by Judy Handley | Sep 13, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 127, Year 3: Official Welcome to Lombok
Date: Hari Sabtu (Saturday), Bulan Sèptèmber 13 Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Another Sunny, Perfect Day
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
We just got home from the “official” welcome ceremony and it was quite different from any rally ceremony we have attended. There was no music, no dancing, no food until after sunset, and nothing to drink but water and green coconuts. It is Ramadan and we are in a Muslim country on a very Muslim island. So why the rally organizers even thought of having a function here is beyond me. I guess we all thought that the ceremony location, which was far away from anything, was picked so that rally life
could go on as usual. But that was not so. It is just a shame that we weren’t told as it really was a total waste of time. It was nice to see other rally folks, but we will see them in two days in Bali anyway. Live and learn.
Earlier in the day, Mark finished the last of sewing of new covers for all the cockpit cushions and made covers for our fenders. They were starting to deteriorate from too much sun, so the new polar fleece covers should extend their lives. I am so happy with the look of the cockpit now that it has new cushion covers. It makes it feel like a new boat. After the sewing, Mark, Tina of Shirena, and I got a taxi and went south along the coast to the tourist town of Sengiggi. The coastline between
here and Sengiggi is beautiful with coconut plantations, very nice resorts, and wonderful views of the offshore islands. Tina needed to find an ATM and a new phone card, and we went just for the views and to have lunch. We had a little miscommunication with our taxi driver and he tried to take us to Mataram to the “mall” to McDonald’s for lunch. We understood him to tell us that no restaurants were open until after 5 pm in Sengiggi due to Ramadan, but when we got back there, all the restaurants
were open. I guess either there was a total miscommunication or the guy just wanted the extra money from the longer trip. Whatever, we had a lovely trip and a great lunch.
We leave at 3 AM for Bali, so it is time for bed. It is a 70 mile trip and since the currents and winds are impossible to predict, we are leaving early and hoping we can make it. The Lovina Beach anchorage that is our destination is tucked in between two reefs, so we need to arrive before the sun gets too low in the sky. So here’s hoping for wind (from the right direction) and current going our way. There will be a full moon the next day, so currents will be at their strongest. If they are against us, it could be a VERY long trip.
by Judy Handley | Sep 12, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 126, Year 3: Work Day in Teluk Naré
Date: Hari Jumat (Friday), Bulan Sèptèmber 12, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Another Sunny, Perfect Day
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
Our little bay here seems to maintain about 20 boats. Some leave each day, but more come. The winds have been gentle the past few days, so the Gili Air anchorage is holding at least 12-15 boats. The Lombok rally celebration happens tomorrow and I figure all the boats in Gili Air and here in Teluk Naré will be headed to the celebration late tomorrow afternoon. The rally organizers are trying to figure out transportaion for us, so we will be ready to go at 3 pm. Earlier in the day we plan to take
a taxi south to Sengiggi. Evidently the road from here to there runs right along the shore and is quite dramatic.
So tomorrow will be a play day. Today was a work day and Mark did an amazing job of making Sunbrella covers for our badly deteriorated closed cell foam cockpit cushions. They looked absolutely awful and now they look great. It was a long hot day for Mark, but the results are fantastic. He has made me a very happy woman.
by Judy Handley | Sep 11, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 125, Year 3: Double Dose of Gili Air
Date: Hari Kamis (Thursday), Bulan Sèptèmber 11, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Another Sunny, Perfect Day
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
We did get a boat to take us back across to Gili Air early this morning and we enjoyed a full day of snorkeling around the three Gilis – Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan. Here’s what the Lonely Planet has to say about these islands: “Just off the northwestern coast of Lombok is a vision of tropical paradise – a trio of tiny coral-fringed islands, each with white sandy beaches and pellucid water teeming with a kaleidoscopic array of reef fish.” I guess that pretty well paints the picture.
