Adventures in Lombok Part Two: Gili Meno

Hello from Singapore!

I love this country, and I'm not just saying that because I was able to upload photos in 1/72 of the time it took me to do the same in anywhere in Bali or Lombok...

We've spent four nights here and feel right at home being back in a big city.  It has been so much fun to see the sights, eat the local food, and visit with a college friend's aunt who has been sweet enough to host us during our time here.

Today we are heading to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia!  

Updates on Singapore soon, but first back to the two weeks spent on our tiny island...

***** 

On Halloween Day we took a glass bottom boat across the ocean to the tiny island of Gili Meno.  

“The Gilis” as they are known, are a group of three small islands west of mainland Lombok.  GiliTrawangan is the “party” island, Gili Meno is the quiet island, and Gili Air is somewhere in the middle.  We settled on Gili Meno, popular with couples and honeymooners due to the non-existence of nightlife and its reputation of having the best beaches.  On the recommendation of a former co-worker we found the perfect guesthouse and settled into vacation.  We wanted time to relax midway through our three month trip and take some time to unpack somewhere for longer than three or four days.  Gili Meno was the perfect place.  

We swam, snorkeled, lounged, read, took walks, ate delicious food (I think we tried the tofu curry at every restaurant on the island), watched the sun rise and set, and gazed at stars that we haven’t seen since moving to Korea last summer.  We also noted the nocturnal wildlife: crabs of all shapes and sizes that scurried across our path as we returned home from dinners out.  On Sunday mornings we logged in to Ryan’s dad’s slingbox  (thank you!) and watched our Ducks defeat USC and California.

{I wrote this pre-Stanford loss and no, I don't want to talk about it.}

  Ryan tried his hand at spear fishing.  We ate shrimp and triggerfish that night.

  

 

 

There are no motorized vehicles on any of the Gilis, just cidomos (horse drawn carriages).  

 

Power on the island is supplied by generators and fresh water is brought in by boat.   Our bathroom had only cool salt water, but we didn’t mind.  We saved $2.50 each night by not requesting fresh water showers.  We spent that money on chocolate milkshakes.  And sometimes on beer.

 

Aside from hearing the parties on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air across the water some nights, very salty hair, a jellyfish sting and a fish bite, it was a perfect trip.  We had a hard time leaving that last day, after twelve before it.  

Ice cream pancakes for breakfast helped to soften the blow.

  

We already miss Gili Meno but can't wait to see what adventures Malaysia holds.

Adventures in Lombok Part One: Kuta & Sengeggi

Hello for the last time from Indonesia!

We are heading to Singapore in less than fifteen hours!

Although we loved our time in Bali and Lombok, we're ready for a change of scenery.

Here's what we did during the second half of our time in Indonesia.

****

Our time in mainland Lombok was short but sweet. 

 

We spent two nights in the small beach town of Kuta.

  

It was nothing like the city of the same name in Bali, with no pushy vendors, only a few main streets, and nearly deserted white sand beaches.  Our brief stint in Kuta, Lombok consisted of fresh fish dinners, scooter rides sightseeing through town, and Ryan’s first surf attempt in years.  He met a trio of young Spanish ex-pats who split a boat and breaks with him.  I relaxed on one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever laid eyes on and laughed as a group of young boys yelled at me to watch their tricks on an old surfboard.

 “Me photo too!” a young girl shouted.

Oh, and we saw some familiar faces near the beach as well.

Our next stop in Lombok was Senggegi on the northwest coast.

 

 

We loved the unofficial spots designated to watch the sun set, where locals would share a blanket and some corn on the cob.

We spent a day scootering around the island to find the Sendang Gile waterfalls.

Two hours on our scooter and one flat tire (our travel companions’) later we made it.

Our guide took us over some questionable stairs and a very interesting bridge.  We waded through rushing water and across slippery rocks.

“Are there leeches here?”  I asked.  (I have developed an unhealthy fear of leeches since reading about them in one of our guidebooks.)

“Only in the rainy season”, our guide mercifully responded.

This better be worth it, I thought to myself.  

It was.

 

The falls were stunning.  And freezing.  They literally took my breath away as we took a very refreshing swim.

Our guide then led us to a second waterfall, believed to make those who swim in it one year younger.  Ryan joked that the teens frolicking in the water could be in their late eighties.

 

Then it was time for a trip across the ocean to the Gilis!