LOMBOK, INDONESIA—IMPRESSIONS (3/6/12)

∙ WHAT WE DID/SAW/EXPERIENCED
          ∙ Time in port: 8 hours+ (we, again, departed the ship at day’s end, exchanging 4 days at sea for a trip to Bali, and then an early arrival in Hong Kong – more on that later)
          ∙ We departed the ship early in the morning for a full-day tour of Lombok
          ∙ A large bus took us to a pottery village (Banyumuler), and then to a couple traditional Sasak villages (Sukarara and Rambitan).  With these HAL tours, we’re usually taken by large bus, so we do our best to get photos out of the bus window . . . I delete more than I save due to glare, speed and other factors . . . but sometimes I get lucky!
          ∙ We went on a horse cart ride (in which I was, inexplicably, handed the reigns for a time – this was super fun!)   We were the big news in town – a cruise ship’s arrival is a “big deal” here, and the locals came out in droves to look and/or wave as we drove by.  Many (including small children) were quite aggressive, tenacious even, in trying to sell us their wares.
          ∙ We finally reached Lombok’s own “Kuta Beach” (not to be confused with Bali’s famed Kuta tourist beach, with the nightclubs and beach parties).  “Little Kuta” (my nickname) offered a pretty seascape and a very good Indonesian buffet lunch at Novotel, which may be the only upscale resort on Lombok.  We saw water buffalos there, too!
          ∙ We were told we could swim in the resort's pool, and/or the beach, but the rain came down just as we were about to do so, and Bill didn’t want to get wet.  Only a few people got in the water.
          ∙ Upon our return to the pier, we grabbed our bags and joined Pat and Mel (from Canada) and Sam and Sally (from the US East Coast) for our “side trip” to Bali.
                    ∙ We had a great time, hanging out at the airport, smoking and drinking beers, while we waited for the shortest flight I’ve ever taken – 35 minutes from Mataram (Lombok) to Denpasar (Bali) – loading and unloading the aircraft took longer than the actual flight!  It still beat a 4-5 hour ferry ride over.
                    ∙ My room steward on the ship is from Bali and set us up with a friend of his (Mr. Agung), who got us our Lombok to Bali flights and picked us up at the airport.  He took us to a store for “supplies”, and then onto the hotel.  Great guy (yes, we paid and tipped him)!  Tomorrow, he’ll take us for a tour of the island, and the day after we’ll probably hang out near the resort, to relax.  Bali is much more crowded than Lombok – and a vibrant, upscale version.  If you’re looking for a cultural experience, then visit Lombok.  But Bali’s probably more desirable for most tourists.

∙ THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS
          ∙ It was a good day!  There was something transfixing about this small island.  It’s incredibly poor, but its charm came through in the eyes and smiles of its children and their mothers, who happily waved as we passed by – indeed, large groups of children stood by the roadway to wave.
          ∙ I really enjoyed my emersion into Lombok’s unique culture.  We were transported into a whole new world for the day.  It was especially fun driving the horse cart and seeing the surprised look on the locals’ faces!  The biggest downside to Lombok was the overly aggressive “pursuit” by locals, sometimes begging you to buy their stuff, or following you around even after you’ve said no.  It’s worse than Tijuana, if you can believe that.
          ∙ I’m having fun with Pat and Mel, and Sam and Sally, on our sojourn to Bali.  This is a great six-some!  Everyone was mesmerized by our hotel here in Bali – the Padma Resort Bali at Legian.  We got a quick glimpse, given our nighttime arrival, and a nice 10 pm dinner at their deli (yippee – good food again!).  This is one of the best resorts I’ve ever visited!  I can’t wait to see it by daylight!

IMAGES FROM LOMBOK, INDONESIA

LOMBOK TO BALI . . .