...I'll be off now... Lombok, Gili and back to Home (Stage 10)

On the last stage of my journey, Susan and I headed to the island of Lombok to wait for the perfect wave. We traveled to the south to Kuta to the Symbiosis surf camp. We spent a week at the camp and learned that the interaction of timing and proper paddling is not that easy.

The island of Lombok is a complete contrast to its neighbor Bali. While Bali is influenced by Hinduism, 90% of the locals in Lombok are of Islamic faith. And you could hear that too... In the nights, we couldn't get any sleep without earplugs. It was Ramadan and that meant for the Muslims to have a meal after the sun went down and then perform the night prayer. For us, that meant having to listen to the speaker singing every evening and night. At least we were glad that food was cooked during the day for tourists. The cuisine was much spicier compared to Balinese cuisine. It also didn't help to say that I didn't want chili in my dish - it was still damn spicy for my taste :-D

We arrived at the surf camp in the afternoon and checked into our nicely furnished bungalow. The camp also had a beautiful garden with an outdoor pool and a cozy lounge. Since we were a small group, the guides could individually assist each surfer. Since I was the only one who stood between beginner and advanced and only needed help with paddling on the bigger waves, I had a private teacher who gave me the push I needed. Susan and three other camp visitors from Germany had no previous experience on a surfboard and initially made their first attempts on smaller waves.

Now back to the first day on Lombok. After Susan and I checked in, we immediately rented a scooter and drove west to Pantai Mawun beach, which was considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the south of the island. On the way there, we admired the vast, green, hilly landscape and the deep blue ocean in the distance. A sigh escaped from our mouths. The road leading to the beach was guarded by locals for a fee for tourists. We didn't have enough cash to pay the specified price for the beach. After a long discussion, they were satisfied with the few bills and let us pass. Even if it was pure rip-off, we didn't care much about having paid for it. Lombok is one of the poorer areas, so they are heavily dependent on tourism. It's just a shame that the money is not invested in keeping the truly beautiful beaches clean. Once again, the beautiful sides of the Southeast Asian countries and islands show their downside.

Nevertheless, Pantai Mawun with its fine, beige sandy beach and the turquoise blue sea was a beautiful spot. We found a quiet corner in the sand and enjoyed the view. A stray dog ​​lay down next to us, probably hoping to get attention and pets from us. However, he looked so unkempt that we didn't necessarily feel like petting the dog. He seemed to feel comfortable with us anyway, as he didn't leave our side. Oh well, will we ever get rid of him... After he realized that we weren't giving him any attention and even the other dogs didn't want anything to do with him, he desperately sought love from another couple sitting on the beach (whether he will find happiness there...). Enough of the "sad" dog story - he's not the only stray dog. These multiply like rabbits on Lombok. On the way back, we stopped at the recommended restaurant Ashtari. It offered a great ambiance and a wonderful view towards the ocean.

The next morning, Susan and I immediately started with the surf school. Together with the Indonesian "Jen", our surf instructor, we went to Pantai Selong Belanak - perfect for beginners. Since I had stood on a surfboard a few times before, I quickly got back into it. For Susan, it was her very first time. After I surfed the first waves again, I wanted more! Susan was still struggling with the first attempts, but she persevered. If you manage to surf a wave on the first day, you cheated :-P

In the evening, we took a trip to Pantai Kuta Lombok. We climbed a small cliff and admired the sunset and the sound of the ocean. The view towards the north fell on the Mount Rinjani volcano. Since it was not accessible at that time, access to the crater was unfortunately excluded (the view from Rinjani is highly recommended!). After the sun had set, we walked back down to the beach and made ourselves comfortable on the roof of the warung there. The shoes had to stay below. Just annoying that some stray dog ​​had snatched one of my flip flops... Despite the darkness, my chewed-up shoe caught my eye. Yummy...

