I left my heart in Kuta, Lombok

I spent a week in Southern Lombok after the hike. Kuta, Lombok not to be confused with Kuta, Bali. I fell even more in love with Indonesia. The sun always shinning, the waves always crashing, the beaches are beautiful, the people are beautiful, the food is wonderful, and the vibe, the energy plays my heart strings. 

The girls and I at Mawun Beach

Swinging life away at Tanjung Aan Beach, Lombok

Kuta, Lombok is a surfers town. All the locals surf, the waves are great, the beaches are pretty empty and it has minimal tourists. Which comes with minimal amenities for tourists. This means that most of the locals are incredibly warm and generous, always smiling, always happy to just be alive. Their energy is one of a kind and its contagious. They have the total surfer vibe to them, catch some waves, hang loose, the whole hang ten. I spent a lot of time with a girl I met there from Switzerland, we had so much fun together she even convinced me to try out surfing for a day as she was doing a surf school that week. I did it, I loved it, but it was incredibly hard. I only managed to ride a couple waves out but drank a lot of salt water and got tossed around by a lot of big waves. I almost enjoyed getting pummelled by huge waves more than the surfing :). At one point I wanted to give up but my surf instructor Joe wouldn't let me. He said "You just gotta keep tryin man, you cant give up." This coming from a local that killed the waves haha, poor guy was probably so bored watching me. My arms were dead after two 3 hour sessions in one day. I will definitely be back to take lessons one day and master the surf! 

I am the second one, I did get up and ride a few waves!

I was pretty proud to say I surfed, and swam in the Indian Ocean!!

Kuta Beach, Lombok, Indonesia

I spent quiet a bit of time with the locals there as they all spoke good English which made conversations much easier. I learned a bit of the language while there as well. Tirama Kasih is Thank you, Suk Sumo is Thank you in balinese, Suma Suma is your welcome. Good Morning is Salamat Pagi, Good Night is Salamat malam.  In Kuta you have to rent a motor bike to get to any of the good beaches, which was very much worth having. As it does have a lot of Warangs (cafes) you can walk too and some shopping, the biggest attraction is the beaches and to get there a bike is required, they don't have many taxi's so there is not many other options. That's the difference in being in a touristy town and non-touristy- or one of the differences. Something else I discovered while spending time down here, children are everywhere selling bracelets and sarongs, and whatever else they conjour up. They can be very sweet, their English is excellent, but they are also incredibly pushy. It hurt my heart to eventually have to just ignore them to get them to go away. I mean these were young girls and boys that were very smart and stuck selling stuff to tourists. I have noticed in the little bit I have traveled that as a tourists, especially from a western country, I just look like a big dollar sign to most locals. Kuta just began seeing tourists about 7 years ago and is a safe haven from the madness of Bali. The hope is it does not eventually turn out like Bali. This is why the influx of liter in the waters and streets. They burn all their trash because they do not have a system for disposal. More tourists means more stores, food, and garbage and no means to get rid of it except burning it. Anyways, one can put pieces together on how some locals do not like tourists because we come and destroy their land, we invade on their natural beautiful places, and behave like we are entitled. On the other hand, tourist do provide income for many locals and we open up a connection between cultures and experiences. This is just my thoughts really, as I have become more observant in the different areas and places I go. I fell in love with Kuta, Lombok and the people- I don't know if I could say that enough. I do know I will be back to Indonesia for much longer than 3 weeks. 

A woman from the Sasak Village. She was 100 years old, still spinning thread and maintaining a beautiful spirit.

We also spent a few hours visiting the Sasak Village which lies north of Kuta. It was incredibly eye opening to learn and see how they live their daily lives and the traditions they continue to practice. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world and at least three times a day you can hear them singing prayer from the mosque's. The Sasak village is built from dung and clay molded into huts where they live, raise their children and create the beautiful sarongs and assorted jewlrey. 

A hut in the Sasak Village, this one particular is for drying rice. 

