Another Victoria's Secrets

January 9, 2009

[me in front of McD-Mataram Mall]

Lombok is a small island to the east of Bali which means 'straight' instead of 'chili' (which Javanese thought it was.) The airport is located in Mataram, the capital city of Lombok, and the island is famous (and filled) with thousands of mosques, to compete Bali with its temples.

So, with Moslem as the major religion here, people here unlike Balinese (who are Hindus) at all. The landscape of the island was still so pure with lots of paddy fields everywhere. There were only 3 temples of Balinese kingdom in Lombok, and no more temples around, unlike in Bali where you can meet those unique walls of orange bricks, statue with B/W checked cloths or a little squared leaf boxes of ritual offerings everywhere.

Lombok is such a different island from Bali, therefore the people, culture and atmosphere are all different. Don't expect anything similar with Bali's unique hospitality here. Lombok is more like Java in many aspects. So, don't act or wear clothes you usually can openly wear in Bali here. Lombok is a more discreet place.

Sasak, the origin tribe in Lombok, is a more tough and hard people than those in Bali. You gotta be careful when you travel, especially through the less traffic area, e.g. on the way to Kuta Lombok beach. There were more robbery happened. It'd be better if you come to the more secluded area (outside Mataram-Senggigi) with a local. 

When you are crossing to the Gilis through Bangsal harbor, you would be asked to go by cidomo (local transport pulled by a horse) and being asked to pay for the ticket(s) on the way to it. The rate for public boat to G.T. is Rp. 10,000.-/person (and are cheaper for the other two islands), but you would have to wait for the other 25 passengers to depart. If you'd prefer that time is money and wanna go ASAP to the Gilis, the charter rate is Rp 185,000.-/boat. So prepare your money on.

Lombok-Gili people have their own way to earn money. They'd seem to recognize the newbies and were smart to take chances on them. One of the guys who dropped us by cidomo followed us to the Gili by our chartered boat, carried our bags, helped us picking good hotel, delivered us to nice cafe, taught us to snorkel, biked with us around the island.. They were nice, though, but if you feel annoyed, you could tell them to just leave (usually by giving them some tip for the trip.)

January 8, 2009

Today was my turn to have breakfast at the hotel. I was enjoying it very much; from toast and bacon, cheese omelette, pancake and yogurt... they were yummy! LOL.

[me @ KFC Discovery Mall]

We checked out from Jayakarta, then we took taxi to Discovery Mall. It was raining hard and we carried the backpacks which made us quite tired and our bodies were aching for the heavy weight on our backs.

[look at the old lady at the Starbucks!

How modern her lifestyle is!]

We had lunch at KFC in the mall, then went to the airport since our Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane took off by 3 p.m. We arrived half an hour later at Selaparang airport, at Mataram, Lombok.

[Selaparang International Airport, Lombok]

[just arrived!]

Dad's friend's driver, Mr. Alimin, fetched us and took us to the hotel, Zaitun Selaparang, on Jl. Pejanggik, just across the Mataram Mall. From the road it looked just like another shop at the ruko (shop+home kind of building) complex. But inside, it was quite big and had nice hotel rooms.

[Zaitun Selaparang Hotel]

[the hotel]

After checked in, we went to Narmada, a Bali-Hindustan pool, a place for the Balinese king to have a bath with his queen and concubines. Not much to see here, except for the pool believed to give youth if you take a bath in.

[the entrance]

[the pool for youth]

[the view from top]

[the only drinking water in Lombok]

[cidomo, local traditional transport pulled by a horse]

We drove another 17 km to Suranadi Temple, a little far from Cakranegara (eastern of Mataram) and took a short tour about the place. We ought to wear sarong to hide your bare skin. We also have to tie some cloth like an obi on our wrist to 'tie up the secular world'.

[the name sign at the entrance]

[wearing the sarong and obi]

[the pool of pune fish]

[the tamer calling the fish outta its 'nest']

[Clemy and the tamer tried to hold the fish]

[the inside yard of the temple]

We also saw big 'pune' fishes which had to be called by a boiled egg. The fish is rare and they think it's sacred. Thus, this was the richest temple in Indonesia, by meaning, because it has Panca Tirta (the five elements of water) needed to burn the dead bodies (in a holy ceremony called Ngaben). To hold on a Ngaben ceremony in Bali it would cost hundreds of millions in Rupiahs while in Lombok it would only cost Rp 4-5 million because of the complete five elements of the water needed.

[the monkeys near Suranadi Temple]

In Lombok there grew a belief, blend from Hindus, Buddha and Moslem, which follows the beliefs, rituals and prays of the three religions. But we didn't stay too long here. After meeting the monkeys near the temple, we went to Senggigi beach. But we visited the Lingsar temple, too, for the three were connected as the 'Bali' in Lombok.

[the name sign at the entrance]

[Lingsar Temple]

[inside of Lingsar Temple]

[the view of Lombok's fields]

[after sunset at Senggigi beach]

[The Art Market]

[Bumbu Cafe]

[fried chicken with lime]

[the crocodile statue]