Day 2 in search of the perfect wave... The Don Don surf spot is very popular with surfers and can only be reached by boat. So we loaded our boards onto a boat and sailed out into the open sea. I was immediately thrilled. Jen paddled with me to the bigger waves, while Susan preferred to relax on the boat. And then it happened... the perfect wave! Jen gave me the necessary push and suddenly I felt the driving force beneath me. I stood up and felt like flying... This was the biggest wave I had ever surfed. Wow! Even though they were estimated to be only 2-3 meters high, it was an awesome feeling to stand on it and glide for a moment. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to stay on the board until the end of the wave. So I was faced with the problem of being washed away by the following waves. On the one hand, you are just coming up again to catch your breath and paddle out of the wave front, and at that moment you are washed under the water again. On the other hand, it keeps pushing you further away. Damn, more paddling... But, it was an awesome wave!!! :-D

On the following day, Susan stayed with the other beginner surfers from the camp at Selong Belanak Beach, and Jen drove with me to - in my opinion - the most beautiful beach in southern Lombok: Pantai Tanjung Aan. Pure finest white sandy beach and the clear turquoise blue water surrounded by shallow green hills... I could hardly take my eyes off it. We also went a bit further out to sea with a boat to the coral reefs, which provided nice, gentle waves. Thanks to Jen, I managed to catch a wave every now and then. As I said: timing and proper paddling are the hardest part of surfing. All in all, it was a great day, from waiting for the right wave, physical activity, moments of success, to the beach scenery. Jen and I were also able to convince the surf clique to go to the Tanjung Aan surf spot the next morning.

The 5 days on Lombok quickly passed by. On the last two days, we went over to the island of Gili Gede. We had booked a cozy and nicely furnished accommodation (Tanjungan Bukit Lodge). We were the only guests and enjoyed the peace and quiet to the fullest. For breakfast and dinner, we made ourselves comfortable on the seat cushions, enjoying the view of the sea as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices. In addition to the local cuisine, the accommodation even offered very good European cuisine, as the owner of the guesthouse was from France. We took a boat during the day to the small island of Gili Layar. Here we could snorkel wonderfully, observe many colorful fish and small turtles, collect beautiful shells, and walk around the entire island in an hour. Only when you go from fine white sand to muddy, rocky terrain during the walk it becomes a bit tricky to watch your step without shoes. There is only one accommodation on Gili Layar. We were able to rent sunbeds there at an agreed price and simply relax. Gili Gede offers a nice place to stay with the Tanjungan Bukit Lodge, but the really beautiful beaches are on the neighboring Gili islands.

On my last morning in Southeast Asia, I woke up very early and saw the sky turning red outside. Susan was still sleeping. I got dressed quietly, walked down the steps of our bungalow to the water, made myself comfortable on the seat cushions, and sank into this beautiful sunrise. Knowing that my journey ends today was quite sobering. Despite initial fears of being completely alone for such a long time, it turned into total euphoria and wanderlust. I didn't want to go home yet. My heart was beating in the distance and the longing for my homeport was far, far away, even though I missed my partner over and over again. I was simply out of everyday life, stress, and work. I felt deep satisfaction and balance inside. After the sun had risen above the horizon, I slowly went upstairs and saw a sign that showed directions to various places in the world. I saw Berlin... yes, I'm on my way home...

We landed back in Bali. Susan spent another week in Kuta and I said goodbye now. My flight only started at night. We still had dinner together and walked along the endless beach in the southwest of the island. We drank from huge coconuts and smirkingly watched the girls who spent hours photographing themselves in various poses in front of the sunset. We just thought: "Oh man, that must be exhausting...".

Berlin, 18.05.19, 12:50 pm: My heart was pounding like crazy! Where is my luggage?! Hopefully it wasn't confiscated because of the many shells... :-D there it comes, phew! But my heart wasn't pounding up to my throat because of that. Laura and Nico were waiting at the exit to welcome me. Laura held a welcome sign in her hand. Thanks, darling ;-) We hugged each other tightly. When I then jumped into Nico's arms, I didn't want to let go anymore... I have arrived home.