Lombok is beautiful, there's no doubt. Though I haven't been to Bali yet, I might be able to believe that Lombok is more beautiful and less crowded--the amount of tourists I saw certainly didn't match up to the number of beachfront hotels and tourist restaurants I passed while there.
However, though I'm new to SE Asia tourism, I have to say that my last two weekends have turned me off of it a bit and made me want to turn to the least "authentic" hotel I can find in Hawaii.
Today was a gorgeous day, and the driver I hired for the day (okay, I will admit that is a luxury I can't afford in the states) picked me up at 8 AM for the drive to Kuta. When I mentioned that I'd like to stop for a coffee, he took me to a beachfront cafe where I had a traditional Lombok coffee--finely ground beans with hot water poured over them (don't drink the dregs!). Interesting, but I like my coffee minus the chewiness!
We then took an two hour drive through Lombok to Kuta's next-door neighbor, Tanjung Aan. An absolutely beautiful beach with mountains and rocks ringing it, Tangjung is less crowded than Kuta. I settled down to enjoy the beach, only four other people on the entire thing, and felt like this is what I imagined Indonesian beaches to be.
Not so soon. After five minutes of peace, the stream of hawkers began. Throughout my four hours there, they came in chunks--I'd be in peace for an hour, then five or six in a row would hassle me. It doesn't really matter how many times you say no, or goodbye, or in what language; they sit next to your blanket and stare at you for a few minutes after you stop responding, perhaps to guilt you into buying something? I'm not really sure. This would have been bearable if not for the gang of six or seven young boys (age 6, about?) that surrounded me, also early on. I said a friendly hello and goodbye, and returned to my book, but they started making huge balls of sand (think snowballs, but with sand), and throwing them and small stones as close as possible to me without hitting me. No amount of SELAMAT JALANS! could make them go away, so I picked up my stuff and moved 20 feet down the beach. They got the hint after that.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
After a morning like this, though, it was hard for me to relax long enough to really enjoy it. I can't complain about a day in paradise, but I have to say that I've had better days. I was toying with the idea of a surf lesson, and maybe I should have gone that way? Or maybe it is just the traveling alone as a woman in a Muslim country thing hitting me? I'm not sure what I could have done to feel more comfortable.
We left around 2:30 and drove 10 minutes to Kuta, where I had a delicious lunch of stir-fried squid at the Full Moon Cafe, though I continued to be hassled throughout lunch to buy the fake pearl bracelets offered by girls who said it was to support their schooling. After Cambodia, I don't fall for that one.
My driver dropped me off at my current location, the Griya Asri Hotel in downtown Mataram, which I picked for its proximity to the airport. MISTAKE. The hotel is fine (what you would epect for $20/night), but they tried to charge me 60,000 rupiyah for the hotel car to take me to the airport tomorrow morning, when a taksi ride from Senggigi, the beach, costs less than 50,000. The whole reason I picked this location was to save some time and money, right? Nope. None of the staff speak Engish, either, so they actually ordered me a taksi to take me to the airport tonight, an hour after I checked in--leaving me wondering why I would check in at all if I am leaving for the airport tonight?
All in all, a beautiful day ended up being a bit frustrating. I know that I am the bule here (foreigner), and it is up to the Sasuk (ethnic Lombok people) to do what they wish, and we should adapt to it. But on an island that is trying to grow its tourist industry (brand-new international airport slated to be finished next year), it is not as welcoming to the Western tourist as I would wish. Perhaps if I was a bit more of a risk-taker, or if I was with friends or family, this wouldn't bother me as much. But in a strange city in a strange country it all feels a bit ominous and makes you want to pay for the beachfront Sheraton Hotel, where at least they speak English and literally pay the hawkers to stay away from their stretch of beach.
I know that in a few days when I'm sitting at my desk I will forget the bad parts and remember the good ones, but I wanted to write this to remind myself and you that Indonesia's beaches may look like a blissful paradise in pictures, and accommodation may be cheap, but there are a few cons, as well.
I'm going to eat the Nasi Goreng I had to order twice (and I still received the wrong thing) before crashing for my early flight. See you in Jakarta!
PS Coming up next--the disaster that was me not knowing how to eat a soft-shell crab. Sigh.
However, though I'm new to SE Asia tourism, I have to say that my last two weekends have turned me off of it a bit and made me want to turn to the least "authentic" hotel I can find in Hawaii.
Today was a gorgeous day, and the driver I hired for the day (okay, I will admit that is a luxury I can't afford in the states) picked me up at 8 AM for the drive to Kuta. When I mentioned that I'd like to stop for a coffee, he took me to a beachfront cafe where I had a traditional Lombok coffee--finely ground beans with hot water poured over them (don't drink the dregs!). Interesting, but I like my coffee minus the chewiness!
We then took an two hour drive through Lombok to Kuta's next-door neighbor, Tanjung Aan. An absolutely beautiful beach with mountains and rocks ringing it, Tangjung is less crowded than Kuta. I settled down to enjoy the beach, only four other people on the entire thing, and felt like this is what I imagined Indonesian beaches to be.
After a morning like this, though, it was hard for me to relax long enough to really enjoy it. I can't complain about a day in paradise, but I have to say that I've had better days. I was toying with the idea of a surf lesson, and maybe I should have gone that way? Or maybe it is just the traveling alone as a woman in a Muslim country thing hitting me? I'm not sure what I could have done to feel more comfortable.
We left around 2:30 and drove 10 minutes to Kuta, where I had a delicious lunch of stir-fried squid at the Full Moon Cafe, though I continued to be hassled throughout lunch to buy the fake pearl bracelets offered by girls who said it was to support their schooling. After Cambodia, I don't fall for that one.
My driver dropped me off at my current location, the Griya Asri Hotel in downtown Mataram, which I picked for its proximity to the airport. MISTAKE. The hotel is fine (what you would epect for $20/night), but they tried to charge me 60,000 rupiyah for the hotel car to take me to the airport tomorrow morning, when a taksi ride from Senggigi, the beach, costs less than 50,000. The whole reason I picked this location was to save some time and money, right? Nope. None of the staff speak Engish, either, so they actually ordered me a taksi to take me to the airport tonight, an hour after I checked in--leaving me wondering why I would check in at all if I am leaving for the airport tonight?
All in all, a beautiful day ended up being a bit frustrating. I know that I am the bule here (foreigner), and it is up to the Sasuk (ethnic Lombok people) to do what they wish, and we should adapt to it. But on an island that is trying to grow its tourist industry (brand-new international airport slated to be finished next year), it is not as welcoming to the Western tourist as I would wish. Perhaps if I was a bit more of a risk-taker, or if I was with friends or family, this wouldn't bother me as much. But in a strange city in a strange country it all feels a bit ominous and makes you want to pay for the beachfront Sheraton Hotel, where at least they speak English and literally pay the hawkers to stay away from their stretch of beach.
I know that in a few days when I'm sitting at my desk I will forget the bad parts and remember the good ones, but I wanted to write this to remind myself and you that Indonesia's beaches may look like a blissful paradise in pictures, and accommodation may be cheap, but there are a few cons, as well.
I'm going to eat the Nasi Goreng I had to order twice (and I still received the wrong thing) before crashing for my early flight. See you in Jakarta!
PS Coming up next--the disaster that was me not knowing how to eat a soft-shell crab. Sigh.
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