Lost in Paradise

After spending 5 days in Bali, we made the short 4-hour journey to Gili T, one of three small islands off the west coast of Lombok. The small village community with hens and roosters running wild as well as the fact that motorized vehicles are not allowed, reminded me of 4000 Islands in Laos. Everybody gets around either on foot, bicycle or horse and buggy. We were very quickly welcomed to Gili T by a local who invited us into his backyard only to be serenaded with his rendition of Neil Young. The locals here are possibly the friendliest people I have ever met. Instead of being constantly pressured into buying their products, they simply say hello, ask us how we are, and wish us well on our travels. There is a great mixing of locals and tourists as the locals sit around with the tourists on the beach and hang out at the same bars in the evening. It makes it much easier to learn about their lives, and we were surprised to find out that few have ever even left the island. Gili T is a sort of paradise, with the bluest water, soft sand, and plenty of marine life to be explored. We did a one-day snorkelling trip around all three Gili islands and once again I was lucky enough to spot a turtle. Jennifer also bought her first beer of the trip, I was very proud of her. I will be returning for a longer stay with Katie as we plan on taking full advantage of our Scuba certification. I hear diving is amazing in Indonesia, so I can’t wait to get back into the water.