Gili Day One

Holiday season (for the Hindu's: Nyepi) has arrived. My boyfriend and I are having a four-day vacation at Gili Trawangan, a small island near the mainland Lombok island.

I've been here a lot of times, but with Vincent this is the second time. However, it was the first time we took a speedboat, though. It cut the long journey (4-6 hours by ferry + 1 hour road trip + 30 minutes small boat) to a mere one-hour rough sea trip. Gilicat at the moment charges each passenger Rp 600,000 for a one-way ride. But since Vincent is the employee of Bali Autrement, we've got return tickets for free (yay!).

The fact that it was quick was super nice. But I felt like being a poor sardine in a can that was being shaken all the time. Both Vincent and I took 3 pills for rough journey and I normally don't get seasick/landsick/airsick, but still....

Amazingly they said that the sea was calm and that it was a smooth journey.
S-m-o-o-t-h..... If that was smooth, I hope the journey back home is going to be like that or better.

One thing I learnt though, at the speedboat (especially a smaller one) it's better to take the back side since the front one gets rougher bumps. I banged my head on the seat several times.

Nevertheless, we are on this beautiful island, in a hotel in the quieter side where water is not salty like the other guesthouses here. The hotel - Aman Gili - faces the calm sea where is the spot of the snorkeling centre. It is not near from the madness but with a rented bicycle (Rp 60,000 a day) it takes only 10 minutes to get socialized or high (marijuana is sold pretty freely here despite Indonesian government's war against drug).

Warning: I saw a police chopter flew twice around the island. When I asked the hotel staff, they said that there was a drug raid 7 months ago.

Photos to come later. I'm at this "Warung Bule" by Villa Ombak and did not expect they provided laptops for customers who wanted to get in touch on the internet. I'm using the opportunity to check my email and blog, but I am not equipped with my card reader.

Till later.