Amy and Steven's Endless Summer.: October 2012

Written 10^th October 2012

I forgot to write about the ear-cleaning candles...

The first time we had a massage in Kuta Bali we also got our ears cleaned with these ear-cleaning candals. They looked a bit like a bit of baking paper rolled up into a thin tube that would fit one tapered end into your ear. The masseuse then puts the candle in your ear (your head is to the side) and lights it. It slowly burns down leaving what looks like charred silk cloth behind. After about 10 minutes the candle is removed and they unwind the end of it to show the wax that has been drawn out of your ear! It was cool! Steve reckoned he could hear better afterwards.

I also forgot to write about when I crashed the scooter! Steve was giving me a brief lesson in driving the scooter on Nusa Lembongan. I was driving it up and down the dirt path behind Star 2000. But I slipped when I tried to turn away from the brick wall I was heading towards (slowly) and the bike fell sideways. I realised it was too heavy to catch and leaped out of the way. Steve quickly came to the bikes rescue and turned it back the right way up! It wasn't hurt though and neither was I.

The day before yesterday we had a lovely day. We both wok up feeling much recovered from our sickness. We drove out to Seger beach tp have a look but it was not working yet so we went off to organise some transport to Sumbawa. We organised a bus to Yoyo's for IDR 250 000 each which included 7 hours of travel - shuttle to the bus, bus, ferry, bus (we later found out about the buses because we thought we were going on a shuttle the whole way...) for about $30. Next we headed back out to Seger, this time with the GoPro and I videoed that drive.

We had quite a fun surf (for 2.5 hours)

and then came in and met this really nice French couple called Carole and Matthew. We had a nice time chatting to them and drinking (and eating) a coconut. They had been traveling around Australia for months.

After they had left we were about to go too and were a little way along the track when Steve noticed some guys he rocognised and then we realised they were the guys from Nusa Lombongan that let us take a photo of their map! They were going to climb up one of the hills and then I decided I wanted to climb the wee hill at the beach, so Steve turned the scooter around and we went back to climb up there and it was really nice up there. It had a lovely view.

We had such a nice day! After that we went to get some chores done (pay for hotel, get insect repellant, check if there was an ATM where we were going). Then we had our last meal in Kuta. Steve got his favorite seafood tempura. Also when we saw the man who we had booked with to ask about the ATM he said there was one but that we were now being picked up at 6am unstead of 9:30am, which was a bit gay as not only did it mean we had to get up much earlier, but we had to start a long day of traveling with no breakfast.

The next morning (yesterday) we got up at 5:25am and got ready. We were picked up a little late (6:15am) in a van and headed off. I saw a monkey on the side of the road. Our driver was a mad man on the horn and was beeping at everything that we went past (literally)! I was thinking it was going to be a long 7 hours! But then he stopped on the side of the road after a bit over an hour of driving and got all our gear out and told us to go with this other guy. We were a bit confused but were lead to a bus station. It was 7:30am. We were told that we were going on the 8am bus. Okay we though. But then we were told the 8am bus was full so we would have to wait for the 9am bus. So we had to sit around on the ground waiting. At 8.30 we were told our bus was going(???) so we were squeezed onto the bus full of locals (into the back corner) and off we went. It was a long squashy drive but the bus did have aircon which was very good. After ages we arrived at the port and the bus drove onto the ferry. We hopped off and headed up onto the top deck. There we came across the French guys who were in the shuttle with us but who had gone on a different bus (odd). They were as confused as we were. The ferry ride was not too eventful (1 hour 40 mins) except for when I went down the stairs and the wind blew my dress up around my ears flashing my nickers to everyone! I tried to grab it back down but it was having none of it and flipped around my head delightedly. There was nothing to do but walk down the staris that way and try and right it at the bottom. At the end of the boat ride we and the French guys were some of the last passengers off. We came down to see the deck (where most people had been sitting) was covered in rubbish. And some ladies were cleaning it up. They were literally sweeping it over to the side of the ferry and into the ocean!!! It was horrible! There was so much rubbish! There definitely needs to be some education here about rubbish.

After witnessing that affront to nature we got back on the bus and bounced onwards on our journy. We passed a lot of houses on stilts which we were surprised were still standing as they were really very off centre. They looked as if they were about to collapse! It was a lot more driving until we were nearly to our destination (we were the last ones on the bus). We were asked by the driver where we wanted to be dropped and we told him San Tai hotel. We were deposited on the side of the road by Yoyo Hotel. Not the right one. So then we had to hike around for ages trying to find a place to stay. We were hot and sweaty and hungry and tired and needed to wee. It was such a relief when we finally got a room sorted.

And now we are at Yoyo's and it is beautiful here. This morning we both went for a surf but it was a bit big for me out there and I didn't really enjoy it. Steve is missing his board that he creased so didn't have the greatest surf either. But now he has taken his bigger board out so hopefully he has more fun on that as the swell should have risen even more.

