I headed to Gili Trawangan on a public boat with a load of eggs, vegetables, Bintang beer, dragon fruit and labourers. There was one other pale person on board, who had a contagious smile fixed upon her face. Gili T is probably on par with Bali in terms of tourism and popularity. Everything is on offer to cater for all types.
I find it funny/interesting how people tend to stick with what they know when in a foreign land. Indian tourists were eating at the Indian restaurant, a few French were queuing for the crepes, a couple of Italians ordered pasta on the beach, and a pair of Turks were chowing kebabs from the Turkish joint while speaking their native tongue. I ordered fush and chups.
After dropping off my things at the quiet little homestay I would be calling home, I hit the beach and walked straight into the ocean. Ten years ago, I got my Open Waters diving certification at Manta Dive on Gili Trawangan. A very Swedish Ronnie, who was engaged to a local he had impregnated at the time, had been my instructor. I thought it would have been amazing to see him, but no one there seemed to know his name. I’m always so curious to know where people you met years ago have ended up.
Another dive master at the center was happy to tell me what had changed around here over the years. Apparently the west side of the island, which was totally rural a decade ago, is now fully developed with high-rise hotels and villas for the rich and famous. I’ll give it a visit soon enough. All the sunsets happen there.
I’ve been politely listening in on conversations while lounging about, trying to find a good moment to lean in with a funny or witty comment. There have been some brief conversations. I can’t believe how many nationalities simply cannot fathom that I’m from the great country of Africa! “Africa? Really? Really??” What are your schools teaching you about Africa?! The locals are also quite flabbergasted about this, but that’s more understandable.
It kiiiind of makes sense to hose down the pavement outside your establishment (as they seem to do throughout SE Asia), but on an island with such heavy foot-traffic, this seems to make things dirtier than before, with mud and footprints! The locals are quick to remove horse shit from the roads though, which the taxi carts deposit.
I’ve found a seaside venue which will likely be my regular spot on Gili Trawangan for the next week. You are most welcome to make use of a beach lounger as well as the resort swimming pool if you buy something. The snorkeling there is also great. I ended the day with a long wallow in the freshwater pool when the calls to prayer began. I thought about how these actually serve well to remind you that you’re in a very different country.
I was a bit skeptical about coming back to such a party island, but I’m finding it wonderfully chilled. As I lay on a beanbag enjoying some live music, I considered just how much one’s perspective can change over a decade. I’m probably no longer seeking out the party lifestyle, but at 10pm sharp, the bands pack up and the tempo rises at the bars and DJ decks.
At “The Irish Bar” a buff American man was delivering a rock star performance with Freddy Mercury panache. The crowd was going nuts, climbing up on tables, fist-pumping the air and spilling their drinks. The singer kept looking at his watch and ended the show at midnight on the dot. A crowd of people were wearing black shirts which read “Gili T Pub Crawlers”. I followed them into a club where the barmen were on the counters pouring tequila directly down the throats of girls, like a bad parent bird feeding its open-mouthed chicks.
Later that night, I headed to my inland homestay and wondered what the older natives and devout Muslims who have lived on Gili Trawangan all their lives think about all this behaviour. The separation of well-off tourist culture and the impoverished reality of the island, made me think of Jamaica, which I believe has a physical wall so that tourists forget that it’s such a poor country.
Even with no physical wall, the distinction can still be felt.
Next: Indonesia #9 – No Woman No Cry
Previously: Indonesia #7 – God Be With You
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