Padangbai to Lembar

The friend I was traveling with sure had her doubts about the ships and ferries in Indonesia. Of course the western media only always talks about Indonesia when it comes to some kind of ferry accidents with people drowning.
When it comes to safety it´s always a good idea to take a big boat.
Shortly before we wanted to go to Lombok from Bali, some friend of a friend came back from the Gili islands and he told us he just had a close encounter with the sea bottom. Luckily nothing happened, but the speed boat he had travelled with hadn´t seemed very save.

From Padangbai on the east coast of Bali we set off to Lembar on Lombok by slow boat. It is quite common for tourists to take a speed boat to the Gili Islands, but we chose the slower version.
Nothing really interesting happened on the way - Lembar is mainly a port town with no real attractions. A driver took us from Lembar to Sengiggi in a speedy and reckless way. In comparison to
German driving the Asian way of moving trough traffic seemes like near suicide. The horn would account as a way of communication with other participants. Honking in Germany would mainly indicate the drivers level of anger.

Overtaking in sharp turns, moving back into lane close to on coming traffic. Honestly, driving in Germany would make a lot of Indonesian people fall asleep due to boredom.

We spent a few days on Lombok before heading to the famous Gili islands - also a main tourist attraction in the region. Altough it´s possible to avoid the main beat if you choose the right island.

On the way there I met my soon friend to be, Mujemal. A young man working in his fathers warung on Gili Meno. We got to be close friends and a few weeks later he invited me to celebrate Idul Adha with his family in a small village outside of Mataram.

Snorkeling on Gili Meno was unfortunately not as beautiful as on Menjagan Island/Bali. Up until a few years ago fishermen used brute dynamite fishing methods harming a lot of corral gardens around the islands.

Slowly but surely the corrals are recovering, nevertheless strict ancoring regulations and no-swim zones would let the eco system improve a lot quicker.