A long van ride, a sleep on the ferry, David goes on the hunt for place to stay, I wait at the dock with the luggage and eat ice cream. David arrives back at the dock with a horse and cart, and we proceed to our paradise on an island for the next week--Gili Air.
We felt used and abused after weeks of constant moving, and this week was meant for rest and recuperation.
As I walked from hotel to hostel looking for the best deal, I ran into a couple on the same quest. We found, generally, that the further away from the dock we walked, the cheaper the rate. By the time we arrived at Salim Cottages, we had perfected our bargaining. Using the length of stay as our bargaining chip,we managed to get a room for $30.00 a night with breakfast included. We had heated showers, air con, wifi and a large superior room for so little.
The locals are friendly, and hardworking. As they are mostly Muslim, it is suggested that women tourists wear cover ups over bathing suits when not on the beach. However, times are changing.
There are three islands off the coast of Lombok--Gili Trewangan (party island), Gili Air (family oriented, and some party atmosphere), and Gili Meno (more relaxed). Patt and Craig quite liked Gili Air.
On this island, there are three modes of travel for most people--horse and cart, bicycle, feet. Some of the locals do have small electric motorbikes. A person can walk around the island in an hour and half. The path around the island runs just inside a row of restaurants which front the hotels.
The horse and cart is a people mover, a cargo mover, a garbage collection vehicle, a material's mover as in lumber, cement bags, tools, etc. The cart is built according to its use.
Most local people own boats. Because they are made of wood, they are in constant need of attention. At this time of the year, they are often beached on their side while being worked on to get them ready for the coming summer (high season).
No comments:
Post a Comment