These steps, as well as the floors of all the huts are made with cow dung and clay.

It was interesting to learn that they are all related and come from one family. They marry within the family and begin marriage and starting families as young as 14 for the women and 17 for the boys. 

A young man and his beautiful baby girl

One of the beautiful women in the village, she was actually very smiley I just happen to catch her off guard.

Her beauty and her smile displays such a positive spirit, hiding any struggles and pain.

It is tradition to present the womens family with a cow or buffalo as an exchange for her hand in marriage. Another traditon is to kidknap the woman. I had to consciously prevent myself from making faces or asking judgemental questions while being explained this. It is rude and inappropriate for me to begin judging or making judgemental statements towards their traditonal way of living. This is how they have lived for hundreds of years and is completely normal to them. Just as if they visited America and were taken back by how we live our lives. It is so beautiful to have the opportunity to learn and experience such foreign beliefs and values. Neither is right or wrong, simply just different. I often wondered if the women were happy, as well as the men. Is this how they truly want to live or is it staying true to their beliefs that continues the lifestyle? This is a question you can ask in any culture, even America of course. But the freedom I have to travel, experience, and be myself continuing to grow and learn about diverse cultures, its a freedom many do not have the opportunity to do. Not because of money, but due to the values and the consistency of those that came before them. This culture appears to struggle with changing old patterns and to try to break free could result in punishment or being ostracized from their families. I found myself very thankful to have the opportunity to learn about the culture and change my way of thinking right in that moment to an open mind rather than a judgemental mind. We see the world the way in which we choose to see it, we perceive the world based on our experiences, to have the ability to allow my sights to expand and my perception to alter enriches my soul and touches my heart.

From the tops of the rocks overlooking the beauty of the Indian Ocean

Blissfully Yours,

Alicia

Oh this guy snuck up on me while trying to take a selfie and stole my water bottle, he almost got my bag. He came out of no where! I was high up on these rocks that had no trees or anything. 

"See no evil"

Mt. Rinjani

I spent a week on Gili Air and I feel it was exactly what I needed, saltwater, sand and sun. I met up with Alina- who I met in Pai, Thailand- and a few of her friends. We traveled to Lombok together on a mission to hike Mt. Rinjani. Arriving in Sanur, Lombok hoping to find a hostel to sleep at and a guide to hire for the hike we discovered that the entire town was booked up because of a Ultra-Trail run. The town was full of people from all over the world getting ready to run 52 miles up to the top of Mt. Rinjani and back down. They would begin in the dark at 10pm. Luckily we found a very nice man named Somu who opened up a room in his own home for all 5 of us to share. This was quiet the experience within itself. The room had one bed, that three of us shared, a matress on the floor for the other two, and a squat toilet with no shower. Although, when I asked about a shower he pointed at the cemet filled tub of water that is used to pour down the toilet (their version of flushing). Its moments like this I am reminded of the luxuries I was raised with and that a shower (that I am used to) is very much so a luxury. Anyway,  he runs a tour company but his homestay was full with runners. We got our guide hired and everything figured out and were able to relax for a bit. Somu, his wife, mother, and son brought us tea and Ramadan snacks. It was incredibly neat to have this experience. He shared he has been running his business for 25 years. His grandson was going to be our guide. Though we had to haggle a bit for prices on things he was overall a very generous man that helped us tremendously. The next morning before sunrise we all awoke and headed out to breakfast. Our hike began somewhere around 8 or 9am. We all began with high spirits and energy, which really didnt fade as we had to keep each other motivated to push forward. This hike though, let me just tell you, was one of the hardest if not physically hardest things I have ever done. Ever. I am struggling to find words to begin to describe this experience. Our porters (locals who carry our stuff on bamboo sticks and hike either barefoot or in flip flops while smoking) had taken off ahead of us. We eventually all met at base camp two where we had lunch. This hike though, is a continuous up hill battle. There is not a point where the ground evens out and you walk flat, we were continuously climbing the entire time. We stopped and had lots of snacks and the porters bring burners and gas and food to cook us wholesome meals- rice, eggs, vegetables, soup, coffe. They dont serve us sandwiches and chips and granola bars. That was pretty interesting to observe and figure out why bring all the cooking stuff. But thats how they do it here. Eventually we all kind of broke off in our own pace, and each base camp was like an ahhhhhhhchievement. Watching the locals run up and down this mountain in flip flops with cigarettes hanging out of their mouth blew my mind. We also were able to witness the first and well all of Ultra marathon finishers and cheer them on. I can tell you that as I climbed, and my muscles became worn, and the heat was disturbing- my feet were swelling and blistering-my mind continued to repeat "you can do this, you are capable, you are strong." I mean once we started, stopping and turning around really became no option. Imagine if that was like everything in life, imagine if everything we tried-started-or wanted to do was like climbing a mountain. You begin, and it would actually hurt more to stop and turn around. Imagine all of the things we could accomplish! When finshing becomes my only option, the mindset I have begings to change. I can do this, I will do this, not try. "Do or do not, there is no try"-Yoda

