Nusa Lembongan & Ceningan, Indonesia

fresh off the fastboat - 1 hr. from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan (mushroom bay).

beautiful weather - skies, waters, gentle breeze - very nice.

no idea where we'll stay - we jump in a truck and head to, Tamarind Bay.  driver wants us to stay w/ his friend - even to the point of being pushy - we push back and walk on, turtles in a foreign land w/ too little information.  this turns into a common theme as we're traveling on budget so the places that fit our criteria very rarely advertise online.  we must stay somewhere for 1 night while we scope out the area for subsequent nights.  trouble in Nusa Lembongan turns out to be electricity reliability - which is to say the juice is sometimes on at night, sometimes not.  there even seems to be a pattern to the service but after a few simple hypothesis are tested and disproven, we throw up our arms and adjust our strategies.  without electricity, air con units are worthless and concrete, bunker-esque hotels, are hot - no air flow.

eventually we find Ulu - bungalows built in true Indonesian fashion, 2 stories high w/ balcony, windows for evening breeze, and outdoor shower / bath on the first floor.  not often i get a view of the stars while i'm sudzin' up - what a joy though when it comes my way.

possibly the best sunsets we had in all of Indonesia were on Nusa Lembongan... 

not a great beach for tourists - more of a working beach, from hosting moorings for guiding, fishing, and local ferry boats to giving access to locals transporting their seaweed haul, this slanted beach at Tamarind Bay was buzzing.  surfers come to Lembongan to ride the 3 surf breaks off shore.  they hire local fishermen to take them out to a covered raft near the 2 most popular breaks, "laceration" and "playgrounds."  i get the feeling this area is not for beginners.

waves breaking at breakfast - what a treat!

the oldest / biggest tree on Nusa Lembongan!

we had a blast renting scooters and exploring the islands.  between $4 and $7 gets you a scooter for the day and they go everywhere!  Carly like riding hers into things like walls.  no harm done though and we all enjoyed laughing at her mishaps - nice, supportive, family that we are.

Bintang!  a daily splurge in the evening - hard to avoid, why try?

we loved Indonesia's obsession with architectural decoration - carvings, casts, statues...

no house reef for snorkeling here - half hour by boat to the Mangroves (too silty = bad visibility), then to Nusa Penida (beautiful and clear but cold for the kids - approx. 23 degrees C).

one day we happened upon a funeral ceremony which we observed from the road.  apparently these ceremonies last all week - evident from my attempt to find the local doctor to treat an ear infection.  every time i stopped by, he was "away at ceremony."  i thought maybe this was just a standard dismissal but no so - they clearly attend ceremony often on Nusa Lemongan. 

Gamelan players waiting for the post-ceremony procession through town.

if your family has enough money, you get cremated when you die.  if not, you're buried until there's enough cash to afford the wood, and presumably priests' fees.  umbrellas on every gravestone apparently for added comfort from the midday sun.

dream point, near dream beach - powerful waves nearly swept Basil and Ryan off.  couple scrapes, some angry scoldings by loved ones, and a dead cell phone later, four travelers back on scooters head for trauma therapy - food, beer, & middle of the night contemplation.  nothing keeps a mind engaged in the wee hours like a lesson on human frailty as taught by the indiscriminate might of the sea.

all waves are not equal...

the islands of Lembongan & Ceningan maintain a thriving seaweed farming culture.  they grow, cut, haul, dry, and presumably much more in the way of processing it to produce skin creams & jellies.

moving the harvested seaweed during low tide from the bay in between Lembongan and Ceningan

this young girl looked to be about 15 years old - strong and proud of her task!

wherever there's flat, undeveloped land, there's seaweed arranged for drying...

Kayl and Ryan stay behind for a scooter adventure to Ceningan (fanta, laps in the pool for exercise, and 4x4 rubiks cube lessons…by Kayl of course), Carly and Basil jump on the Dive Concepts (great dive company run by a bunch of competent, friendly, french guys) SCUBA boat to Crystal Bay and Manta Point.  little chilly but worth it for an encounter w/ Mantas!

…and Oriental Sweet Lips

gentle giants glide nearby, unafraid & even curious.

manta rays have feeding grounds & cleaning stations - different depths, different locations...

…and we're off!  to Bangsal, Lombok by fast boat.  Mt. Rinjani looms physically as well as in our thoughts - do kids often climb this massive volcano?  will we find available guides & porters at prices we can afford?  how will the actual experience contrast with the marketing literature?