Thursday 22nd September
Gili Trawangan. I have definitely landed on my feet with this room. It has a proper bed, a fan, a venetian blind(!) and even a wardrobe so I don't have to put stuff on the floor! And the communal toilets are decent and there is a proper shower. For just 50,000 rupiah ($6). People had told me I would probably be paying 120,000 a night because the island is expensive. And I can sit outside the dive school in the morning eating Trangbulan cake and looking at the sea and watching people getting ready for their dives.
So since I will be staying here for a week I have been pacing myself because there is not that much to do. This morning I went snorkelling again off Turtle point. The current was not so strong today. There are some metal framework structures just off the beach; I am not sure why they are there but some great coral has grown on it and the fish hang around there. I swam further south and came to some more good coral and the water was crystal clear. As always, there were yellow and black Moorish Idol Fish. I didn't see any turtles........
....but just when I thought I had finished, I decided to see what three other snorkellers were looking at - it was a big turtle. The shell was probably a metre long and it looked like an old one, it looked like an old man. I swam along with it and it stopped to chew on some plants on the coral. Cool.
I watched another big fish (Yellow Mask Angel Fish?) as it demolished a piece of coral with it's sharp teeth. It bit into the coral and then ripped big chunks off. What amazed me was that it would hold the coral in it's mouth and then reverse and then drop the coral out of it's way, like someone removing soil from a hole. Smart! It stopped for a rest a few times and then ripped off more. I was watching for ages but never figured out why it was doing this; there was no plant or anything underneath. It also seemed to be warding off the smaller fish hovering around.
After lunch I walked around the perimeter of the island; it is only about 4kms. In the north there is supposed to be good snorkelling but it was very windy and choppy out there. Further round the beach was very windy and I got sand blasted! On the west side, I stopped on a low viewing platform by the beach and read my book and then other people turned up too to watch the sunset behind Gunung Agung on Bali, about 20kms away.
There are big rolling waves running parallel to the beach, in the channel between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. Also there are smaller waves crashing over the coral onto the Trawangan beach. It is quite mixed up. Some of the fast boats between here and Bali have been cancelled because of the strong winds.
Friday 23rd September
Well, I have a morning routine now: cake and reading at the dive centre then snorkelling. After Gado Gado for lunch I sat on the beach listening to podcasts. By 5:30pm there was a cool breeze on the beach and no one swimming so I didn't either. Bought my ferry/bus ticket for Sunday.
Saturday 24th September
After sitting out of the front of the dive shop most of the morning, I was surprised to then find a note on my door at 11:30am asking me to check out at midday as the room was reserved for someone else. They said the booking was made ages ago so how come I got such short notice? After a bit of a whinge I found a nice homestay along the back lanes.
Snorkelling today I saw two turtles. I followed the first one for quite a while. It was cool when it gently glided up to the surface for air. As it glided back down I could see its belly. Also saw a long grey narrow fish, a bit like a letter-opener, with a long nose and its eyes a third of the way along.
Gado Gado again for lunch then reading and podcasts on the beach and one final swim. In the evening I went to see if I could watch the football; one of the bars had the TV clearly visible from the road so I sat on the kerb opposite, the same as some locals, and watched 1.5 games before going off to bed.
Sunday 25th September
Got the slow boat back to Bangsal harbour (30 minutes) then shuttle bus to Mataram (well, nearly; I still had to get a bemo into town). Back at the Oka hotel for the third time; the ladies who run it are a bit grumpy and not very friendly but its the cheapest place I know of in town. Wandered around finding out stuff for tomorrow.
In the evening, I sat down for noodles at a roadside joint and a couple of locals invited me to sit with them so I did. They are married and both teach English at a school here and also teach specialist English to bankers, doctors etc. They were good company. As they left the guy said he would pay for my dinner as that was the custom. I was a bit uncomfortable about that but only protested a little as otherwise I would have offended them.
Good chat with French couple back at the hotel.
