Hike, Relax, Surf, Relax...

So much has happened since my last report that I will keep it short today. 

About a week ago we were in Ubud and had a lot of experiences there. One of my absolute highlights so far was the hike on Mount Batur (1,717m) for sunrise. We were picked up at the hotel at 02:00 in the morning and taken to the starting point of the hike. After a climb of almost two hours under a dreamlike starry sky, we reached the summit of Mount Batur just in time for sunrise. The view was truly breathtaking, so I also took about 500 photos :D. I have attached a few for you.

In Ubud, we also visited the Tegalalang rice terraces, a coffee plantation, and a Hindu temple.

Last Friday, we continued to the neighboring island of Lombok. The crossing was very exciting. In order to save money, we took the public ferry, which takes five hours and costs only about €2. Johanna and I were the only tourists and also the only white women on the ferry. You can imagine that we were the main attraction. Long story short, we arrived safely :) Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali, known for its beautiful beaches and fantastic surf spots. Of course, I had to test the surf spots. I borrowed a surfboard at Selong Belanak Beach. It's really cozy there, few tourists, nice stalls on the beach, and very friendly locals...AND I'm getting much better at surfing. I can even stand up now without a teacher telling me when and how :) I have to say though, compared to Canggu, the waves in Lombok were baby waves. Good for beginners, like me!

We spent the evenings on Lombok with nice people we met at our hostel. Three Swiss people (that Swiss German, just so cute :)), Nico from Konstanz, and two Swedes who looked like they had just come out of diapers :) It was fun!

Yesterday morning, we took the fast boat to one of the Gili Islands. Gili Air, definitely the most relaxed island I have ever been to. No cars, no dogs, and only nice cafes and cozy reggae bars right on the beach. You can really enjoy yourself here :). Today, we went on a snorkeling trip by boat and saw many colorful fish and even some really big turtles.

Tomorrow, we will continue to Gili Trawangang, the neighboring island. Gili T., as it is also called, is the party island among the Gilis. We have booked a cool hostel (M BOX Gili Trawangan) and are excited to see what awaits us there.

Warm greetings,

Lisl