Today I woke up in the loneliest mosque ever - both for Isha and Fajar we were the only ones
present, though just before Fajr I did dream that we were joined by a couple of Arabs (a revert
and one who'd come to be reverted) and an Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi.
Yesterday I lost the best bandana that I ever had whilst snorkelling on corals off Magnetic
Island. If anybody happens to be in Khota Bharu, please go to the market in the centre of town and
get me a bright red (with kool patterns) bandana from a guy who will try to sell you one with the
American flag.
Muchas gracias.
Anyway, here's the next part of Indonesia...
TUESDAY 11 JULY
Though Mattaram has a few sights of interest, straight after breakfast we headed for Senggigi
beach. Though we’d planned on going from there to the village of Senaru, a vantage point for
Gunung Rinjani, at 3726m the highest mountain in Lombok, going by public transport proved to be
really difficult and we didn’t wanna fork out for a tour. So decided to take a boat out to Gili
Trawangan (at 3pm) and spend up until then in Senggigi.
Senggigi is the most developed tourist area in Lombok and yet the beaches were very quiet, rather
idylic. There seemed to be more vendors selling this and that than tourists. And all these vendors
would recognise that we were Muslims and say salam and talk to us in Arabic! Well, most would
start in Arabic but would finish soon after I’d run out of words myself, but some spoke well,
though not as well as Mustafa “The (language) Guru” Ahsan. It was great to get so much attention
because we were Muslims travellers, a novelty for the locals who are used to seeing Western
tourist all the time.
After a quick swim, booking the boat to Trawangan, a lovely lunch, we went for a walk along the
beach, which extended for 10km, to an old disused Hindu temple jetting out on a rocky point from
the beach. Orientated towards Gunung Agung, Bali’s holiest mountain, legend has it that beautiful
virgins were once thrown in to the sea from the top of the rock. Needless to say we didn’t see
such!
At about 3pm, took the slow boat to Trawangan, one of the three tiny coral-fringed Islands off the
North West coast of Lombok, arriving an hour and a half later. On the boat met a Minankabu whose
mother had recently died and who was slowly returning to Islam.
The welcome we received in Trawangan was the best yet and I don’t think it will be beaten on this
tour. Took a horse carriage on the road going along the beach in search of accommodation and,
almost to a man, woman and child was saying salam to us as we went past. It was fantastic! Wow! I
almost felt embarrased at all the attention but it was the greatest feeling. It was like we were
royalty or something, parading past the main road whilst everybody stood on the sidewalk to give
their salams!
Found a place to stay, with ceiling fan, ensuite bathroom, and very close to the beach, for only
7,000 rupiah for both of us! That’s just 25 pence each! Went to a masjid, one of the two but the
whole Island is only 2 by 1.5km, for Asr and Maghrib. The continous salams and greetings
continued. For some reason, most people thought that we were Arabs and, accordingly, talked to us
in Arabic. And everybody seemed to know some Arabic and most spoke it well. It was a great
surprise to us!
At the mosque we me a kid (late teens) who seemed to be stuck for money, needing 5,000 to get back
to Lombok. We were a bit suspicious and so asked him to come to Isha and we’d sort something out
then, thinking that he would return if he was genuine.
After Maghrib went to hunt for an open water diving course, the main reason for going to
Trawangan. En route we met a restaurant owner who seemed overwhelmed to meet us! Mustafa had
initially said we were Colombians, for a laugh of course, but when he found out that we were a
couple of guys called Muhammad and Mustafa he was speechless. He just shook our hands and embrased
us. It was a very touching experience.
We continued to look for a dive course. With the exception of one, all were closed by that time.
The open one quoted a ridiculous price of 300USD. Ridiculous indeed for we could’ve done the same
course in the Perhentian for half that price. We’d though Indonesia would be cheaper. Scuba diving
prices were way out of line with all others in South East Asia. One simple reason – they’re all
run by Westerners.
Returned to the same masjid for Isha after which we met the desperate kid again.We gave him the
5,000 that he needed. For dinner went to the place of the speechless man. Ate, talked, he charged
us half price, and said see ya later. Slept very comfortably.
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY
After being quoted the ridiculous price of 300USD, the previous night, and having been told by a
German (Frankfurt) over dinner that the courses are much cheaper in Queensland, Australia, we’d
almost decided not to do one in Trawangan but thought we’d ask around a little more.