Monday 26th September
At the Commonwealth Bank at 8am to get some US Dollars. It went a lot more smoothly than I thought it might; part one of the mission successfully accomplished. Bemo one hour to Lembar, then passenger ferry for 4 hours to Padangbai, Bali. As we approached Bali I sat under cover on the top deck reading my book and looking at the sea and the islands; my last ferry trip in Indonesia.
Had to wait a couple of hours and then got the tourists' shuttle bus (minivan) from Padangbai to Kuta Bali. We went along a dual carriageway and it only took a couple of hours, past some rice fields with palm trees and the sea beyond.
On my way east I had used local transport rather than tourists' transport because I thought it would be cheaper and I would get to hang out with the local people more. Well, having used some tourists' transport on the way back west I can say that it is often cheaper and quicker to go with the tourists. Still, I am glad I did it my way heading east, along the country roads and through villages.
Came back to same good hotel in Kuta. I don't really want to be here for 48 hours but just wanted to be sure I am here for my flight on Wednesday. Had a wander around in the evening through the neon jungle of Kuta with the throbbing nightclubs.
Tuesday 27th September
Tried to resolve some issues with my bank transaction from yesterday. The bank said to call Visa, Visa told me to call the bank.
Kuta is quite quiet in the morning; I guess people are sleeping off their hangovers. I walked around and around visiting the bank, lots of bookshops and CD shops. I found some Chinese money in my bag so coverted that and bought some knock-off CDs
Kuta is not typical of Bali, or Indonesia. There are glimpses of it here and there: some of the architecture hidden down the alleyways, the offerings placed outside some of the shops and the friendly locals. But it is not like the rest of Indonesia; the only experience here is locals selling sunglasses, handing out flyers outside clubs or calling 'transport?' at you from across the street. But it's all good.
Wednesday 28th September
Wandered around. Dealt with the bank, a bit stressful but sorted. Kindof. Tonight I fly to Kuala Lumpar, assuming Indonesia lets me out of the country; I am one day over my visa.
Gili Trawangan. I have definitely landed on my feet with this room. It has a proper bed, a fan, a venetian blind(!) and even a wardrobe so I don't have to put stuff on the floor! And the communal toilets are decent and there is a proper shower. For just 50,000 rupiah ($6). People had told me I would probably be paying 120,000 a night because the island is expensive. And I can sit outside the dive school in the morning eating Trangbulan cake and looking at the sea and watching people getting ready for their dives.
So since I will be staying here for a week I have been pacing myself because there is not that much to do. This morning I went snorkelling again off Turtle point. The current was not so strong today. There are some metal framework structures just off the beach; I am not sure why they are there but some great coral has grown on it and the fish hang around there. I swam further south and came to some more good coral and the water was crystal clear. As always, there were yellow and black Moorish Idol Fish. I didn't see any turtles........
....but just when I thought I had finished, I decided to see what three other snorkellers were looking at - it was a big turtle. The shell was probably a metre long and it looked like an old one, it looked like an old man. I swam along with it and it stopped to chew on some plants on the coral. Cool.
I watched another big fish (Yellow Mask Angel Fish?) as it demolished a piece of coral with it's sharp teeth. It bit into the coral and then ripped big chunks off. What amazed me was that it would hold the coral in it's mouth and then reverse and then drop the coral out of it's way, like someone removing soil from a hole. Smart! It stopped for a rest a few times and then ripped off more. I was watching for ages but never figured out why it was doing this; there was no plant or anything underneath. It also seemed to be warding off the smaller fish hovering around.
After lunch I walked around the perimeter of the island; it is only about 4kms. In the north there is supposed to be good snorkelling but it was very windy and choppy out there. Further round the beach was very windy and I got sand blasted! On the west side, I stopped on a low viewing platform by the beach and read my book and then other people turned up too to watch the sunset behind Gunung Agung on Bali, about 20kms away.
