I wouldn’t have time to visit the east-side of Lombok, so I headed north. Top Tip for anyone planning a visit, you want to stay on the north-west part of the island, around about here! I had finally found a beach I could do business with. There were HUGE corals in the clear waters, which seemed a lot more untouched and less damaged / stepped-on than the reefs found in the more tourist-heavy shallows of Indonesia.
I had parked in the fancy-assed resort and asked if I could have a wander around. I looked up the prices. It wasn’t cheap, but if I had known about this pristine area earlier, I would have taken the 10-minute scoot from my poorer accommodation to visit it every morning! I had a chuckle as three Aussies nearby were tasting a sour fruit. The one chap said, “watch out! It’s got a bone in it!”
The streets were busier than they had been all week and the po-po seemed to be out in full force. I put down my visor and tried to look as brown as possible by focusing on increasing my melanin count. Next time I think I will wear a plain shirt and get a few extra minutes of sun before biking around. The bike renters had shown me a document hidden under the seat and said I should present that if I ever did get pulled over. I wonder what it says.
Apart from that little worry, I received many friendly hellos, waves and toots from the locals. I’m assuming the latter were friendly because I couldn’t see any other reason why they tooted. I got whiffs of ocean air, expired fish, fire smoke, and what honestly smelt like a lovely perfume.
My final visit on Lombok was the Narmada Water Park / Palace. It was huge with several naturally filled pools. They were teaming with fish! There was also an Olympic-sized swimming pool with painted lanes being filled. It had a long way to go though. A tiny museum was on site that served more as a storeroom, housing an old fridge, generator and step ladder. Upstairs there were a handful of things on display, including some blue-tinted photographs from the 1800s.
The Narmada Water Park sign read:
“Tourist object is tourism culture and history inheritance, built in 1727 by King AA Ngurah Karang Asem as miniature of Rinjani Mountain. Was function provide place for king and enjoy the beautiful Narmada Park. The springs are derived from groundwater stored for thousands of years in volcanic rock.”
While packing my backpack on the final night, I considered how little of my luggage I had actually used on this trip so far. My favourite items include a little coffee dripper thingy, a squishable water bottle, battery bank, and my flight pillow, which has served well as a bum-rest whenever I have needed to squat on a concrete floor. You can also tie it to the outside of your backpack, as one would a pot or pan.
I thought I would have a nice little lie-in on my final morning, but my brain got jerked awake at 4:30am again by the calls to prayer!
Farewell Lombok. May God be with you.
Next: Indonesia #8 – Gili Trawangan
Previously: Indonesia #6 – You Want Express!
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