Chapter Nine: Bali and the Gili's

The chronology of chapter 9 and 10 is back and forward. With regards to my online connection, Murphy's law was applicable. When I left from Bali to the Gili islands I forgot my iPad in the homestay, on the Gili's my iPhone died and I can only update this blog from my iPad. Also everytime when I enter a new country I need to confirm my hotmail account, which for some reason I only can do via my iPhone, a vicious circle.
Make sure your phone never dies on a long journey, no iPhone store in Bali can fix the bloody phone, because it is a new model, and now all my hopes are aimed at one little obscure service point. Hopefully they can fix it, all my data and pictures are saved on this phone, otherwise I need to buy a new phone. Not a problem of course but not convenient. While I am typing this, I just was informed that the costs are higher and it takes them 3 days longer, I see this as a good sign. So far the jigsaw puzzle always completed it self very nicely, so touch the wood again (afkloppen).

After 2 weeks traveling on the islands of Indonesia, I am back in Bali. Finally I can update the blog, but ppfff what a magnificent trip I experienced to the Komodo islands. On a boat for 5 days, it reminded me to the Gobi dessert, the journey, the experience, the unexpected....more of this in the following chapter. 
I saved many notes on my phone, so now I need to remember and recap the last 3 weeks. So let's see what I remember, made also some old school notes on paper...old school, you can always trust the old school way of living! 

Bali:
The journey to Bali went smoothly. I arrived at night and from the airport to my home stay I noticed how insane the traffic in Bali is. Scooters as far as the eye could see. In Beijing they have only electric scooters, in Kuala Lumpur there are many scooters, but in Bali there are lots and lots of scooters. Compare it with the number of bikes in Amsterdam. 
First checking out Seminyak. A crowded but nice village near the beach. Kuta is the most famous place in Bali, but it became way too touristic. I met some Canadian people on the beach and they left Kuta. Too smelly, too touristic and too crowded.
This one guy told me an funny but also a kind of a sad story, he also went to KL to watch the F1. He went to a bar and hooked up, according to him, with the most beautiful girl on the dance floor. I thought: "really"? I was not in the front line when God selected his finest, but he was definitely a couple of rows behind me. He provided me with some details on what happened on the floor, I won't describe them, but then it occurred to. "Dude, Nnnooo...think...check..double check, and check again...and why are you sharing this story"!! When the night ended, He wanted to bring 'it' to his hotel, and then the monkey came out of the sleeve (I know...Dutch saying)....it turned out to be a lady boy. I don't know what is more sad, that he didn't realize it, or that he was sharing his story. Nevertheless a nice guy, but let's say unbelievable naive. 

There many spa's in Bali and I definitely can recommend booking a trip to Bali only for the massage. It is a higher art over here and for 10 euro's you are ripped apart for 2 hours,  just brilliant. Select the better ones, I heard someone saying that he is pissing with ten rays after a happy end.

Next day wakeboarding, I decided to rent a scooter and go on my own to a specific beach where the water is calmer. Driving a scooter, fuck I was getting nervous, it was at least more than 15 years ago when I drove one  these things and with the madness I have seen on the roads my confidence dropped to its lowest point. 
While I was following the pack on the roads, the inevitable happened, a lady just crashed a couple of meters in front of me. I was hitting the breaks and somehow I just didn't hit her....I succeeded my test. Weird thing was that after that little accident I felt much more confident. 
Wake boarding wasn't that special, I arrived at the water sport place in Bali, but also a touristic center. Too busy, and while I was boarding the boat broke. After being fixed they just went in circles to get rid of me and to get new tourists.

That night I met Eduardo again, and old friend from London. Bizarre to meet friends when your traveling on the other side of the world. It was a remarkable night, we celebrated with many beers and we reminded ourself how lucky we are that we left London and sitting now on a island; 30 degrees, cold beers, free as a bird and with a uncertain future in front of us...yep we are alive! Discovering a new way of living made us smile...and more cold beers were being served. Next day, the engine was rusty, only for a little bit. 
I was leaving soon to the Gili's and we meet again when I return from Lombok and the other islands.

The places near the beaches on Bali didn't impress me, mainly focused on tourists. The in lands however are much nicer. I drove with my scooter to volcanoes and waterfalls, there you see the real Bali. Oke you need to get used to the traffic, but as soon as you realize that there are no rules, you just blend in. Easier said than done, but the scooter is the best way to travel. In a car you are nothing, scooters will take you over from the right and left...just made. You see complete families on one scooter, without a helmet and driving 60 km p/hour. Despite the madness it appears to be a living organism, like a big school of sardines, I never saw a big accident.

Gili's:
It took me 3 hours on a fast boat to get to the little islands between Bali and Lombok. There are 3 well known Gili islands; Trawangan, Nemo and Air. It is a combination of partying, relaxing, partying and snorkeling. There is not that much to do, but if you want to party, skipp Bali and head to Gili Trawangan.
The islands are tiny, you can walk around them in a couple of hours. Cars and scooters are prohibited, so you need to walk or hire a horse and wagon. I met a Dutch lady Sabrina and we hooked on for a couple of days. It was nice to speak Dutch again after a while. The first night we enjoyed the nightlife, and as always don't touch the local liqueurs, you will regret it as I did. But than again, there is not that much to do and chilling on white beaches and real crystal blue/white water is actually the perfect medicine. During snorkeling I saw turtles, what a mellow animals, pure relaxation if you see them hovering through the water.

The gili's are a bit strange, mosks everywhere, those bastards wake you up around 05.00, or they welcome you when you're going to bed. So a Moslem culture, but on every corner they want to sell you weed and mushrooms. Of course I don't do these things, never done it before in my life, so why now...
The sunset is lovely on the Gili's, it was on the other side of the island. The water over there is dirty, not with trash, but the temperature is roughly 30 degrees, imagine that you sweat in water, there you do.
During the night I endured my first monsoon rain, a shower of 2 hours with severe rain. All the streets on the island were blank and turned into mud pools, but with 28 degrees...who cares. As on most islands in south east Asia, there is almost no hot water. I slept in a bamboo chalet with the shower and toilet in the open, imagine some quality time on the toilet at night and watching the stars at the same time.

After a couple of days doing nothing and chill, I am going to Lombok to start the boat trip to the Komodo islands with it famous dragons. A creature that is definitely a relic from the past. I always wanted to see these deadly creatures. Many thanks to Sabrina, without her and her phone I wasn't able to organize the trip from the Gili's, but I was. The Komodo's weren't on my list, but that is the nice thing when you are getting inspired with stories you hear on your way. So I get on the boat once again...