On Land in Lombok, Indonesia

The boat arrived to Lombok and I was surprised to see that instead of taxi’s they use “horsepower” as a means for getting around.

Very typical to see horse "taxi's" on Lombok

We ended up staying in the touristy town of Senggigi on the west coast of Lombok and decided to spend the night in a somewhat nice hotel to recoup from not getting much sleep the previous 3 nights on the boat. Senggigi was a really beautiful place and since John had been there on previous trips he suggested that we all meet that evening at the Sheraton for a drink and a dip in what John deemed “the best pool he’s ever been in”. It was a great way to end our amazing and unforgettable journey.

Sunset from the Sheraton's pool

Boat crew enjoying a drink at the Sheraton

The following day John’s travels with me ended and he returned to the US. I stayed in Senggigi and along with 2 other people from the boat, hired a car with driver to take us around the island. The driver took us to some amazing waterfalls at the base of Mt. Rinjani, Lombok’s volcano.

Amazing waterfall (notice how tiny the people are)

After swimming in the waterfall we stopped off at a local village. There were about 20 families living in this village and soon we were surrounded by villagers asking for cigarettes. In Indonesia it seems that practically everyone smokes. I was really shocked when a boy of about 8 years old asked for a cigarette and actually started smoking it.

Visiting one of the local villages

Very disturbing to see such a young kid smoking!