Walking on Gili Air

Arrived on Gili Air by long open boat across dark waters under threatening skies. The boat pulled in to shore right in front of our hotel and the staff ran down to greet us and carry luggage. So far I have been pretty lucky in this department.  The Villa Karang was pretty luxurious, with very sophisticated modern design, including the bathrooms which had a separate shower open to the sky with a screen over it. And only cold water, but nothing is very cold on Gili Air including the rain.

Which came in buckets. Out for an afternoon stroll, my sandals got nearly destroyed and stopped at the local grocery store and bought footwear appropriate to the weather,  a pair cushioned flip-flops. Even so I had to duck into another store along the short walk home so as not to be washed away in the deluge.

Sukio had made a plan for us to walk on the beach around the entire island, and despite the driving pouring rain and wind, we did so for an hour and a half – the rain was warm but it was so windy and wet that it was very annoying – and unfortunately the sand on Gili Air is mostly rough coral, despite its luxurious white appearance. And once again, the sun never sets...

Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are white sand-ringed islands (which is really mostly rough coral and not soft as you would expect. When the weather is nice they are havens for snorkeling and diving and have many restaurants and a variety of lodging, oriented mostly to eco-tourists.  There are only horse carts on the island – not a single motorized vehicle is allowed - so it is very peaceful, although sometimes hazardous as the the roads are just narrow paved pathways. 

When the guys went snorkeling I took the day to do some walking across the lush green interior of Gili Air – the map was wrong - I got lost both ways – having to ask directions constantly  - Some other highlights and memories :

• walking back barefoot on brick roads, hard packed paths, and through a track in a cow pasture and finally along the beach path. Seeing solar power plant in the lush 
• Spending the middle of the day in open cabana/fale at  the Matahari Bungalows –
• Meeting a couple from Lapland in Sweden – 100 kilometers above the Arctic Circle – at the wonderful infinity pool at the hotel
• Giant spider hanging over our heads in the barbecue restaurant
• Power going out during thunderstorm and having to walk back to the hotel in pitch blackness and rain
• Richard being such a sexist British dickhead and heading off to Gili Trawangan for the night to meet his friend who was partying with beautiful young Danish girls
• Clentice and the never-ending quest for Magnum ice cream bars