Gili Meno pt1

So you know something is wrong when no one tells you the same story on how to get to a place or how long it takes. We were told about four different stories on how to get to the small (4km around), flat coral isaland of Gili Meno off of Lombok. Travel time estimates ranged from 4 hours to 10 hours. Who could know that when we departed from Ubud at 6:45 AM on Tuesday it would be almost 34 hours before we reached our destination, and you could still see Bali from the Island! (As i told ange, we could have traveled around the world in less time.)

So the "slow boat" left Bali and after a 4 1/2 hour crossing, we thought OK, we can still make the last boat to Gili Meno which departs from another corner of Lombok from the ferry terminal at 5PM. However, we waited in the harbor of Lombar for almost1 1/2 hours while the dock cleared from another ferry and we had to spend the night on Lombok.

So now I know something about Indonesia, if someone says to you, "its ok, he's my friend, he will be ok, he can get you there on time," ...dont believe it. Also, dont let anyone ever carry your bags, anywhere, even if it looks like they are part of the hotel, or the tour group that organized your travel
plans, since they wont be any way connected, and no matter how short a distance they carry your bags, and no matter how much you didnt need them to carry them, they will still insit that you pay them about $1/bag (which in Indonesia is a small fortune.).

The next day we made it to Gili Meno at long last, and I stayed with the bags near the harbour while Ange went looking for habitation for a few nights. (the pasasge from Lombok to Gili meno is by small boat, think of the long-tail bots that take you to Rai-Lai in Thailand -- roughly a 30-40 ft metal hulled boat powered by a very small outboard.)

This island was the start of "vacation for real", so we wanted to do it right. Ange came back after going up and down the beach looking for a good, not too expensive place to stay, and she brought a local in tow. Right away he offered to carry our bags, and we were very forceful is saying "NO, we can manage, thank you!" He wondered why we didnt want his help, and we explained that we had enough of "porters" and their aggressive demands for money for servcies not requested nor required. (beside we are on a budget as this small island has no atm or proper bank exchange.) He explained that he was not a porter and was not going to charge us for helping with the bags...which turned out to be true.

Now we really, really liked Gili Meno. It may not have been the "greatest snorkeling ever" as it was one time billed, but the snorkelling was excellent. No, we liked it because there were only 500 permanent residents and they were all chill, kind and nice people. No longer was the constant call of "hey boss" for us to buy whatever tourist junk people were selling. Gili Meno is the Crested Butte of Indonesia. Relaxed, laid back, no hurries, no worries (after a few days we could even leave our bungalow room unlocked all day without worry that anything would happen to our stuff. -- nothing ever did.)

Now the guy who helped us out that first day turned into a friend, and near constant companion as he hung out with us when he wasnt working, and was chill and had the inside know-all. His name is Bar and he was kinda sweet on angie. He introduced us to many of the locals,
pointed out the better snorkeling areas (although all the way around this island the snorkeling
was excellent.)

((NOTE to reader -- sorry for any and all misspellings, but I never have enough time to write this blog, and never have time to re-read any of it, as i am trying to get it all down in public places.... i did not bring my computer, which is a good thing because my bags are heavy enough, and i wouldve just lost it by now as i have seemed to have lost most everything else of value, except money, passport, tickets -x-x- knock on wood. Yep, gone are my favorite sunglasses, ipod, earplugs -- ok earplugs may not be that valuable, but if you just flew over night on the "everyone must
take their baby to bali" express -- you may think earplugs are rather valuable.)

OK, enough of the side track. It didnt take long chilling on the gorgeous white sand beach of gili meno before the relative stress of super populated Bali, where every local sees every white person as a walking ATM. And since the terrorist bombings, and subsequent drop in tourism, every local is also super desparate to extract SOME amount of money from the walking ATMs. Keep in mind there are 4.5 million people on Bali, and Indonesia is the third most populous country in the world.

So by day two, we felt like we had been there for a very long time, and were full tilt into relax mode. On day two, Liz Brown and her beau Bob the australian (both of CB fame) paddled over from the neighboring, slightly larger Gili, (it has a hill and nightclubs, etc.) Gili Trabarhan (or something like that). They hung out with us for the day, then paddled the kilometer or so acroos back to their island...they own a small bungalow hotel on that island, where Cricket (also of CB fame) stays whenever she comes over to Asia.

So on day 3, Bar, Angie and I decide that we will go and spend the day exploring Gili Trabaharan, or as Bar says us westerners should call it, "Gili T" or "Gili Tra-la-la". So we take the island hoppper ferry -- same small type of boat that is common here (there WILL be pictures on Picasa ... someday). For 21,000 rupiah (thats about $2.50 for both Ange and I there and back), but it leaves at 9AM and returns at 4PM, so the day it is!

That turns out to be one of the best days, and its one of the best days becasue ... (drum roll please) ... it rained.

Now you may think "huh?" so let me explain. While it is great to be relaxing on the beach, swimming in the sea, etc. It is still HOT (the low at night is something like 31 C), and swimming in the sea is the way to get cool. BUT, this is a tiny remote island, and unlike the large main islands, this island gets its "water" from a well. Imagine what well water on a tiny island would be like? If you guessed "salty" you were right! Water so soft it makes Chapman Ranch water seem Rocky Mountain hard!!

So after two + days, a fresh water rinse was TOO nice for words!! While all the locals (Bar for example) found it too cold and were kinda glum, the four of us (ange, Me, Liz and Bob) reveled in the long cool rinse of wonderful fresh water. I even took the opportunity to actually borrow soap and do a real honest to God open air shower (in surf shorts, as they frown on nudity in this muslim country -- it is muslim here, it was hindu on Bali -- both frown on nudity, so . . .)

That morning we took a hike up the hill of Gili T and checked out the island and the old Japanese WWII gun emplacement/bunkers, so the rain was delightful after a dry and dusty walk. After a while of the constant rain, the air no longer smelled salty or like the sea. Instead, it smelled to me like a rainforest, and to angie it smelled like flowers.... one of those things that is hard to convey about Asia, the smells.

But right now there is a queue forming for the internet, and i will take a break and sign off for someone else to take a turn. So until next time Newo Out.