I'm off to read my book. :)

xoxoxo

This is the view from our hotel.

And this is the communal area of the hotel.

Heart leaf!

A sit down toilet. To flush it you have to fill up the bucket and scoop the water into the toilet.

Written 16^th October 2012

We have had a nice time staying at Yoyo's on Sumbawa. We've met some fun people while we have been here too which has been cool. There are Hamish and Jono from New Zealand too (but not travelling together), and Daryn (from Scotland who now lives in Broom, Australia), Garry from California (Daryn and Garry have both left now though). Last night we met four nice Canadians too called Sanna, Andrew, Angus and Marley. They left this morning though too which is a shame as I would have liked to hung out with some more. It was really crazy because I was asking Darren where in Scotland he was from and he said Berwick-upon-Tweed and I enquired where abouts in Scotland that was and he said it was just next to the English boarder on the east coast. And then I realised that we went there! I'm not sure if I wrote about it in the blog at the time but we went there to try and find a place to camp for the night but had no luck. Pretty funny! We helped Hamish out as he had lost his credit card and had no money. So we said he could transfer some money into our account and we would get it out for him. We did that so now he has money again. Yay! He was thinking he would have to change his flights and go home earlier but now he doesn't have to.

Here is Stevem Jono, Hamish and Daryn having take-aways, Indo-style.

Steve and I walking down to the wedge...

Heart coral!

Now thats what I call a watch tan line!

You know it's a good one when you can see it on the inside of your wrist. :)

Tiny carb!

So anyway for the last week or however long we have been here we have been enjoying this beautiful place. The beaches sort of remind me a bit of northland but the weather is a lot hotter and the water too. Steve has surfed the wedge and Yoyo's a bit. There was a big swell that came so I haven't been surfing again here. It dropped down the last day but Steve went snorkeling. I'm jumping ahead of myself a bit though.

One morning we got up early and drove to Scar Reef (it takes an hour). When we got there it was a lovely still morning.

Steve had a very good surf and I had a lovely time just sitting on the beach, swimming and reading An Echo in the Bone, with the beach all to myself.

I had a puppy to hang out with though, her name was Choo Choo. (It means lips in the local language of Sumbawa.)

It was so nice. That afternoon Steve, Hamish, Darren and Jono went out at Super Sucks and Daryn had a fantastic surf (he's goofy and it's a left-hander) but the others didn't have quite such a good one. Steve and Daryn both cut up their backs on the reef.

There are lots of cows here, this one is one the way to the Wedge if you drive.

Last photo with Daryn and Garry.

For some meals we have been getting the food from the local dairies but they always say things are “no spicy” and they end up being super spicy so all I can eat is rice.

We found some Milo and Kit-Kats though.

Luckily Jono loves spicy food.

There are a couple of european food restaurants in the hotels but those are comparatively expensive. We have been eating dinner there a bit though. There is only so much rice and noodles you can eat!

The day before the day before the day before yesterday Steve and I went on a mission to find some snorkeling gear (surprisingly difficult). We did finally locate some but Steve decided to have another surf before the swell dropped off so we went snorkeling the next day (the day before the day before yesterday). We just went out in front of where we are staying and it was really cool. I got some nice photos and videos of some fish and I even spotted some crayfish! Steve saw some turtles! He was hunting though so didn't have the camera.

He didn't get anything that day but that evening we went down to have a look at the cove where his charter boat stopped when he was here four years ago and when we were there two spear fishermen came in and he had a yarn to them. One of the guys was a local and said he would come by the next day and get some gear for us. So the day before yesterday we waited around all day for him to come (bar two missions to town to try and track him down but all we got was pointed in heaps of wrong directions). He finally turned up at about 8pm when it was dark. However we went with him to his house and he did have a spear gun. But he only had one set of snorkel, mask and flippers. Yesterday the boys all had a turn with them but I didn't get a turn. I was going to be last but then I got a crook tummy. When we came back from the boat bay to our beach Steve and Hamish went out again and Steve got two fish which we he then cooked on a fire.

Here Steve is looking for firewood.

Getting the sure ready.

The fish were very yummy.

This morning the swell has risen and Steve and Hamish have gone to surf the wedge. I finished reading An Echo in the Bone yesterday morning and am gutted it is finished. I feel as if I have been rudely ejected from a party I was enjoying. I really want to know what happens next but Diana Gabaldon has not finished the next book yet. She is still writing it. However it is due out next year so I will have to pre-order it when it is coming out. Luckily though I found Outlander (the first book in the series – An Echo in the Bone is number seven) in the Youth Hostel we stayed in in Paris so I will read that when I have finished the new book I have started. It's Jean M. Auel's The Land of the Painted Caves, which I'm still not quite into. I did really enjoy her other books when I read them though several years ago. This one is the last in her series. I've read all Diana Gabaldon's Outland serries twice now. I havn't read all her Lord John stories though so I will try and read them when I get home. I think I will have to go for round three on the Outlander novels too though as they are my favorite books ever! I bough An Echo in the Bone from the gift shop at Culloden Battle Field in Scotland when we visited it (some of the books are about that battle, what lead up to it and the aftermath of it – well all of them in a way). I had been saving it though. But now it is finished (sigh). Anyway I will stop raving on about the books I am reading as you are probably getting bored...

