Tag 310: Nusa Penida

7:30 am. We sit on the beach with our backpacks packed. With a subtle head shake, I dismiss the persistent locals who try to make money from us in every possible way. 'Boat? Taxi? Scooter? Weed?' We don't need anything because we are here to leave and we are waiting for the young man who dropped us off on this beautiful island a few days ago.

We have enjoyed our time here. Unlike its smaller sister island Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida is significantly less touristy, even though there is much more to see and do. Our homestay was perfect. A young couple who speak English well, two lively children, and two friendly and funny grandparents. All together very hospitable and helpful. Equipped with a scooter, we have explored every corner of this nearly 200 km² island in the past few days. There is incredibly much to see and stunningly beautiful places. Dreamy beaches, gigantic cliffs, caves, forests, jungle, temples, lagoons, coral reefs, and so on. The heavy rain and the most impassable roads I have ever experienced have turned our time into a real adventure. In addition to nature and adventure, we also gained a very interesting insight into the world of Hinduism. Our hosts invited us to a very large and important festival of their Hindu community. Out of respect, but also out of curiosity and interest, we naturally accepted. Unaware of what awaited us. We were traditionally dressed, walked to the temple, and found ourselves as the only foreigners in the middle of a whole village community. There were different reactions to us. Some were very friendly and welcoming, others gave us strange looks, whispered, and others were just confused. We observed with great interest the spectacle of dance, prayer, singing, offerings, and blessings. Colorful colors, the smell of incense sticks, flowers. Over time, sitting on the paved floor became more and more uncomfortable, and we were relieved when everyone stood up after an hour and a half and left the temple. We enjoyed our fresh experience and were looking forward to finally being able to eat something. However, the people did not go home, but they took the offerings and walked to the next temple. Being dragged along with the crowd, we spent another hour and a half sitting on the hard floor with a sore back and an empty stomach, without the slightest idea of what was actually happening around us. As exhausting and confusing as these three hours were, we were also grateful to our hosts for the opportunity to get a glimpse into their culture.

In Nusa Penida, we have found everything we came to Bali for. Nature, culture, adventure, and fun. Now we move on. Next stop: Gili Trawangan