Mataram

I traveled to Mataram primarily because I wanted to extend my visa by 30 days at a branch of the immigration office there. I had already done my research and found out that it is quite complicated to appear three times for this purpose, and my hope was that fewer people would want to do this on Lombok than in Bali. However, at the immigration office, I learned that since July, one can apply for the visa extension online, and that I was actually 6 days too early.

Happy not to have to waste my time at the immigration office, I first went to the Hubbul Wathan Great Mosque. This is the largest mosque on Lombok - the island of a thousand mosques - and it accommodates 15,000 worshippers. There, I was provided with a headscarf and given a tour. Unfortunately, the mosque was damaged by an earthquake in 2018, just five years after its completion. Although the elevator in the 100m tall minaret has not yet been repaired, one can still climb the six floors by foot and is rewarded with a beautiful view of the city. Meanwhile, students were preparing for their performance on National Day in the square in front of the mosque.

After that, I took a walk to the coast, during which I was often followed by smaller or larger groups of children who wanted to take photos with me. At a watermelon stand by the road, I bought a small watermelon, cut it open immediately, and ate it on the way. The knife that was handed to me could only be rinsed off with a little water, and then I could only hope that I wouldn’t get Bali Belly...

In the evening, I had myself driven to the Mayura Water Palace. There is a small temple standing in the middle of the water, surrounded by a small park. Children are practicing karate outside, adults are jogging around the water basin, and the sunset is magnificent.