Liars, Lonley, Illness, Fun & More Booze

It’s taken a while but we have realized that the bible is full of sh*t!! (Well I could have told you that yrs ago, but I mean our travel bible!) So, thanks to a friend we met, it will now be referred to as the Lonely Liar!

So as per the end of my last update, we were heading to Flores, which is a large island to the east of Indonesia. The Lonely Liar, promised great things! Beautiful bays and gorgeous beaches and superb snorkeling and diving! So we land at Labuanbajo full of high hopes. Only to be driven into the middle of a dirt track one way ‘road’ with ‘shops’ on either side. The heat was insanely intense and it smelt like a sewer. Thanks Lonely Liar!!

We found a hostel for the night and were just sitting down in the room trying to stop sweating for 2 minutes and trying to figure out what the hell Lonely Liar was going on about, when all of a sudden the loudest wailing starts over some speakers right outside our room! It sounded like someone was in pain – but we soon realized as it continued that it was friggin call to prayer!!! We’d arrived in Muslim territory and would have to endure this painful wailing up to 5 times a day or more, including a lovely 5am wake up call!! I mean don’t get me wrong – before the UK carts me off to the racist/religion bin – I’m all for appreciating and understanding other cultures, that’s why I am travelling, but really – does the guy have to be tone deaf and wail at the top of his lungs. How they can think that that’s what their God wants to hear - it’s an insult to anyone with ears, let alone someone as divine as their holy lord, or whatever!! So that little shock over and done with we figured out the next best place to be as we were totally not feeling Labuanbajo! The nearest town turned out to be about a 7 hour drive away, so that was out and there was a couple of nearby islands that were habitable so we thought we’d take our chances with one of them! We first of all went to the boat trip place to bring forward our ticket by a week – clearly we were not going to last that long out here! Thankfully there was space.

So the following day we decided to head to Kanawa, one of the nearby islands and stay there for 4 days until the boat left to take us back to civilization!

We lugged all our stuff down to the harbour where we tentatively watched the boat deck hands load on our bags to a boat that was swaying side to side so much I thought it could tip over at any moment. The water was pretty choppy and I’d made the mistake of wearing my flip flops. As I stepped onto the boat a big swirl of water came and rammed the boat against my big toe smashing it against the boat and the concrete steps! That was not a nice feeling!! There was blood and that sort of hyperventilating you do when you stub your toe. It’s so painful you want to cry but it doesn’t quite come. So there I am sitting on this boat with a big block of ice painfully held against my bleeding toe trying to concentrate on not falling out of the boat. After sorting me with the ice, the captain then runs around like a mad man punting the boat away from the harbour and then while it’s facing the right direction before the waves come and turn it around again he scrambles through some floor boards below the boat and started turning a big handle to get the engine started!! It started with a bang and a big puff of black smoke and roared to life. It was deafening!! Thank god it was only an hour ride or so!!

There was only one family owned and run ‘hotel’ on the island and one restaurant, which was extortionate. The hotel actually consisted of 15 bungalows on the beach which were pretty basic with an outdoor bathroom which meant of course the bloody hole in the floor as a toilet. This is another pet peeve of mine. I’m sorry – I don’t care how poor a place is – this kind of toilet should really these days not be in existence any longer. There is no excuse. All it takes is a few more bricks or whatever to create a seat. Weeing and pooing on your ankles just isn’t cool!!! My Whizz Ease came in handy for the number one’s but number two’s…well quite frankly, it’s the most degrading disgusting act ever! Thank God I didn’t encounter any cockroaches in the ‘bathroom’ cos that would have tipped me over the edge! The ‘shower’ was interesting too. We had a mandy which is basically a big bucket of ‘fresh water’ imported from the mainland (which wasn’t fresh at all and was half salted!) with a smaller hand bucket in it to pour over yourself. I mean ok it was pretty grim, but liveable with for a couple of days!

It was a quiet few days as we were the only tourists on the island the first night, with really nothing to do whatsoever apart from snorkel. It was sooooo blisteringly hot that we couldn’t even sit out. There were no loungers or anything so we’d just try and find some shade under one of the dying trees. The island wasn’t really beautiful and the locals obviously do the bare minimum. There was rubbish piled all over it which is such a shame. The second day another couple arrived who were from Finland, so we made friends with them and had dinner and breakfast etc together. The food was actually not bad, although if the island was full I’m not really sure how they would deal with the cooking orders. It took them almost 2 hours to make anything for 2 people, let alone if they were at capacity!! But we were in no hurry really – it’s not like we had somewhere to go! The second day was the first time I had a little cry and was a bit down and homesick. I just didn’t really like the island and it was pretty lonely. Tymon was off with the Finnish guy Dennis taking about a bazillion pictures doing his own thing so I was just alone reading thinking about all of you guys and family. I was looking forward to leaving.

