Bali and Lombok

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Well folks this is going to be a quick synopsis as it has taken me half an hour to log on as its dialup!!! I thought seeing that i was going to Asia it was going to be fine but here we are in the dark ages when it comes to the internet.
So I had a wonderful evening with Paul and Mike we did a lot of catching up and watched the rugby. they have a fantastic villa with their own swimming pool. i wont even begin to try and load pics so you will have to wait till i get back unless i find adsl.
the next day we took the ferry to the gillie isands. it was good. we used Perama tours and bought a round trip. the island was nothing fantastic (boy have i been spoilt when it comes to islands) but there were no cars or bikes only horse drawn carriages and bicycles. the only noise you could hear the jingle of the horses bells which was lovely. the water on the other hand was supberb and the beaches white. we did a day out snorkelling, swimming with turtles and another snorkel which had a big drop off and that was great. saw squid and clams and lots of lovely fish - didnt see nemo this time!!!
we then headed for sengigi and were so lucky with our room. front row with lawn and then black beach. we used this as our base and then did a few day tours. the mezzuin wake you up early and go on all day long people spend so much time praying i wonder when they do their work. terry found a great restaurant on the beach owned by Mimi called AW Restaurant and its right next to a very expensive place called Albertos. give that a miss and head for her place. we had sizzling seafood platters with loads of fresh veggies and her famous sizzling sauce that you want to lick the platter. her other great dish i reccommend is her steamed fish wow it was good with lots of onions and capcicums.
it was fun having jj and joanna with us -she knows all the prices and of course a lot of the language so we got good deals. we spent a day going down to Kuta Lombok and stopped at pottery, weaving and pearl shops and factories along the way. our driver was so good we got him the next day just for terry and myself as the others left to go back to Bali and we went in the other direction past beautiful coves, with lots of coconut trees and fishermens huts - very remiscent of Thailand in the 80's when we were first there. the Perama ferry was not working on our way back so they booked us on the local roll on/off ferry which was great full of locals. it only took about 4 and half hours to do 37 kilometres with a tail wind. so now we are in candi desar - it high season but you dont see many people. once again we are staying in a great place with lush gardens and swimming pool overlooking what once was the beach. in the 1980's they destroyed all the coral and used it to make lime and also set chunks of it into the walls. it slooks pretty but wrecked their beach so bad they dont have one!!!! they have now tried to build piers to try and reclaim some sand but its going to be a long story. Yesterday we went on a hike throught the paddi fields with our guide Nyomen Puri from Tenagen, down through forests and then arriving a his village. in the rice fields you come across little stalls selling rice woven baskets and things so lovely andmost unexpected. you see people going about thier daily lives in the fields picking beans, weeding or gathering the ripe rice. we did not get close to any threshing though. Our driver today was Ketut who has taken us to the Water Palace and Water Temple, and at the moment cant think of the huge temple complex so you will have to wait till later. You come accross such unexpected things during the day. Like yesterday morning coming back from a stroll i saw these guys all hanging about under the roof of an entrance (sort of straw roof) and saw a stick with a loop at the end of it and thought snake and Paz Shina so i went to have a closer inspection and indeed they were trying to prize a little python down from the roof. could not get a good picture and after a while i left. dont know if they ever did get it down. Last night we found this restaurant De 5 at the end of the beachfront passed all the baskso soup carts, which was run by youngsters. it was so delicious we went back tonight. i found out the one young girl was 14 !!! and you should see the size of kitchen.
All day long we have passed locals on thier way to ceremonies - especially cremations as apparently its the season for them. Here you might die and they bury you for awhile and then when the family has enough money (and of course if the time is auspicious like now) then they do the cremations. all are so beautifully dressed carrying offerings, gongs and songs and cymbals its all so lovley.
well folks thats my quicky for now and dont hold your breath if i dont find adsl i might not make it inside the internet cafe again. at least you still know i am on the planet. oh by the way as yet not a duck in sight unless its been a live one!!!!

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