Gili Air

From Amed we took a "fast boat" over to the Gili Islands.  We'd been hearing about them since we got to Bali - they are three very small islands just off the coast of Lombok, the island to the east of Bali.  No motorized transportation is allowed and each has their own reputation.  Gili T is the party island, Gilo Meno is very laid back and Gili Air is in between.  We decided on Gili Air.  The ride on the fast boat was not fast enough - 45 minutes and alot of it very bumpy and jarring.  We got to the island with little cash and no room reservation.  Our friend Maria assured us she had no problem finding a room, however, the guidebook did say that July and August are very busy, so we were a bit worried.  When we got to the island we headed for the lone ATM only to find a group of people bemoaning the fact that it was out of cash.  They were waiting for a delivery within the hour, which didn't happen.  We found a place close by that took VISA (unusual for many places) but it was a bit more expensive than we had been paying.  It was their last bungalow, we took it.

Getting off the fast boat

Gili Air is a tropical island with dirt and sand roads, and the only way to get around is by walking, biking, or taking carts pulled by ponies (see picture on Liz's blog).  Little cafes line the main "road" and seating was usually in tables and chairs on the sand.   We found a comfortable place to spend the afternoon - eating, drinking iced tea, reading, playing bananagrams and cards, and taking turns snorkeling.

Not shown - lots and lots of ants, even paradise has bugs

Our bathroom was partially open air - I could see stars at night!  (Liz also saw a mouse scurry through, and we saw a mama cat and kitten outside our bungalow later that night with a dead mouse...)  The shower and sink water seemed to be salt water, which was interesting and left a bit of a sticky feel after washing.

 We rode a boat like one of these over to Lombok when we left.  These boats are also used to take people on diving trips and to bring supplies to the island.

We had fresh fruit and fruit juice for breakfast.  The juice was actual fruit blended up - not from a can.  Liz had the papaya juice on the left and I had the watermelon juice on the right.  Yummy!