So the days passed slowly. The boys were fishing catching squid and I was trawling through my book. Finally the day came to get the boat back to the mainland and wait the whole day for the boat out later that night back towards Bali. Back on the mainland we went to a restaurant that we had gone to on our first night there which had free wireless internet and we’d met the owner who was a really nice guy. Originally from Jakarta he’s done pretty well for himself with this restaurant so we thought we’d pass the day in the restaurant but he was actually closed. But he said hey come in and chill no worries and he cooked for us and said to help ourselves to drinks etc so we didn’t have to wander aimlessly around the village! It was so nice of him. Tymon also took some really amazing black and white pictures of him and his band mates – so check them out on www.melikepainting.com! As the day went on, even though he was closed the restaurant just kept filling up. He wasn’t even there; he was sitting with his mates across the road, so at one point I started taking drinks orders and keeping an eye on things for him. He had the business whether he wanted it or not and he was so relaxed about it – he was like hey help yourself and just write down what you take!! Finally the time came to load up onto the boat, which we thought actually left that night but we then found out we just stay on the boat in the harbour that night and set off at like 5am in the morning. It was also party night on the boat as people were leaving so it was a bit of a piss up and party especially for the crew, who immediately were basically al about the single girls on board. Everybody else kind of got treated like poo. We’d been up since 5am that morning and we so weren’t in the mood for a party on board especially as we were sleeping on deck so it was kind of like wait for everyone to finish before you can get any sleep!! The music was blaring and I just wanted to get on the road and back to Bali way!! Finally the crew started handing out the mattresses and pillows to put on the floor of the boat at about 1am. I laid on a seat ledge and there were cockroaches crawling about so I was having a great time already on this boat!! I was not in the best of moods – and I was tired. And we were getting up at the crack of dawn to have breakfast and go for a trek on Rinca island to see the Komodo Dragon!! I barely slept that night and then of course at 5am the bloody wailing started and the engine roared to life as we set off. I was up shortly after that!

But by 7am when we were walking off the boat into the National Park reserve to see the dragons I was very excited. Komodo’s can only be found in this small area of Indonesia in the whole world (wild that is), so it was a great feeling that our travels had brought us here to be able to see them! Within 5 minutes as we came to the entrance area there they all were. About 10 of them lounging around the huts and cabins. They are massive!!! And so prehistoric looking. When they stick out their snake like tongue and move along slowly and heavy there’s a real sense of foreboding. You do not want to get on the wrong side of ones of these. They carry so much bacteria in the holes in their teeth from all the rotten food they eat that if you get bitten – game over!! They can run about 25km per hour as well so I was grateful for the guides with big sticks following us around. It was an amazing experience!!

After a 2 hour trek around the reserve we headed back to the boat where everybody just chilled/sunbathed on deck while we sailed on to the next island for snorkeling. The group on the boat was a great group really so we had a laugh. Although ever since I set foot on the boat I didn’t really feel great. I was easily a bit nauseas from the sailing and I just felt a bit light headed and weak the whole time. (Little did I know the worst was to come!)

The next place we stopped was a small island for snorkeling. The boat stopped quite far out from shore over deep blue water, which already looked ominous to me. (As many of you may know – I have a sort of fear of the deep sea! You’ll especially know this if you’ve ever witnessed me trying to get back onto a pedlo after lowering myself in the deep blue water!!) But I wanted to go snorkeling so thought I’d give it a go. I figured I’d soon be over shallow reefs so I’d be fine. So I get a mask and jump into the water with Tymon. As I look down into the water I start to breathe a little faster. It was deep!! I mean I could see the bottom, but it was a long way down!! And I was getting little stings from these tiny little jelly fish, so I just thought get a grip and off we go. Tymon was swimming ahead quite oblivious at this point of my loud deep breathing getting faster and faster as we swim further over this cavernous deep! The noise of being able to hear myself breathe wasn’t helping either. You know how it is when your ears are under water and you’re breathing through the snorkel and you can hear yourself breathing like Darth Vader. All of a sudden I was breathing too fast and through my nose so my mask started peeling away from my face and filling up with water at which point, I had to call Tymon, as I started panicking and treading water spasing out! He was very good and calm and just said come on we’ll swim back, to which my answer was I can’t and he took my hand and said look at me you’re ok and calmed me down as we started to swim back. He said don’t look down but that’s like saying to someone – don’t look now, but…of course all I wanted to do was look down. I had to be able to see what was coming for me if anything!! Just as I didn’t think I could breathe any faster we got back to the boat and I got on board before losing it completely in what can only be described as a full on panic attack!! I was dry heaving and sobbing – again so actual tears, but I was just so terrified!! I was shaking and so relieved to be out of the water. As I settled down in Tymon’s arms and my breathing returned to normal, with all the crew looking at me like a freak – I’m really surprised at myself. I would never have expected that reaction! It was quite frightening.

I then got upset again as I walked out onto the deck to see the crew fishing and catching the beautiful tropical fish. They were flapping about in a metal tin on deck in a splash of water. I couldn’t’ believe it – how could they catch these beautiful things. They have such an indifference to animals over here it’s very sad.