Unfortunately, the cheapest we could get was 250USD. 250AUSD would’ve been more suitable for us.
So no course but the flip side was that we had plenty of time for other things.
At breakfast met up with the Minangkabu again and a Spaniard from the Bromo-Denpasar journey to
whom we recommended the 7000/night Mawar guesthouse. After breakkie, hired a couple of bikes, went
part of the way around the island, hired snorkelling gear and stopped at a coral beach. This was
the first time that I’d ever been snorkelling on corals. Yes, ever! Man, I sure was missing out
all these years. It was a most fantastic experience. The corals were amazingly beautiful, the most
beautiful things I’d ever seen. Perhaps knowing that they were living creatures, though eevn
walking on dead corals is kinda eerie, I initally had an irarational fear of them but that soon
went away and I was then having a great time. And the fish, wow! There’s a whole magical world out
there to be discovered!
Didn’t have time to cycle all the way around the island. Had a coconut, returned the gear,
collected our bags from the guesthouse, and hopped on to a boat to another of the three islands of
the Northern coast of Lombok. It was gonna be Gili Air but at the last minute it became Gili Meno.
Shared the boat with a Canadian (Waterloo) with whom we also ended up sharing a room. The room had
beautiful bamboo furniture,a spacious bathroom, the biggest bed ever, but no electricity.
Actually, the lack electricity added to the atmosphere of Meno, which measured a mere 1.25km by
0.75km. It was far quieter than the quiet Trawangan. There were very few there and little to do
besides swimmming and relaxing on the beach that went all the way around the island.
Because of the lack of electricity or gas, dinner took a while to prepare. But it was great when
it finally arrived – Gado-Gado is simply the best! At dinner, where we were also joined by three
Dutch people, arranged massages with “he may not look like Richard Gere, but he’s good”. You had
to see the old fella to appreciate the understatement! The appointment was for 8pm but
unfortunately he didn’t turn up. I hope nothing bad happenned to him Before returning to the
guesthouse for the unmet appointment, we’d booked ourselves on to a day of white water rafting.
So, no massage (and I was really looking forward to it aswell), so I spent the evening hanging out
with the four Balinese who run theguesthouse. They were a very good laugh! Wo wo wo wo, ah, wo wo
oh...
Went to bed before midnight but got woken when Mustafa came in after spending some time on the
beach. I was seriously pissed off at the lack of consideration shown. He also woke up Waterloo.
THURSDAY 13 JULY
A very early start but unfortunately I missed praying Fajr on time by only a few minutes. After
watching the red disc come over the horizon, went for a jog around the Island. The jog turned in
to a walk as the dead corals got heavy, and then in to a sprint on the home straight. Ever since
starting this tour, I’d been planning on jogging betwen Fajr and breakfast but this was the first
time that I’d pulled it off!
Went for a short walk after breakfast. No chance of swimming there – too salty and too many
reptiles – but saw some nice coconut plantations on the way and back. By the time I’d returned it
was nearly time for us to go but Mustafa hadn’t even had breakfast. Took a boat back to Bangsal,
Lombok, but were late in meeting the rafting people.
And so on to white-water rafting, another first. We were driven up stream and then, with a guide
each, came down the 8km or so. For the first quarter of the journey the guides lead, but then I
took over from my guide. Mustafa took over from his at the half-way point. Needless to say leading
was so much better. It was a lot of fun but the adrenaline flow didn’t hit overdirive. It was the
dry season so the rapids weren’t at their fastest. It was good nonethelss, a good taster.
Had a complementary lunch and drinks before being driven to Senggigi. (We’d never been pampered so
much!). Booked in to a cheap guesthouse, prayed Asr at the masjid oppoiste, and went for a walk to
the beach, accompanied by a couple of kids, aged 12 and 16, trying to sell us things. Prayed
Maghrib with them and were ready to buy something but explained that we would only be buying
because they asked us to and that we didn’t really want anything. They undersood that and said we
didn’t have to buy anything.
We continued walking together, with them pausing every now and then to ask tourists for custom.
The look on their faces, particularly the 12 year old’s who reminded me so much of one of my
brothers, when people ignored them was heart breaking. We bumped in to a couple (Algerian and
Danish) from the Bromo-Denpasar journey and even they were ignoring the kids. Sad.
