Lombok

Let me start by showing you my Lombok (Mataram) losmen bathroom (before use).
Note severed shower nozzle on cold water only shower.



In all fairness, this was not my first impression of Lombok but rather my last.

It dawned on me as I entered my 30th year that I was beginning to loose my sadomacochist travel zeal, especially after sporting a fever for 48 hours. So resigning myself to the path of least resistance, I caught the 'Back to Bali' boat.

In retropect Lombok was ok.

As most tourists do, I headed straight for the Gili Islands - which translated means Island Islands, not to emphasise that they really are islands, so much as that they really are the only island group off Lombok which tourists go to, leaving the rest of Lombok to the natives.

On outset to Lombok my demeanor was somewhat optimistic on the boat over... although this could have been attributed to having almost completed the 13 hour journey after passively smoking clove cigarettes the whole way.



Once in the Gilis I managed to witness the final gasps of a marlin the size of a dolphin





Here is a donkey - no cars, motorbikes or police allowed on the island... plenty of drugs though.



I'm sure I would have enjoyed Lombok in general much more had I been more ruggedly constitutional, but I'm not here to expand my horizons, but rather attempt to ignore some persistant problems, such as work, relationships and a determinedly unconstitutional body, which is where my rapidly growing 'Recently Read Books' post comes in, albeit a pale substitute for warcrack.

So anyway, now I'm back in the relative comfort of Kuta, Bali, with my comfortable but somewhat unconventional architecturly designed losmen.



And my leagues of adorning javanese tourists who insisted on snapping hundreds of shots on their 80ish looking film-wound cameras.



and a final shot of kuta beach and the truckloads of tourists.



Anyway - please send all belated birthday presents to my parents address in Adelaide.

Btw - I have a new neice as of a few hours ago...