 Kuta Lombok |
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One
thing you should realize before you go to Lombok is that
the rainy season runs from September to March, so that includes
Christmas vacation. The rain didn't ruin our stay or anything,
but it can rain at some inopportune times. We got some rain
almost every day (so pack your umbrella), but we still came back
looking tan, too. The pictures should be around before long. My apologies to those with browsers that don't display until the full page is loaded . . . |
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Mataram, is the capital of Lombok, looks just about like most any medium-sized, third world city. It doesn't have the exotic architecture of Balinese cities, so chances are you won't be spending much time there. One thing it does have, though, is the only Kentucky Fried Chicken in Lombok, and this picture was taken out their front window on the second floor. We thought a little KFC would make a good picnic lunch, since we didn't know what we'd find in Kuta. |
| On our way down south, not too far from the port of Lembar, we noticed on our tourist map that the area was famous for watermelons. And yes, indeed, watermelon stands were everywhere. If you've read a few of my pages you may have noticed that a stopping to buy fruit is a recurring theme. My wife Gi-hong is a fruit junky, so we've got to keep her habit supported. |
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What comes to mind when I hear "Lombok," now that I'm back in Tokyo? Cows, people dressed in sarong, and naked little boys all wandering down country roads, for this is what you basically see when traveling around backroads Lombok. |
| On your way down south, after the watermelon farms you run into some "traditional villages" (read palm frond huts), and then it gets mountainous again. After climbing up a mountain, we got some nice views of the southern coastline. There really isn't much tourist development yet down there, but I hear it is slated. If anyone out there can tell me what I need to do to keep the skies from looking lavendar, I'd be happy to learn. |
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One thing we noticed about Lombokians is that they are a naturally curious people. When I came back to our trusty Kijang after snapping the previous picture, I found a group of kids climbing up and pressing their noses against the windows, getting an eyeful of my family. Anywhere you go, anytime you pull off, you're sure to attract a crowd, and not just children. One day I drove this car onto a "deserted" beach and immediately got it stuck in the sand. Within 5 minutes about 15 people on had gathered from seemingly out of nowhere. Only one tried to help us - the rest just watched the show! |
| So we ate our Christmas dinner of KFC on the beach (I'll spare you the picture) and headed back to Senggigi. On the way we passed a wedding, so this is yet another "through the windshield" picture. In two weeks on Lombok, we saw a grand total of one Indonesian wearing glasses and no one smoking. Try doing THAT in Japan! I was told that Ramadan explained the lack of smoking, but what explains the fact that nobody wears eyeglasses? Economics? Ramadan? |
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It's always interesting to me to see very proper local ladies wearing skirts and riding sidesaddle on motorcycles. I noticed that a high percentage of motorcyclists wear helmets, but their female passengers or children do not. |
| Lombok is of course rice country, so it's not uncommon to see rice farmers plowing behind water buffalo or tending their terraced fields. We passed these fields on the way home when the sun was low in the sky, casting a lovely golden light on them. I just had to pull the car over to get a few pictures. |
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As we were arriving back in Senggigi the sun was setting, and when we hit the coast we were treated to an awesomely beautiful sunset. Here the dual volcanoes of Bali loom over the palm trees that line the point of land that divides Senggigi Beach in two. |
| In
sum, we went to Lombok because we had already trod many of the beaten
paths of Southeast Asia and were looking for something a little more
original. If you've already tried the Phukets and Boracays and
are ready to dig a little deeper, Lombok may be for you.
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 Tokyo, Japan January 24, 1999 © Glennsworld, 1999 All rights reserved. |
| This page has been accessed 1154 times since July 31, 2002 . | It was last modified on Sunday December 18, 2005 . |