Paradise....found

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Apologies and a warning straight away this time round:

Firstly, sorry for posting pictures of sunshine, I appreciate that most of the people who read this blog live in the UK where the sun is nothing but a cheap tabloid newspaper.

And the warning, there is some gratuitous nudity in one of the photos, sort of......!



As I write this on Sunday 21st August 2011, I can honestly say that I am older and wiser than last time I posted a blog. That is right, I am now 29 years old, which if my mother is reading this will surely be news enough to send her to the kitchen to get a glass of wine. That's right mum, your "little boy" is nearly 30! To celebrate my birthday we had arranged to meet some firends, Melanie and Celian, in Bali to coincide with their summer holiday. We began in Sanur, where we also managed to meet up with some more friends, Beth and John, on their honeymoon. Congratulations again Beth if you are reading, and pass on my sympathy to John.

After a nice meal and a few drinks we left Sanur on a fastboat to the Gili Islands, three tiny dots of land in the ocean, just of the north east coast of Bali, but actually belonging to neighbouring Lombok.

Our first stop was the largest of the islands, Gili Trawangan, where the plan was....well, non-existent to be honest. Who needs a plan when you are surrounded by clear turquoise water, fine white sand and more than a handful of good restaurants and bars? We spent 5 days relaxing, reading, eating, drinking and generally having a holiday (I know I know, I've been on holiday for months already!). We managed to tear ourselves away from our busy schedule to go on a snorkelling trip around the islands, where I managed to disprove the theory that drowning is a peaceful death. Anyone who saw me panic as I got water in my mask can attest that I was anything but peaceful.

We then moved on to Gili Meno, an as yet unspoiled lump of sand and trees where clocks are not needed, electricity is a bonus, and fresh water showers a unique selling point. Apparently Robinson Crusoe comes here to get away from the crowds at home. The attached pictures tell their own story.

After 7 days on the islands we headed back to main land Bali, and the hustle and bustle of Seminyak, a slightly upmarket tourist resort on Bali's south west coast. After the tranquillity of the islands it was hard to readjust to the pace of normal life, and I think it is fair to say that it didnt suit us. On the Gilis there are no dogs, no motor vehicles, and the only sound you hear is either the waves breaking on the sand or maybe the occasional horse and cart (Gili Taxi) passing by. Seminyak was a bit different. We escaped for a few hours one day to tour the countryside, visit a couple of temples and eat some freshly grilled fish at the beach. This was also the day that Celian returned to Germany, leaving his other, some might arguably say better, half to enjoy another week of sun and beaches.

As I write the girls are out snorkelling again, and I am sitting in a cafe in Lovina, on the north coast of Bali. The weather is equally sunny, the water almost as clear, and the pace of life only one gear removed from that on the Gili Islands. Oh, and I found a bar to watch my beloved, if slightly chaos-enveloped, Newcastle United defeat our bitterest rivals last night. all in all, I like Indonesia! Which is fortunate, as we are staying for another 2 weeks or so before going to Borneo to meet some more honeymooners!

T

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Photos

Tom is very old!
Indeed...