Lombok and Gili Air
04 September 2008 | Lombok Island
Arriving in Lombok of course we hit the beach and decided to go for a walk. Many cars pulled up to see where we were going and we eventually succumbed and took one to Sengigi Beach which we though was 5k but turned out to be about half hour drive! Did the internet, added the PHOTOS now there under Photo Gallery -Indonesia. We went to a Sengigi restaurant for dinner which was great but the whole tourist strip was very quiet I think we may have been the only customers and at ab out $18 for the three of us including a beer it must be hard going. Travelling there were numerous resorts and properties for sale and some with the "bancrupqt" sign as well - since the Bali bombings this area has suffered terribly - it has been a tragedy for the Australians involved and also the local population!
Caught a taxi back, were a bit concerned about how much it might cost but it was all of $6 and eventually found the path back to the beach where our dinghy was!
We had met a Texas couple moored nearby on the beach on our arrival and they were negotiating with Mohamed who runs the moorings etc (He is 25, runs the moorings, arranges tours, arranges for Solar and water, and in his spare time sells fine pearls from the nearby pearl farm and goes to the local Lombok Uni! - has a bright future and knows quite a few cruising Aussies that call into Teruk Nara a great anchorage). Anyway they were doing a day tour the next day which we joined them on in a "private car" and Mohammed guided us and took a driver. We did cover a lot of Lombok which is lush and green on the northside, they grow rice and get two crops a year, in the south it is much drier and they get only one crop and many failures. Each family has a cow, nor for milk but to work the land and pull the ploughs etc. They rotate paddi's with two years rice, then peanuts and corn or other crops.
We went through a large village market and then started climbing the steep hills of Lombok *highest about 3,000m* through great rainforest where the trees are preserved. We are told every Indonesian is to plant one tree. Many mahogany and teak! As we approach Monkey forest monkey's provide a guard of honour lining the road on both sides. We stop and feed them peanuts - it IS true monkeys love peanuts - and they are gentle and kindly monkeys unlike in some areas where they snatch and steal! A bit like people I guess!!
We go on to a pottery village where the whole village is involved in making some great pottery, and then onto a traditional village where all the women do weaving in the traditional style. It is 60% of their village economy from weaving. The girls cannot get married until they learn to weave - weaving takes a great deal of patience so maybe good training for marriage. When they can weave they get married at about 17 - 19 - the men are a few to ten years older frequently. It may take three weeks to six weeks to weave a Sarong that might sell retail for about $40 to $50 - work out the hourly rate - they weave for about 7 - 8 hours per day every day. Each family has a cow for work and the usual village lifestyle, cooking huts, sleep platforms and low roofed, earthern floor (mud with manure) and thatched or short grass roofs - these are very cool and you replace the roof every five years. Kisrty learned some weaving so can now get married - one of the guys selling the woven items actually suggested he should be the one to "love" her! See photos!
We had lunch at Kuta beach on Lombok (not the Kuta on Bali) and then on to the ex King's Summer Water Palace which was very interesting and has great pools (where the Harem used to swim with a viewing platform for the king) now public pools - Lombok previously had a Balinese King.
Back after a long but rewarding day we were going to go back to Sengigi but saw Island Time and a family we knew in the bay so called over to say hello and were pretty tired so then turned in!
Lombok is beautiful, green, many resorts that are struggling due to the collapse of tourism, mountains, hills and forests, beautiful water and reef, pearl farms.....they have just started an international airport to be completed in maybe 5 years time! A bit slower than Dubai but then the economies are poles apart!
Lombok is great, Teluk Nara a great stopover and anchorage and a lot to do. Would have liked to have stayed longer!