Three different worlds

Three different Islands / Three different worlds

Three Different Islands / Three Different Worlds

Bali / The Island of the Gods

On the morning of my sixth day of traveling, I left the Island of Java for the Island of Bali.

Day 6 (from my travel notes)

9:00 a.m. As I left my hotel in Ketapang, Java, I heared the children reciting verses of the Koran.
10:00 a.m. I drove onto the ferry for Bali.
11:17 a.m. I set foot on Balinese soil. Feels good. The weather is beautiful. Am having a coffee at a warung and can smell the frangipani. A young man by the name of Agus served me. He noticed my camera and he asked me to take a photo of him.

Agus. Young Balinese

Balance

The Balinese often mention the word BALANCE to describe their world. Not all is good at 100%; nor completely black. The evil and the good do not exist on their own. At the end of the Calonarang dance, Rangda the evil witch fights with the Barong. Not one of them wins. The play ends with good and evil continuing on to live

Gilimanuk to Lovina

Lovina to Candi Dasa

I travelled on the north road from Gilimanuk to Lovina. Great new road, no traffic, that passes through the West Bali National Park.
Slept one night in Lovina

After a four hour motorcycle drive from Lovina to Candidasa on the north coast road of the island of Bali; the last one hour in pouring rain, the Gods of Bali booked me a charming bungalow on the beach.

Lovina. North Bali. So many places to stay.

I rested in Candi Dasa for three nights. The longer I stayed there, the less I was eager to travel.

Day 10 from my travel notes

I finally took the decision to leave easy-living-beach-life in Candi Dasa. It was getting difficult to leave.
I was getting too comfortable

From Padang bai, Bali I took a five-hour ferry to Lombok.

Always a challenge to enter a ferry

lombok : Island of a thousand mosques

Day 11 from my travel notes

« Getting tired. Decided to stay in Senggigi beach west of the city of Mataram. The breakfast at hotel Bintang was delicious.
Walked on the beach and met some shy fishermen who greeted me kindly».

Ah breakfast. My most important meal to start and plan my day.

A long, arduous and tiresome drive

In Lombok I sometimes felt like an extraterrestrial.
Whenever I stopped to rest or take photographs, people would eye me in a suspicious manner. A few times I was asked what my religion was.
I was struck by the beauty of the many mosques. I was told that in Lombok, there are at least 1000 mosques. And more are being erected.
The main thoroughfare that crosses the Island is only 90 kilometers but it took me more than four hours to cross the Island because of the heavy traffic.

4 hours to cover 90 kilometers because the traffic is so intense.

A Slow And Empty Ferry To Sumbawa

Relaxing on the ferry After The Grueling Drive To Cross Lombok.

Looking out at the sea

Sumbawa Island / a Motorcyclist's Paradise

A minimum of 9 hours to cross the Island. I made a stopover in Bima.

Beautiful Long Paved Roads Circumventing Mountains And Following The Shoreline

Thought of the day

Bima city and Harbour

Bima is the capital of Sumbawa. The people of Bima and the entire eastern side of Sumbawa speak what is known as Bima language. Population of about 140,000 people.The port is still busy, serving both the occasional Pelni passenger ship and freighter. Many pinisis ships dock here.

Kidnapped in Bima :

I entered a small «gang» (laneway) behind my hotel in Bima. As I was photographing the kids, a woman came up from behind and grabbed me by the arm. «Come with me», she says. She then pushed me into a house, we walked by a couple watching TV and then entered the kitchen. A group of woman were preparing food for Lebaran or Idul Fitri to celebrate the end of Ramadan on Sunday the 25th of June.
I think if I would have stayed longer, she would have asked me to marry her! Quick, where’s my bike!

Next: Romantic Ferry Travels