We invited the kids to dinner but they had to go. Omlette and rice made a big comback! After
dinner we played a game with domino pieces at the office of the people who took us rafting. I came
second; Mustafa, being a total novice, was last. Sleep followed laundry and Isha.
TUESDAY 11 JULY
Though Mattaram has a few sights of interest, straight after breakfast we headed for Senggigi
beach. Though we’d planned on going from there to the village of Senaru, a vantage point for
Gunung Rinjani, at 3726m the highest mountain in Lombok, going by public transport proved to be
really difficult and we didn’t wanna fork out for a tour. So decided to take a boat out to Gili
Trawangan (at 3pm) and spend up until then in Senggigi.
Senggigi is the most developed tourist area in Lombok and yet the beaches were very quiet, rather
idylic. There seemed to be more vendors selling this and that than tourists. And all these vendors
would recognise that we were Muslims and say salam and talk to us in Arabic! Well, most would
start in Arabic but would finish soon after I’d run out of words myself, but some spoke well,
though not as well as Mustafa “The (language) Guru” Ahsan. It was great to get so much attention
because we were Muslims travellers, a novelty for the locals who are used to seeing Western
tourist all the time.
After a quick swim, booking the boat to Trawangan, a lovely lunch, we went for a walk along the
beach, which extended for 10km, to an old disused Hindu temple jetting out on a rocky point from
the beach. Orientated towards Gunung Agung, Bali’s holiest mountain, legend has it that beautiful
virgins were once thrown in to the sea from the top of the rock. Needless to say we didn’t see
such!
At about 3pm, took the slow boat to Trawangan, one of the three tiny coral-fringed Islands off the
North West coast of Lombok, arriving an hour and a half later. On the boat met a Minankabu whose
mother had recently died and who was slowly returning to Islam.
The welcome we received in Trawangan was the best yet and I don’t think it will be beaten on this
tour. Took a horse carriage on the road going along the beach in search of accommodation and,
almost to a man, woman and child was saying salam to us as we went past. It was fantastic! Wow! I
almost felt embarrased at all the attention but it was the greatest feeling. It was like we were
royalty or something, parading past the main road whilst everybody stood on the sidewalk to give
their salams!
Found a place to stay, with ceiling fan, ensuite bathroom, and very close to the beach, for only
7,000 rupiah for both of us! That’s just 25 pence each! Went to a masjid, one of the two but the
whole Island is only 2 by 1.5km, for Asr and Maghrib. The continous salams and greetings
continued. For some reason, most people thought that we were Arabs and, accordingly, talked to us
in Arabic. And everybody seemed to know some Arabic and most spoke it well. It was a great
surprise to us!
At the mosque we me a kid (late teens) who seemed to be stuck for money, needing 5,000 to get back
to Lombok. We were a bit suspicious and so asked him to come to Isha and we’d sort something out
then, thinking that he would return if he was genuine.
After Maghrib went to hunt for an open water diving course, the main reason for going to
Trawangan. En route we met a restaurant owner who seemed overwhelmed to meet us! Mustafa had
initially said we were Colombians, for a laugh of course, but when he found out that we were a
couple of guys called Muhammad and Mustafa he was speechless. He just shook our hands and embrased
us. It was a very touching experience.
We continued to look for a dive course. With the exception of one, all were closed by that time.
The open one quoted a ridiculous price of 300USD. Ridiculous indeed for we could’ve done the same
course in the Perhentian for half that price. We’d though Indonesia would be cheaper. Scuba diving
prices were way out of line with all others in South East Asia. One simple reason – they’re all
run by Westerners.
Returned to the same masjid for Isha after which we met the desperate kid again.We gave him the
5,000 that he needed. For dinner went to the place of the speechless man. Ate, talked, he charged
us half price, and said see ya later. Slept very comfortably.
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY
After being quoted the ridiculous price of 300USD, the previous night, and having been told by a
German (Frankfurt) over dinner that the courses are much cheaper in Queensland, Australia, we’d
almost decided not to do one in Trawangan but thought we’d ask around a little more.
Unfortunately, the cheapest we could get was 250USD. 250AUSD would’ve been more suitable for us.
So no course but the flip side was that we had plenty of time for other things.