The boats that we travel to and from the islands in here are sampans. These boats are like an over-sized canoe, 20-30 feet long and VERY heavily built with a sunshade built overtop. They glide through the water so smoothly and are delightful as a mode of travel. The one we went out on today was painted a bright yellow with “glass-bottom boat” painted clearly on each side. We first snorkeled off the northern tip of Gili Meno with turtles. We then moved to the northern tip of Gili Trawangan to
snorkel the coral gardens that were teeming with fish. Next we went back to the west coast of Meno to the “swimming pool.” This was just a shallow snorkeling area running north to south along the island with a steep drop off. We motored around to the harbor on the east coast of Meno for a lazy lunch and a visit to see baby turtles. A man named Boulong has set up a turtle nursery to give the hawksbill, loggerhead, and green turtles that hatch on the island a head start. He collects them and keeps them in salt water pools until they are eight-months old. He then releases them but figures they have a better chance at survival by doing this. Our last snorkel stop was a drift dive along the shelf on the east side of Gili Air. We enjoyed every minute of the day in the “pellucid water teeming with a kaleidoscopic array of reef fish.” The Lonely Planet has this one described perfectly.
by Judy Handley | Sep 10, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 124, Year 3: Finally . . . Gili Air
Date: Hari Rabu (Wednesday), Bulan Sèptèmber 10, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Sunny Day with Clouds Over the High Mountains
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
We finally made it to Gili Air today. We had read that it is a cross between Gilligan’s Island and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. That’s not exactly the way I would describe it, but however you describe it, it is a wonderfully delicious place to visit. The village part of the island is just like any of the villages we have visited. But there are no cars or motorcycles on the island. The only modes of transportation are walking or riding in a cidomo (horse and buggy). Of course, that only makes the place all the more charming. The east side of the island is the resort side, and there is everything from luxury villas to bamboo thatched huts. But everything is simple and it feels delightfully refreshing. There are not hordes of children begging for money. You are just left alone to enjoy the beauty. We had a great day eating and drinking our way from the northeast part of the island to the southeast. Mark made a mid-day stop at the internet café on the island and it was just as fast as the connection in Mataram. That is still not great, but he was able to accomplish a couple of tasks that we have had on our “to do” list. We had a late afternoon swim at the beach to cool off before dinner. We ate at Wiwin and the food was wonderful. We just had a great time, and some of us are hoping to return tomorrow to do an all day snorkeling trip on a glass-bottomed boat. We have reserved our places, but we are not sure we can find transportation across. We asked Muhammad’s brother, Abdul, to try and find us a boat and he promised he would do so and call us as soon as he has one for us.
So hopefully it is back to Gili Air tomorrow, work on the boat on Friday, attend the Lombok Sail Indonesia Opening Ceremonies on Saturday, and then head for Bali. In only seven days Justin and Jo will be joining us. Can’t wait.
by Judy Handley | Sep 9, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 123, Year 3: Just a Day in the Bay
Date: Hari Selasa (Tuesday), Bulan Sèptèmber 9, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Beautiful Day with Winds in the Afternoon
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
Today was a workday. Mark went to Mataram to try to get online with our computer to updates finances, etc., but unfortunately it didn’t work for him. He was able to download some pics of Sam from Picasa and we love the one of him eating sushi with chopsticks. At the end of summer, his reddish-blonde hair looks more blonde and he has grown a bit since our last pictures. We are so hopeful that we will have a good internet connection in Bali and can see him via Skype once again.
I stayed on the boat and cleaned stainless and did the laundry. I had just sent a huge laundry to be done by Muhammad’s mother, but that was mostly towels and sheets. I did the run of the mill clothes today. I also worked on naming pictures, but I had a bit of a frustrating computer day as well. Even though I have removed almost all photos from my computer except the ones I am currently trying to name, I keep getting the message that my computer will hold no more. Tonight we will do a defrag
and hopefully that will straighten things out.
Tomorrow we are going to Gili Air to spend the day. We have looked forward to going there for so long, so I just can’t wait. Muhammad’s brother, Abdul, is taking us on his boat late morning and will bring us back after eight tomorrow night. We look forward to ‘eating our way’ around Gili Air. Evidently the food is good and cheap, so we will start by eating lunch and then work our way around the island until time for dinner.
Our plans after tomorrow are still not set. We called Dewi this morning. She is the woman organizing our Sail Indonesia travels and we wanted to find out more specifics about getting our Indonesian Visa extended. She came to Kombal Beach this afternoon at 4:30 and had us fill out our Visa applications and took the money and our passports for getting the job done. This means we are without a passport until after the start of the Bali rally on September 18. That is a little scary, but we will
trust that the passports return with our approved extension.
by Judy Handley | Sep 8, 2008 | Indonesia Rinca to Lombok, Sailing Logs Year 3 |
Day 122, Year 3: Not Where I Thought We Were
Date: Hari Senin (Monday), Bulan Sèptèmber 8, Pada Tahan 2008
Weather: Beautiful Morning; Cloudy Afternoon with a Little Rain
Location: Teluk Naré (Kombal), NE Lombok, West Nusa Tengarra Province, Indonesia
I thought I was anchored in Teluk Kombal as that is what the CMap and paper charts say. But last night Mark brought a map of the island home, given to him by Mohammad our tour guide and ‘provider’, and it says we are in Naré. Just before leaving on our tour this morning, I asked Mohammed and he said that locally it is called Naré, even though the charts indicate otherwise. So we are now saying we are Teluk Naré. It is good to know where you are.