There are big rolling waves running parallel to the beach, in the channel between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. Also there are smaller waves crashing over the coral onto the Trawangan beach. It is quite mixed up. Some of the fast boats between here and Bali have been cancelled because of the strong winds.
Friday 23rd September
Well, I have a morning routine now: cake and reading at the dive centre then snorkelling. After Gado Gado for lunch I sat on the beach listening to podcasts. By 5:30pm there was a cool breeze on the beach and no one swimming so I didn't either. Bought my ferry/bus ticket for Sunday.
Saturday 24th September
After sitting out of the front of the dive shop most of the morning, I was surprised to then find a note on my door at 11:30am asking me to check out at midday as the room was reserved for someone else. They said the booking was made ages ago so how come I got such short notice? After a bit of a whinge I found a nice homestay along the back lanes.
Snorkelling today I saw two turtles. I followed the first one for quite a while. It was cool when it gently glided up to the surface for air. As it glided back down I could see its belly. Also saw a long grey narrow fish, a bit like a letter-opener, with a long nose and its eyes a third of the way along.
Gado Gado again for lunch then reading and podcasts on the beach and one final swim. In the evening I went to see if I could watch the football; one of the bars had the TV clearly visible from the road so I sat on the kerb opposite, the same as some locals, and watched 1.5 games before going off to bed.
Sunday 25th September
Got the slow boat back to Bangsal harbour (30 minutes) then shuttle bus to Mataram (well, nearly; I still had to get a bemo into town). Back at the Oka hotel for the third time; the ladies who run it are a bit grumpy and not very friendly but its the cheapest place I know of in town. Wandered around finding out stuff for tomorrow.
In the evening, I sat down for noodles at a roadside joint and a couple of locals invited me to sit with them so I did. They are married and both teach English at a school here and also teach specialist English to bankers, doctors etc. They were good company. As they left the guy said he would pay for my dinner as that was the custom. I was a bit uncomfortable about that but only protested a little as otherwise I would have offended them.
Good chat with French couple back at the hotel.
Monday 26th September
At the Commonwealth Bank at 8am to get some US Dollars. It went a lot more smoothly than I thought it might; part one of the mission successfully accomplished. Bemo one hour to Lembar, then passenger ferry for 4 hours to Padangbai, Bali. As we approached Bali I sat under cover on the top deck reading my book and looking at the sea and the islands; my last ferry trip in Indonesia.
Had to wait a couple of hours and then got the tourists' shuttle bus (minivan) from Padangbai to Kuta Bali. We went along a dual carriageway and it only took a couple of hours, past some rice fields with palm trees and the sea beyond.
On my way east I had used local transport rather than tourists' transport because I thought it would be cheaper and I would get to hang out with the local people more. Well, having used some tourists' transport on the way back west I can say that it is often cheaper and quicker to go with the tourists. Still, I am glad I did it my way heading east, along the country roads and through villages.
Came back to same good hotel in Kuta. I don't really want to be here for 48 hours but just wanted to be sure I am here for my flight on Wednesday. Had a wander around in the evening through the neon jungle of Kuta with the throbbing nightclubs.
Tuesday 27th September
Tried to resolve some issues with my bank transaction from yesterday. The bank said to call Visa, Visa told me to call the bank.
Kuta is quite quiet in the morning; I guess people are sleeping off their hangovers. I walked around and around visiting the bank, lots of bookshops and CD shops. I found some Chinese money in my bag so coverted that and bought some knock-off CDs
Kuta is not typical of Bali, or Indonesia. There are glimpses of it here and there: some of the architecture hidden down the alleyways, the offerings placed outside some of the shops and the friendly locals. But it is not like the rest of Indonesia; the only experience here is locals selling sunglasses, handing out flyers outside clubs or calling 'transport?' at you from across the street. But it's all good.
Wednesday 28th September
Wandered around. Dealt with the bank, a bit stressful but sorted. Kindof. Tonight I fly to Kuala Lumpar, assuming Indonesia lets me out of the country; I am one day over my visa.
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