At breakfast met up with the Minangkabu again and a Spaniard from the Bromo-Denpasar journey to
whom we recommended the 7000/night Mawar guesthouse. After breakkie, hired a couple of bikes, went
part of the way around the island, hired snorkelling gear and stopped at a coral beach. This was
the first time that I’d ever been snorkelling on corals. Yes, ever! Man, I sure was missing out
all these years. It was a most fantastic experience. The corals were amazingly beautiful, the most
beautiful things I’d ever seen. Perhaps knowing that they were living creatures, though eevn
walking on dead corals is kinda eerie, I initally had an irarational fear of them but that soon
went away and I was then having a great time. And the fish, wow! There’s a whole magical world out
there to be discovered!
Didn’t have time to cycle all the way around the island. Had a coconut, returned the gear,
collected our bags from the guesthouse, and hopped on to a boat to another of the three islands of
the Northern coast of Lombok. It was gonna be Gili Air but at the last minute it became Gili Meno.
Shared the boat with a Canadian (Waterloo) with whom we also ended up sharing a room. The room had
beautiful bamboo furniture,a spacious bathroom, the biggest bed ever, but no electricity.
Actually, the lack electricity added to the atmosphere of Meno, which measured a mere 1.25km by
0.75km. It was far quieter than the quiet Trawangan. There were very few there and little to do
besides swimmming and relaxing on the beach that went all the way around the island.
Because of the lack of electricity or gas, dinner took a while to prepare. But it was great when
it finally arrived – Gado-Gado is simply the best! At dinner, where we were also joined by three
Dutch people, arranged massages with “he may not look like Richard Gere, but he’s good”. You had
to see the old fella to appreciate the understatement! The appointment was for 8pm but
unfortunately he didn’t turn up. I hope nothing bad happenned to him Before returning to the
guesthouse for the unmet appointment, we’d booked ourselves on to a day of white water rafting.
So, no massage (and I was really looking forward to it aswell), so I spent the evening hanging out
with the four Balinese who run theguesthouse. They were a very good laugh! Wo wo wo wo, ah, wo wo
oh...
Went to bed before midnight but got woken when Mustafa came in after spending some time on the
beach. I was seriously pissed off at the lack of consideration shown. He also woke up Waterloo.
THURSDAY 13 JULY
A very early start but unfortunately I missed praying Fajr on time by only a few minutes. After
watching the red disc come over the horizon, went for a jog around the Island. The jog turned in
to a walk as the dead corals got heavy, and then in to a sprint on the home straight. Ever since
starting this tour, I’d been planning on jogging betwen Fajr and breakfast but this was the first
time that I’d pulled it off!
Went for a short walk after breakfast. No chance of swimming there – too salty and too many
reptiles – but saw some nice coconut plantations on the way and back. By the time I’d returned it
was nearly time for us to go but Mustafa hadn’t even had breakfast. Took a boat back to Bangsal,
Lombok, but were late in meeting the rafting people.
And so on to white-water rafting, another first. We were driven up stream and then, with a guide
each, came down the 8km or so. For the first quarter of the journey the guides lead, but then I
took over from my guide. Mustafa took over from his at the half-way point. Needless to say leading
was so much better. It was a lot of fun but the adrenaline flow didn’t hit overdirive. It was the
dry season so the rapids weren’t at their fastest. It was good nonethelss, a good taster.
Had a complementary lunch and drinks before being driven to Senggigi. (We’d never been pampered so
much!). Booked in to a cheap guesthouse, prayed Asr at the masjid oppoiste, and went for a walk to
the beach, accompanied by a couple of kids, aged 12 and 16, trying to sell us things. Prayed
Maghrib with them and were ready to buy something but explained that we would only be buying
because they asked us to and that we didn’t really want anything. They undersood that and said we
didn’t have to buy anything.
We continued walking together, with them pausing every now and then to ask tourists for custom.
The look on their faces, particularly the 12 year old’s who reminded me so much of one of my
brothers, when people ignored them was heart breaking. We bumped in to a couple (Algerian and
Danish) from the Bromo-Denpasar journey and even they were ignoring the kids. Sad.
We invited the kids to dinner but they had to go. Omlette and rice made a big comback! After
dinner we played a game with domino pieces at the office of the people who took us rafting. I came
second; Mustafa, being a total novice, was last. Sleep followed laundry and Isha.
No comments:
Post a Comment