Our tour today was good but because of a couple of delays we didn’t get to see everything we had hoped to see. Still it was a very full day. Shirena, Scot Free II, and Windbird left with guide Mohammad and a driver. We left just a little late and headed north to a small town called Pemenang. It was a bustling little community with many horse-drawn carts. On some islands they call them ‘ben-hurs’ but here they are called ‘cidomos’ (chidomos). The carts are large enough to hold four people plus
the driver and are pulled by a very well-groomed pony, sometimes adorned with flowers and tinkling bells. They are quite a quant site. From Pemenang we headed west and then south, climbing a mountain. Near the mountain top we started seeing long-tailed macaques running along the road. Soon we pulled off the road and we were in ‘monkey forest.’ The many macaques here are obviously used to waiting at the roadside for handouts. Mohammad gave us each a bag of peanuts and instructed us to open the
bag and put the peanuts in our pockets. We were to dispense the peanuts one at a time. If monkeys see the bag, they grab it from you. And he also warned us not to offer a peanut and then take it back. This could result in a little monkey bite. It was great fun feeding the monkeys and indeed they would politely take a peanut from you. But Mark didn’t follow the instructions. He was feeding them from the bag, and sure enough, the bag was taken from him. Two of the females had babies and they
were irresistibly cute. Then on we went to the city of Mataram. On the way we traveled through villages dedicated to building wood and bamboo furniture. We learned that each village has a specialty and everyone in the village produces the one product. Matarm is the largest city we have visited in Indonesia. Kupang is second with a population of 300,000. Mataram has only 20,000 more people, but the buildings are certainly more substantial. The traffic, however, was not as crazy as Kupang.
Our first stop was at a bank ATM and this really pointed out the differences in the two cities. This bank had at least ten ATM machines and the lines in the bank itself were VERY long. From the ATM we went to a huge bakery that had all sorts of Indonesian specialties to offer.
We then headed further south to Banytumelek. This is a village dedicated to producing pottery. We went to one pottery factory and we were invited to try our hand at making a piece. Mark took the challenge and ended up with a small bowl which was transformed into turtle by adding a head, feet, and a tail. Donna, Gerry, and Klinton were so taken with the pottery that they started bargaining with enough to fill a crate to be shipped back to Canada. I was fascinated with the magic water pitchers.
You pour water into the bottom of the pitcher and then when you turn it upright, the water doesn’t come out until you pour it out of the spout. Pretty neat. I was also fascinated with the designs appliquéd onto some of the pieces. The designs are broken pieces of eggshell glued on to the pottery piece to form the design.
The traditional weaving village of Sukarcara was our next stop. A young woman named Inji took us on a tour of the village. The housing was traditional bamboo construction, but the roof of each little house was topped with clay tiles instead of corrugated iron or traditional thatch. Inja showed us some of the old homes with cow dung foundations. Cow dung and water were mixed to make rock-hard bricks used to construct foundations. Inja also introduced us to the songket weaving done by every woman
in the village. If a woman can’t weave, she can’t get married, so this is a skill shared by all women in the village. Tina, Donna, and I were each given a chance to try our hand at weaving, but we all admitted that the intricacies of the design were way above our level of understanding. Lombok weavers use lots of silver and gold thread, and we all ended up buying pieces after a rigorous exercise in price negotiation.
Due to our delay at the pottery factory, we did not continue to the south coast for a planned seafood lunch. Instead, we headed back north and visited Taman Narmada, the summer palace of the last king of Lombok. This entire complex is designed to look like a mini-version of Gunung Rinjani, the huge volcano that looms over this island. You do climb up and down, but it resembles the mountain only in an abstract way. But it was fun to sit in the king’s house and look down on the pool where his harem
would have been swimming.
The rest of the day involved a stop at Hero’s, the most modern grocery story in Mataram. This also afforded an internet stop. Mark will be going back there tomorrow to do some of the research into future stops while Klinton and Donna go back to the pottery factory to finish their shopping for pottery and to take some items from the boat to be shipped home in their crate. I’ll stay home tomorrow to continue to work on trip planning. I’m looking forward to a day at home.