Anyway, so the rest of the time on the boat was basically a lot of snorkeling and a lot of down time as we cruised the ocean, but as time went on I was feeling more dodgy. I couldn’t really put my finger on it – I thought it was a bit of sunstroke so I tried to sleep it off but as we got off the boat and onto the bus to head to the town we were staying in so we could transfer to the Gili Islands the following morning, it really started to kick in. I was sitting on the bus and I started to ache all over and I don’t mean like I’ve walked a lot or done a hard work out – I mean aching as if someone was stretching my bones with metals claws. I couldn’t sit still for the pain it was horrible. I took some painkillers and thankfully they worked for a while to get me through the rest of the journey until we arrived and found a hostel. I went straight to bed, drank of a lot of water and hoped that by morning it would be over.

I didn’t sleep very well as it was party central but the pain hadn’t actually been that bad and by morning I felt a bit better. A group of us from the boat got the connecting boat that would take us to Gili Trawangen which is where we would spend 12 days and Xmas. There is no traffic only pony drawn carts (which don’t get me started on – I hated them!! Not all the ponies were in a bad way, but the poor things were worked to the bone pretty much all hours of the day in the sweltering heat and the ones that weren’t looked after properly were skinny and had sores al over there bellies and chests from the ridiculous garb they hang on them and the straps were rubbing them red raw. AND they still worked them and had the straps pulled tightly across these sores AND there were bloody fat lazy cruel tourists piling into these carriages with their luggage and kitchen sink without a second thought. When I saw them in ones of the sore ridden carriages I had to contain myself not to shout obscenities at them! I wanted to punch them. But enough of that….) So no traffic and just blistering hot sun. We had been tipped off about a decent hostel so we headed (on foot I might add!) to the hostel. It wasn’t a far walk and already we got a great vibe about the island. There was a main strip (only a very small part of the islands is actually used for tourism) full of restaurants and bars and everyone seemed v¬ery friendly welcoming us to Gili. Once we were all settled I started to feel rather ropey again and tired, so following lunch I returned the hostel alone while the others explored and went to bed. This is the day it got worse – much worse. I don’t think I have ever felt so bad illness wise ever before. The aching slowly but surely started again with the metal claws stretching my bones in all directions. I couldn’t lay still or concentrate - it was awful. Eventually Tymon came home where he found me crying in bed not knowing what to do with myself. He promptly went and got some ice for my fever and came back, dosed me up with painkillers and sat with me all day and night. During the night as it got worse every few hours he would put me under the cold shower and stand with me telling me I would be ok as I cried. He was amazing. After a very long night & to cut a long story short (as if this entry is anything but short!!) I was pretty ill for about a week. I couldn’t eat (Hurrah – if only it was just a bit of sickness - that I could have dealt with) and was very weak, but eventually I started to feel better (and my appetite came back with a vengence – BOO!)

By the time I was better and out to socialize the group we came with had all left. So it was back to me and T. We did some snorkeling which was ok – but not as good as on Kanawa – although we did see Turtles which was AWESOME and found the 5* resort pool and sunbathed there. As the rainy season was finally kicking in by early afternoon it usually clouded over and started to rain which was a welcome break from the heat and we pretty much chilled to the max. We watched movies most nights in these private little chill out booths while we had dinner and got into a little routine. And then Xmas arrived. I was very emotional and missed my family A LOT! I didn’t like being away from them. But on Xmas morning Tymon and I exchanged presents (swim shorts for him and a bikini for me as there was only one decent shop on the island), had eggs Benedict for breakie which was delicious and a great substitute for my usual bacon sandwich and laid by the pool again soaking up the sun. We’d met another couple with whom we were going to have Xmas dinner with that night, which was very nice in a private booth overlooking the ocean and then before I knew it the day was over.

12 days is a long time where you’re just chilling, it was great and we felt thoroughly refreshed as we headed back to Bali for New Year.

It was great to be back in Legian at the same hostel as before and zipping about on the scooter. We went fabric shopping one day in preparation for Vietnam where we plan on getting some custom made clothes, ate a lot of satay at the street warungs, boogie boarded every day together which was BRILLIANT and saw in New Year on the beach with a million fireworks going off all along the coast line. It was amazing! (Even if we did get screwed over with crappy sparklers that didn’t work!) Following the fireworks we headed to a club where we got very drunk and had a great night followed by a burger on the way home, one more drink & then a tumble into bed before passing out!!

The hangover wasn’t critical but I needed food all day to ease the queasy feeling in my stomach. (Any excuse!!) We spent New Years Day on the beach boogie boarding and saying goodbye to Indonesia before heading to the airport to fly to Singapore from where I now write this extremely long blog!! Sorry about that – hope you’re still with me and haven’t fallen asleep!

Anyway – vids are coming soon – photos are on.

Hope you all had a great Xmas and Happy New Year to you all. Hope you have a great 2010 – mine is certainly off to a great start.

xxx