In the case of the pic of the day, I need at least a few (hundred) words to describe the scene. This is the taxi line at the local market. These 'cidomos' are not a tourist attraction like the romantic buggy rides through Central Park. They are one of the important everyday modes of transportation for locals. I've mentioned before that the motorcycle is the main method of getting around, and we've seen people with 3 and 4 kids and wife, holding big water bottles, jerry cans of fuel, mattresses, bicycles etc while riding their cycle. As an aside, it is not uncommon to see the cycle driver with a helmet and face mask...but no protection for his wife and kids. These drivers must have good life insurance policies out on them.) But, these cidomos supplement the cycles, perhaps for one-cycle families. We were passing the market and witnessed the cidomo drivers backing their horses gently into the taxi line to wait in perfect formation for their passengers. Only a video could have done it justice.

So, where have we been that we haven't updated the blog? Everywhere! We've been very busy. We are still here on Lombok at the Medana Bay marina, and had we known how lovely and interesting this island is, we might have arranged our schedule to spend more time here.

Normally, when Ken and I travel, we rent a car (or scooter, depending on where we are) and, armed with guide books and local knowledge, really enjoy exploring on our own or with friends. There is no way we would do that in Indonesia. Driving here makes driving in central Rome look like a walk in the park. It amazes me that we haven't seen any road kill, either human or animal. (We did see one young man with serious road rash, but he was a tourist.) Bicycles, cidomos, scooters, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians all share the road...and trust me, there do not appear to be any rules, except that everyone beeps and passes, only occasionally looking to see if the guy behind them is doing the same. This happens on small 2 lane roads, on curvy mountain roads with little visibility, with cars coming in the opposite direction...possibly also passing someone. I did look up the word 'tailgating' in my kamus (Indonesian translation dictionary) and...not surprisingly, it wasn't there!
So, we and our friends, Don and Phyllis, have been hiring a car and driver and touring the island for the past few days. There were a few times I actually thought, for my sanity, I should just wear the nightshade I got on the plane coming over....but then I decided that wasn't such a good plan.

I won't go over all of the places we've seen and things we've done but, suffice it to say that I've been just generally impressed with the diversity of the island. It has gorgeous beaches, several big surfing spots around the town of Kuta which is like surf city USA, a road through the mountains with monkeys everywhere, the town of Senggigi with its high end posh resorts and glitzy clubs, the Capitol city of Mataram with 'real' supermarkets which can give Publix or Woolies (in Australia) a run for their money, and many farming areas, producing peanuts, coffee, cashews, mangos, and, of course, rice. And, with all that, we saw women, sitting by the road, and, believe it or not, manually chopping up rocks into gravel for the road construction. I couldn't make this up. We had lunch in Kuta at a most charming place (Drop In Cafe) owned by 3 young Swiss ladies. Since it was near the surfing area, every other patron could have been our grandchild. We talked at length with Katrina, the owner and realized that if you want to have a business in Indonesia, your strongest asset needs to be determination. It took years to get all of the permitting, etc. And then, while we were enjoying our delicious, bistro style lunch, we watched Katrina's reaction as deliverymen almost ruined the entryway by poorly maneuvering their truck over her garden as they were dropping off supplies for the expansion she is starting. I would be remiss if I did not mention the dessert. I saw on the day's postings a raspberry white chocolate torte. I didn't order it since generally, cakes with raspberry use raspberry jam. But...then in one of those streaks of luck, (after we had already shared a decadent chocolate cake), I asked Katrina about it and...it was made with frozen raspberries. I had no choice but to order it...and it now makes the list of my top 10 desserts of life. (Those of you who know me personally know that I am quite the dessert snob, so that says a lot.)

I must add that our time here has been enhanced by our stay at the Medana Bay Marina, run by Peter, an Aussie and his Indonesian wife, Ace ('Achay' since the 'C' in Indonesian is pronounced as a 'Ch'). They run a top-notch facility with excellent laundry service (finally!), a wonderful cafe, and the ability to make anything happen. Our day trips have been based on their recommendations (and their communications with the drivers) and they are most personable and charming...and even helpful with navigation and local knowledge of the waters, even though they are not sailors. And...an additional bonus: it's delightful to fall asleep listening to the gentle lapping of waves against the beach...something we rarely have heard on this trip.

Oh yes...I forgot to mention that Captain Ken and our friend Don got much-needed haircuts...for 70 cents (plus a BIG tip). The young barber spent about 1/2 hour on each cut, all while the cidomo driver waited outside for us.

As an addendum to the prior blog about the pluses and minuses of marinas vs. moorings, an additional advantage to being on a dock is that it is like being in your neighborhood. Friends walk around and drop by to chat. It's very nice. Here's the downside. Our friend, Elizabeth, was awakened at 6:30 AM, hearing footsteps on the deck of her boat. Needless to say, she went into high alert. She went up top...and there were 4 very well dressed women, (guests of the hotel adjoining the marina) who were taking pix of each other on her boat, as if they were on a QE-2 cruise.

It's been super, but we're really excited to move on to Bali where we will be catching up with our arriving buddies.