Indo Journal: Lombok

I won’t tell too much about Lombok. Some things are best discovered yourself.

It took roughly six hours on the ferry to get there, and we arrived in darkness. The contrast to time spent in the more crowded regions of Bali was instantly felt. We drove through sleepy little villages with their eerie prayer calls wailing out across the warm evening air.

Our destination was still hours away so a food stop in a village was attempted, several times. Finally a small roadside kitchen was discovered. Perhaps we were starving, but the noodle soup and bowl of hardboiled eggs was an absolute treat, with the friendliness and good humor of the locals being but an added bonus.

Accommodation was basic, but so perfectly peaceful. Rooms are comfortable and a local squat style toilet is shared by us and our host family. Breakfasts of banana pancakes overlooking morning swell lines are something I’m still thinking of.

And the wave. Friendly on a high tide, good vibes in the water, sharing waves with the playful local groms. But on low tide she changes. Morphs. Takes on a whole new form. Water drains and the reef bares its teeth. Boards are grabbed, wax anxiously applied and afternoon plans forgotten. She peels, races, teases. Long lefts winding down past the exposed reef, past the posts, past the tree.

When you’re tired, the suns gone down, or she’s sent you packing like an angry housewife, leave the wave and retire to a good viewpoint. We spend our evenings sharing quiet meals and cold Bintangs.

Now I’m back in the office and my head is filled with Indo dreaming.

COMING SOON: Indo Dreaming - a mini surf film... so WATCH THIS SPACE