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Fresh pineapple lollipop to help ease the pain of bites :) |
A quick thirty minute flight from Bali, found us on the quaint island of Lombok, one of Indonesia’s 17,500 islands. En route to our hotel, we were officially welcomed to the island by hoards of macaque monkeys eagerly anticipating handfuls of peanuts to be thrown from the car. Although not as unique as the proboscus monkey, they were still deliciously adorable! Originally only slated to stay here five nights, we extended our trip a few extra days as we could not manage to tear ourselves away from the picturesque sunsets, luxurious Oberoi Resort, warmth of the Indian Ocean and the plethora of spicy foods. For 7 days I wore nothing but my bathing suit and sarong and read more than 6 books. Absolute perfection! Our one physical activity took us to the Gilli Islands for a day of snorkeling! Every dive felt as if I were swimming in a world class aquarium or the movie “Finding Nemo”. The vibrant colors of the parrot fish, clown fish and others were spectacular. Our snorkeling skills were strong enough that our guide even showed us how to feed the fish underwater. Literally, the fish were eating out of our hands. As if the fish weren’t enough, the temperature of the Indian Ocean feels like a perfectly warm bath. With all the excitement, I didn’t even realize that I had been stung by numerous little jellies! Ouch! No worries though, as one of our guides (KayKay) offered to ice down my arms and neck to reduce itching and swelling. Now that’s customer service J
We spent our last afternoon in Indonesia sitting around the lobby for 4:00 tea and snack time (this group doesn’t miss a snack time) reminiscing about our highlights of our latest country. As I reached for my next biscuit, a substantial rumble came over the entire building. A moment of calm passed. And once again the building began shaking. As if surviving a volcano in Indonesia wasn’t enough, the nature gods thought we should try an earthquake too. Yes, I experienced another natural disaster for the first time in my twenty six years—an earthquake. Although relatively minor, we definitely felt the shaking and many books fell from the library walls. Indonesia provided us with stunning views, beautiful water, delicious food and a few natural disasters for good measure. Off to Australia we go J 
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