.
From south Bali we headed east to Lombok to meet Anna and surf. Lombok is predominantly Muslim, and tourism hasn't come close to what it is in Bali. We got stared at. We got our picture taken. A lot. Sasaks have a fascination with bulés. These kids crowded around us on a swimming beach in Kuta, and their parents kept sneaking up and trying to take pictures of us with their cellphones.
 |
| Everyone gather 'round. |
 |
| Yes, show me the sand! |
 |
| A Sasak family bringing in the day's catch. |
We had a motorbike in Kuta, Lombok, along with our very own Sasak Mama. Mama's family scooped us up when we arrived in Kuta after dark and took us to their rural homestay where we rented a room for $6 a night. Mama had her own fleet of motorbikes and surfboards, as well as chickens, roosters, goats, cats, dogs and Aussie surfers. It was one of the grossest places we stayed but also my favorite. Mama would yell "you want breee-pass (breakfast)?!" as soon as we opened our door each morning. In the afternoons, when the heat got too intense to function, Papa and various family members and random Sasaks would lie around in the balés (open-air huts) in the yard.
 |
| A seven-year-old helped us get our bike started. Pretty sure there's no age limit for driving; Indonesians pile entire families and hoards of goods on the motorbikes. |
Lombok to the Gili Islands.
From Kuta we headed to the Gili Islands, off the coast of Lombok. Gili Meno was our base camp for several days. As soon as we arrived we all slipped into the kind of coma that is induced only by the most relaxing places on Earth. Anna and I sat in the balé on the beach and talked for hours while Ben went snorkeling, flipping along the reef just offshore. We read books, ate banana pancakes and watched horse-drawn carts trot by. For once I didn't feel an ounce of guilt for being a sloth-like human being.
Our post on Gili Meno: Sunset Gecko.
Stray cats EVERYwhere.
 |
| Passing the hours with good conversations, good books and good food in the balé. |
Gili Meno is so small that you can walk its circumference in 45 minutes, stopping along the way to take in the mountainous views of Lombok and the strange dichotomy of cultures across the channel on Gili Trawangan. "Gili-T," as it is called on the backpacker circuit, consists of bikini-clad, strung-out Westerners sharing a tiny, sea-locked space with hijab-wearing Muslims. Mosques blare prayers multiple times a day, seemingly competing with the deafening hip hop music in the main street bars.
 |
| Sasak kids watching the mayhem on Gili T's main street. |
 |
| Paddle boarding off Gili T on Ben's birthday. |
 |
On the little commuter boat from the Gilis to Lombok,
gripping the plywood bench & hoping not to capsize. |
The Gilis to Central Bali.
From the Gilis, we went to the town of Ubud in central Bali. We'd had enough beach time (i.e., we were both ridiculously sunburned from surfing) and we wanted to see more Balinese culture. Ubud proved to be our home base for the rest of the trip; it's a groovy little city with Hindu temples and offerings everywhere, health food restaurants, spas, yoga studios and miles of rice fields within walking distance.
 |
| Market in Ubud. |
 |
| Checking out a temple in downtown Ubud. |
 |
| Real lotus flowers! |
 |
Anna & Ben wandering along one of the zillion little pathways
between the rice fields and bustling streets of Ubud. |
 |
We splurged on a deluxe place in Ubud ($15/each/night...amazing).
This is the view from our balcony at night. |
We spent a lot of time walking around Ubud and the surrounding rice patties. We met farmer Wayan on one of our walks. He showed us how the rice grows and cracked open a coconut for us to drink from. We eventually bought a huge bottle of coconut oil that his wife made at home.
 |
| Rice, about a week before harvest. |
 |
| Eating the coconut "meat." |
More Walking Adventures.
This first photo is of farmers herding ducks. You read it right:
ducks. They move the frantic little quackers between rice patties and use them to eat snails.
 |
| I would like to herd ducks one day. |
 |
| My favorite walk along Campuan Ridge. |
Motorbiking Adventures.
We also took a lot of day trips on the motorbike. I loved the motorbike: traffic in Indonesia is such organized chaos. If there is space somewhere on the road, someone will take it. Lanes are only a suggestion; horns are constant and simply mean that someone - often a huge truck - is coming through and not stopping.
 |
| Helmets? Yes, please. |
We saw a lot of
stuff on our motorbike tours:
 |
| A coffee and herb farm. |
 |
| One of thousands of Hindu temples in and around Ubud. |
 |
| Beautiful rice terraces north of Ubud. |
 |
| Volcanoes everywhere. |
 |
| Tomatillos at a roadside fruit stand. |
In case you are feeling jealous, hopefully this will keep things in perspective:
 |
Moi, in the midst of a 48-hour poop and barf fest. Ben & I's motto,
through our sunburns and upset stomachs and blistered lips, was whitey come to Asia.
Whitey paid more than 50 cents for lunch after that. |