                           The view from Sanur, Lombok at the base of Mt. Rinjani

This is on of the 3 porters that carried our stuff. 

After about 7 hours of climbing, even rock climbing at the very end, I made it to the rim of the crater. 2,639 meters or 8658 feet elevation gain  This was the hike we had done instead of the summit to do time constraints. The summit is 1000m higher than the rim. I am damn happy with having done the rim, and will be back to conquer the summit some day! 

A Volcano within a volcano...

Eventually we all met at the rim with smiles and cheers of accomplishment and pride. Our porters and guide were shortly behind us with their 40 kilos of bamboo sticks they each carried. The view of the crater was breath taking- A turquois lake with another volcano inside the lake. We watched the sunset and the clouds roll in and out. As the clouds rolled in their was a point where you couldn't see anything around and then as quickly as they rolled in, they rolled out again.I felt like I was sitting on top of the world, the pride, the joy, the beauty that surrounded. I was connected with nature in an entire new way and seeing the beauty of mother nature with great appreciation. I was also dead tired, and about to have the worst night of sleep I have ever had in my life. I think anyways. As I am a backpacker, I didnt pack much warm clothes for sleeping on top of a volcano with. I had some long pants, a long shirt, and a old tattered jacket I had rented from Sumo. Julianne (a woman who joined us for the hike whom we all quickly became good friends with) and I shared a tent. I am pretty sure neither of us really slept, it was freezing cold, and incredibly uncomfortable. I think I just laid there with my eyes clothes praying for morning. Morning came, we had banana pancakes and set out on our trekk back down this volcano. Coming down was not nearly as mentally challenging but almost more physically challenging. We got down in about 2 or 3 hours, covered in dirt and sweat. My legs we near the point of collapsing, we basically ran down the mountain. The pressure it puts on your knees and thighs coming down makes going slow worse than jogging down. But nevertheless, we made it off that volcano! I would highly recommend this experience, I would go as far to say that one should do the summit if they have the time and money (it costs a bit more and is 4 or 5 days). The sunset, sunrise, view, and overall experience is one that I could never imagine forgetting. I am grateful to have such an experience that pushed me physically, mentally, and spiritually connected me with mother nature. I can say I hiked the second highest volcano in Indonesia, and if you know Indonesia, you know its full of volcanos! I cannot seem to find out how many miles or kilometers we hiked total. But I can tell you my legs hurt for 5 days after this hike, and though I have not been working out like I did back home or running like I used to, I am in fairly good shape for trekking and what not. This was brutal on my legs- though I did not stretch and that is my fault. More than anything the view, defeating my negative thoughts and the sense of accomplishment made it all worth it.

All of us at the rim

The sunset above the clouds

Our tea time and Ramadan snacks made with love by Sumo's family

The sun loved the moon as so it would disappear each night so the moon could shine bright

Sunrise <3

Blissfuly yours,
Alicia