A Solo Travellers Mind

A quick boat trip to Gili Air unfortunately wasn’t smooth sailing for myself, within 10 minutes I had been taken down by a combination of alcohol poos and motion sickness. What followed was not nice for me, or the man that had the job of unblocking the loo. On arrival we checked into our bamboo hut and went to scope out the local area. Gili air is the quieter and smallest island of the three, having no transportation other than bicycle or foot. Walking around it quickly became apparent the level of poverty on the island, with the centre of the island being only locals and there houses. Its incredibly eye opening to see how the locals live, with bali being known as paradise island and yet the level of basic human needs being so low.  We went for dinner at a small Indonesian/Mexican and had a 2 course meal for a total of 4 pounds each… the lads there were incredibly nice and invited us to a party that evening. Fast forward and we are on our way, we arrive at the queen’s sunset, known for its mushroom logo. After staying with the boys for a while we understood why people say tall white girls will get attention, with 1 too many eyes on us, we went to sit by the fire away from society for a while. Two hours later, after drinking the bars special drink we are walking home while being incredibly appreciative of the colours around us…

The following day we had a much deserved beach day, sun cream on and we headed out, first stopping at a cafe for a pouched egg and waffles. Carley hadnt mastered the art of swimming yet, so was on bag watch as i headed into the sea in my suba steve gear. Having found dory and the rainbow fish I was satisfied with my £3.50 snorkeling experience. Next up was dinner, i had a local delicacy call Bakar Samval Matahed, 10/10 would recommend. The restaurant was hosting a live music night, so we headed back after dark before the full moon party. Good drinks, good people and music for thought. 5 men playing probably their most expensive belongings for tourists with a duck taped box at the front for tips and an empty water bottle in loo filled with fairy liquid for hand soap. Within half an hour of arrival everyone knew our names and we all sang along together, the community spirit here is something to be desired. One man used a comb and plastic bag as a flute. I didn’t expect my time on a “luxury” Island to open my eyes and make me understand the true definition of contentness but I guess that’s part of travelling, learning the shit you didn’t know you needed too. 

After some drinks we head back to apply some after sun, the 30 degree heat has hit us and we are a little peachy. The owner of the villa gives us natural aloe Vera from the garden which is a plus. Carley has a wee breakdown about how burnt she is while I try to contain laughter, not because of the burn, but because of how dramatic she is… tonight its a full moon party, and as carley has tapped out for the night, I’m left to my own devices once again. 

Moving day for us as we head to the west side of the island, our new hotel is BEAUTIFUL, a mega upgrade from the bamboo huts. Due to last nights antics it was a hungover day for myself, so after a power nap we headed for some dinner. Tonight’s choice was Spanish food, sharing a paella and some tapas. Due to getting a wee bit emotional last night (one too many beers) I’ve put myself on an alcohol ban for a couple days, so just juice for me as we sat on the beach before heading back for an early night. 

We got the boat across to Gili T on our last full day, it was very much like gili air in my opinion but slightly more commercialised. I spent the morning at surf camp, managing to actually catch the waves, apparently being a natural. Unfortunately for me my factor 50 didn’t last and so by mid afternoon I am an incredibly uncomfortable salmon, therefor spending the afternoon sat by the aloe Vera plants. Our boat ride home begun as the sun started to set, so we sat out with the lad driving us back and had a wee chat out at see, with him telling us he started driving tge boats at 11! Our last night is another early one, with us both passing out by 10, potentially due to the ? Sun stroke..