Lombok and Sumbawa

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Folks, chapter two is about to begin. I'm off to Thailand tonight. I managed
to get some cheap flights (Bali-KL then KL-Bangkok) with Air Asia for
Aus$136. Schweet, eh. However, I think this just buying flights as I go
business is gong to get expensive, so on the advice of many, many people,
I'm going to look into an around the world ticket. Anyone got light to shed
on this for me?
So, I plan to jump straight on a train from Bangers to Chang Mai - a long,
but cheap way to do it, and something I've got to experience, I'm told.
Thanks for lowdown on Thailand Hayds, Jaz, Craig and Pru. With all your
information, I have my own personal Lonely planet guide! Wicked, I say!
So, I hit the bottle two nights ago in Kuta and chowed down on some Padang
food at 4am and woke up with diaorrhea. Nice huh. I should have known that
food sitting in a shop front window, unrefrigerated and unheated can't have
been good for me by 4am, when it had been sitting there since breakfast the
day before, but when you're stumbling and starving, who knows better,
really?
I'm sick of being sick! Just got over a stupid cold, which followed at nasty
heat rash, which looked not unlike chicken pox. Glad to say my Bali tatto
(the burned leg) has healed up, too. It's a tidy li'l scar. You should see
my first aid kit now. I feel sorry for the next illness that dares to
afflict me!

I've just been travelling with Troy, his mate and his mate's girlfriend
around Lombok and Sumbawa for the past 2 wks. Kinda boring, to be honest. I guess it would have been better if I could surf.
The boys surfed early in the morning, and every now and again I would head
to the beach with them, go for a run, read a book, etc. We had a tv in our
rooms in Sumbawa and Oprah at 11am was my English-speaking saviour each day.
It was really too hot to venture out thru the day, so we were confined to
our rooms and really looked forward to meal times. Although, the one
restaurant we went to each day (Ramadan meant nothing was open food wise)
just got annoying after a while and even though we were there twice a day
for a week, they still never learned to refrigerate their drinks. Warm fanta
... yum.
I also dreaded stepping outside the room some days because of the chorus of
''hello mister'' that excited children greeted me with everywhere, anywhere.
We had car key dramas, too. Our key snapped and of the two key cutters on
the entire island of Sumbawa, neither was competent or equipped. We went to
one wrinkled prune looking fella we called the key master and he took an
imprint of our key in a block of soft wood and by hand and eye, filed a new
key. But do you think it worked? No, and the whole town of Talliwang came to
witness his failing!
Anyway, I'll be in touch in Thailand.
Lots of love,
Bec/Clarky
xoxo

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