Inernet is hard to come by here and what there is is very slow and useless. We have not been able to use it.

It's a lot more off the beaten track here. No one is trying to sell you stuff every second of the day. It's nice. The road has lot's of pot holes in it and you have to dodge the goats and cows too. There is a big gold and copper mine nearby so some parts of the road are okay.

Written 26th October 2012

We are no longer in Sumbawa, now we are in the Gili Islands so I have a bit of catching up to do.

One funny thing that happened was this; Hamish decided to have a sit in one of the Hammocks. So he climbed in and lay down. Then a few seconds later the hammock split down the middle and deposited Hamish with a bang on the ground. It was hilarious. Lucky the ground was sand!

Later that day things got even funnier. We were all sitting at the tables again and a large black moth was flying around. It came and landed on Jon's arm and he was playing with it, pretending to glide it along and making airplane noises. Then he accidentally bumped it's wings on the table. He said "Opps, sorry mate!" And it took off and landed up by the light. Then, quick as lightning a geko (who was not much larger than the moth) grabbed the moths body and stated chewing! The wings were spewing ridiculously out of it's mouth! We were all partially horrified and partially laughing. A little while latter a tattered piece of wing fluttered down and landed on the table next to Jono. A story of when sorry just isn't good enough, haha.

The next morning we went to Scar Reef again as the swell was bigger.

We had some breakfast before the boys went out.

They had a nice surf and I had a really nice time chatting to Heidi who is from Norway. It was so funny because we were talking and then one of the local guys came up to Heidi and was like "Oh watch out, a crab is by your bum!" and we thought he meant a little crab. I looked down and saw the crab nearly about to crawl up her short and it was quite big. Heidi glanced down and saw it was bigger than she thought and leapt up on the air. Haha.

After when Canadian Jono and Spencer came in (who Heidi was traveling with) I played Rummi with them and then taught them to play 500.

On the way back we stopped to use the internet cafe (only bareable for short excursions as it's like a sauna in there!) We saw this cow chowing down on the rubbish while we were there. There have such funny necks those kind of cows. They just wander the streets. So funny. Then the internet guy came out and started banging stuff to get the cow to carry on.

Our wheels.

Our room.

Replacement Hammock after Hamish broke the other one.

The driveway.

Heidi and Steve.

We decided to stay a bit longer as we were having such a nice time there. Steve sold his surfboard that he bought in Auzzi to Jono so he had a spare one for the rest of his trip.

We had tea a few times next door at Santai. A rather large crab came to say hello.

The day before the day before we left we went for a walk in the bush with Hamish as our guide.

Big leaves!

We got to the waterfall and had a lovely swim in the waterhole.

Here is Jono doing a back flip.

We saw a hunter who was hunting with a spear and his white dog.

He had a swim and gave his dog a bath too.

Here is his spear.

On the way back Jono walked down the river. We saw a dragonfly with 4 wings.

This tree was growing odd fruit on its branches.

We had a little chill in the chill-pad.

That night we me Sophie and Simon who were lovely and a lot of fun and we taught them to play 500 too.

Here is a map of Lombock (on the left) and Sumbawa.

I got some more photos of the clown fish. They are so cute!

On our last day I walked down with Steve to go for a surf at Yoyo's but is was big and horribly windy. I walked back and went for a lovely two hour swim. The water was so so nice and the waves were big and rushing up the beach and it was o fun playing in them. Then Sophie came and joined me and we had a great time laughing and shrieking as the waves grabbed us and pushed us up the beach before sucking us back out again.

Steve went for a dive with Hamish and Jono.

Here is everyone chilling the night before we left.

Simon in the Hammock.

Sophie and I.

The next morning we had another early start. The bus drive was not too bad though. Sophie and Simon were going to come back to Lobock with us on the bus too but then at dinner they got offered to go in someone's car so they did that instead.

Here are a few photos from out the window.

When we arrived at the bus station hours later we rang the guy we got the tickets off and a guy in a dodgy van came and picked us up. Then we had a drive to the harbor. We saw a lot more monkeys.

And some guys riding a scooter with two push bikes.

Here is a cat with a short tail like most of the cats here.

Next we got on a little local ferry with a bunch of people and a lot of groceries.

After a slightly wet trip we arrived in Gili T. After the usual bustle trying to get a room without getting ripped off we settled down at Ocean 2. It is vert nice here. It's touristy but such a nice place. There are no cars or motorbikes or scooters here. Everything gets around on horse and cart or by bicycle.