Lombok did its very best to ensure I did not make it to Bali, throwing monsoon storms, high winds, and finally a tropical tornado, into my path.
The blue skies and constant heat haze deteriorated into black clouds late afternoon the day before departure, winds tearing across the island, boats being frantically pulled high onto the banks away from the sands. Amazingly, the setting sun broke through the darkness, shooting deep red and purple streaks across the shadows of the volcano, as if it was on fire.
The storm continued overnight, but at dawn a brief respite, so I summoned a donkey and cart to the jetty. Sure enough, the wooden public boat set off for Gili Trawangan, loaded with people, goods, and chickens in cages…wading out I nearly lost myself and all I possessed in a surge of water, but was hurled bodily aboard by boatmen, who thought it was hilarious!
At Gili Trawangan by 8.30am, ready for my fast boat transfer at 11am, the skies were already darkening again. But staff insisted the boat was en-route from Lombok, and would outrun the storm. So I had a final breakfast of pineapple pancake and juice in a beach front bar sheltering not from the sun but from the rain and wind, watching the surf whip out enormous waves out at sea.
And yes, the boat appeared, all diesel engines at full throttle, and once again I waded waist high into the seas and up a wooden ladder into the cabin, and once again nearly ended up toppling head first into the water! As we set off the cabin windows were locked and sea sickness pills handed out, rather worryingly….and sure enough it was rough-so rough that I have a 2 inch long gash on my calf due to being thrown out of my seat. Luckily, as well as pills, the staff had iodine and plasters….
My final glimpse of Lombok was white water lighting up the darkness….and then, outrunning one storm, we ran into another, this time a tropical tornado. The sky ahead was lighter, so the terrifying appearance of the dark twister silhouetted in the sky reaching from heaven to earth had everyone praying, even the staff………engines roaring, we swerved from side to side trying to stay out of its path-I honestly thought my last moment had come. Luckily it stayed on land, moving across and disappearing into the blackness surrounding us.
2 bone grindingly painful hours later, we limped into Pandang Bai-I have never been so grateful to get off a boat before, clambering over the three boats between us and the jetty and shimming up the ladder, hoisting rucksacks aloft and hurling them onto the sand with a strength made from sheer terror!
Alas, the storm continued on land, and the transport provided by the fast boat company was a very elderly minibus/driver. Leaving the harbour in our own black cloud of exhaust smoke, I wasn’t sure I was any safer on land than on the water……….
Another two bone grindingly painful hours later, up mountains, down windy roads through villages and back up again higher and higher into the rice fields of inland Bali, I arrived at the Villa Mandi.
This is a beautiful place, a selection of villas gathered around a lovingly tendered garden, overlooking rice fields; in a village about ten minutes drive from Ubud. There is a small swimming pool and numerous fish ponds-and hundreds of mosquitoes.
My ‘kitchen’ is outside this time (at least it’s not the bathroom), and so if I want to put the kettle on the ring or even get water from the fridge, I ran the gauntlet of geckos, ants, spiders, frogs. (It is so wet this evening they can’t tell the difference between ground and water) and…mosquitoes, oh deep joy, yet more bites.
I am using the mosquito net here; I know when I’m beaten.
The blue skies and constant heat haze deteriorated into black clouds late afternoon the day before departure, winds tearing across the island, boats being frantically pulled high onto the banks away from the sands. Amazingly, the setting sun broke through the darkness, shooting deep red and purple streaks across the shadows of the volcano, as if it was on fire.
The storm continued overnight, but at dawn a brief respite, so I summoned a donkey and cart to the jetty. Sure enough, the wooden public boat set off for Gili Trawangan, loaded with people, goods, and chickens in cages…wading out I nearly lost myself and all I possessed in a surge of water, but was hurled bodily aboard by boatmen, who thought it was hilarious!
At Gili Trawangan by 8.30am, ready for my fast boat transfer at 11am, the skies were already darkening again. But staff insisted the boat was en-route from Lombok, and would outrun the storm. So I had a final breakfast of pineapple pancake and juice in a beach front bar sheltering not from the sun but from the rain and wind, watching the surf whip out enormous waves out at sea.
And yes, the boat appeared, all diesel engines at full throttle, and once again I waded waist high into the seas and up a wooden ladder into the cabin, and once again nearly ended up toppling head first into the water! As we set off the cabin windows were locked and sea sickness pills handed out, rather worryingly….and sure enough it was rough-so rough that I have a 2 inch long gash on my calf due to being thrown out of my seat. Luckily, as well as pills, the staff had iodine and plasters….
My final glimpse of Lombok was white water lighting up the darkness….and then, outrunning one storm, we ran into another, this time a tropical tornado. The sky ahead was lighter, so the terrifying appearance of the dark twister silhouetted in the sky reaching from heaven to earth had everyone praying, even the staff………engines roaring, we swerved from side to side trying to stay out of its path-I honestly thought my last moment had come. Luckily it stayed on land, moving across and disappearing into the blackness surrounding us.
2 bone grindingly painful hours later, we limped into Pandang Bai-I have never been so grateful to get off a boat before, clambering over the three boats between us and the jetty and shimming up the ladder, hoisting rucksacks aloft and hurling them onto the sand with a strength made from sheer terror!
Alas, the storm continued on land, and the transport provided by the fast boat company was a very elderly minibus/driver. Leaving the harbour in our own black cloud of exhaust smoke, I wasn’t sure I was any safer on land than on the water……….
Another two bone grindingly painful hours later, up mountains, down windy roads through villages and back up again higher and higher into the rice fields of inland Bali, I arrived at the Villa Mandi.
This is a beautiful place, a selection of villas gathered around a lovingly tendered garden, overlooking rice fields; in a village about ten minutes drive from Ubud. There is a small swimming pool and numerous fish ponds-and hundreds of mosquitoes.
My ‘kitchen’ is outside this time (at least it’s not the bathroom), and so if I want to put the kettle on the ring or even get water from the fridge, I ran the gauntlet of geckos, ants, spiders, frogs. (It is so wet this evening they can’t tell the difference between ground and water) and…mosquitoes, oh deep joy, yet more bites.
I am using the mosquito net here; I know when I’m beaten.
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