Bali!

We flew from Heathrow on Monday 19th via Hong Kong. The 11hr flight was pretty tough. Both Becki and I commented on the strange feeling of how for us, it felt like no time had passed but in reality we had lost nearly half a day. Our lay over in Hong Kong meant we had time to have a coffee with Becki's sister Tess, which was lovely. At this point I was basically a walking zombie so I stayed close to Becki and she led me back through security and onto our final plane to Bali. The journey was 4 1/2hrs of which Becki and I were awake for the first 10mins. 
Kuta is a bustling city full of shops and mopeds & taxi's. People constantly offering you anything from a lift, to fruit or a massage as you walk by. I really felt like I was in Southeast Asia and it was exciting!
We decided on a 'go with the flow' attitude towards finding hostels which I think compliments my hobo-chic attire perfectly. We were dropped in Kuta centre where we wandered in the hot, thick air until we found a nice hostel called Sayang Maha Mertha.  Unfortunately I think we underestimated our jet lag and both passed out as soon as we arrived. We eventually woke up, went down to the hostel bar for our complimentary drink of orange squash, organised the following days travel and passed out once more.
We woke up at 6am, packed our things and hopped into a mini van which was taking us to the port in Podang Bai. Unfortunately about 30 seconds before the van showed up Becki was sick, meaning you can only imagine how the rest of our 5hrs of travelling in a bumpy van and fast boat went down. We arrived at the port where we were herded like cattle towards the dock to be told that "This boat full"... "and when was the next one?".. No answer.. My worry was more for poor Becki who was dying in the blistering heat.
When we finally arrived in Gili T we decided that the mid day heat was a bad idea for a very unwell becki so we picked the first hostel we could find - a lovely bungalow on the main strip of the island called Aquaddiction - and proceeded to pass out once more. By early evening we thought it was a good idea to try and eat something.  We strolled down the main strip until we finally found a beautiful little restaurant overlooking the turquoise ocean, dotted with boats. We sat under vibrant coloured umbrellas chatting and eating tasty mie goreng  (noodles with spicy chicken and veg) - a local dish.
Unfortunately the following day didn't quite go to plan and started and ended very early with me by Becki's bedside and her on an IV drip. She was ok, just very exhausted from travelling and unable to keep any food down, meaning she was dehydrated. I passed the day keeping her entertained with my random questions and making sure she was looked after. That night we walked to the famous Night Market and ate some lovely grilled meat. We chatted to our hostel buddies, petted their cats & python (yes, like the snake!) and decided we'd go snorkeling the following day in celebration of Becki feeling better.
Snorkeling was da bomb. We walled up to the north of the island and floated down with the current. We saw so many pretty fish, loads of coral and two hornbill turtles!! We had a great lunch at Warung Dewi, packed up our stuff and said a sad goodbye to Gili T. I think we both really loved the vibe of island life. There is something amazing about how transport is only by horse&cart, bicycle or foot. All the crammed bars and restaurants and the people. Everyone is keen to have your business but still genuine when you need help or advice.
We headed on a local boat that evening to Senggigi in Lombok. Lombok is the main island off the East coast of Bali. It's very mountainous with the centre consisting of the volcano Mount Rinjani, the second highest in Indonesia. According to the two German girls in our taxi to the hostel it last erupted in 2009. From the summit you can see all the way to Java! We opted for the 'easy route around Lombok' and hit up a spa for the day. The ocean views were incredible and we had a great day!
Our final day came round in the blink of an eye and we found ourselves once again on the boat to Bali. We used Semaya Cruise who were really good actually - I'd recommend them. Back in Kuta we stayed in the Coco Beach Hostel which again I would also recommend.

Just a few things I've noticed... The colours here are amazing. Europe has got a lot of things going for it but pales in comparison to Bali in colour. The ocean IS turquoise - I've never seen anything like it! I've noticed Bali has a very different smell too. Some kind of mixture between rich insense and humid air. I'm surprised at how few stray animals there are which pleases me. I loved sitting in my bungalow in Gili T and listening to the sounds of all the twittering birds, my favourite sounding like a rubber duck toy being squeezed - I must find out what it is! Neither Becki nor I have noticed mosquitoes here which is awesome. The food has been right down my street with lots of fresh fruit and just the right amount of spicy with lots of fresh crunchy veg. I'm not so keen on how obviously the locals try and rip you off for any kind of service. It's tough being a new traveller and learning to barter - personally I suck at it. In general however people are still very friendly and always happy to see you.

Next time I'll definitely leave more time (and money) to visit places like Ubud, go diving in the Gili's and trek up M. Rinjani. Till then you'll be missed Bali!

Next stop: Borneo

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