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27 June 2008

We headed from Balian (west coast) to Sanur (east coast). Our new friends Chris and Nadine and their three boys were off for a surf trip to an island called Nusa Lembongan. After hearing about it from them and reading up on the surf breaks Gavin and I decided to go along.

We left a day before them for the drive over to Sanur – it was a relatively easy drive for Bali – we must be getting more accustomed to the mad driving skills and the traffic mayhem!

Sanur reef break

Sanur was pretty and we found an amazing little organic cafe (manik organik) that sold home made brown bread and free range eggs – that's the first time we have eaten brown bread since leaving Cornwall – it was so delicious.

The New Zealand crew arrived the following day and we all moved into a small hotel complex 150.000Rp a night. It had a pretty garden and a nice pool for Tehya and Ben (Tehya's new friend). Gavin went off the next day with Chris and the boys to check out waves around Uluwatu, they found a secret surf spot called Banana Point – now re named Lime Juice point as both Chris and Gavin got battered coming in from checking it out and ended up with nasty coral cuts on their backs - Gavin also ended up with them on the backs of both forearms from his wrists to his elbows. It meant no more surfing for a week for Gavin and a week of nursing him better for me.

Sea weed fields in Lembongan

We followed Chris and Nadine to Nusa Lembongan a few days after they went over – we caught the slow boat which was 70.000 each for Gavin and I and 35.000 for Tehya. It took about one hour forty five minutes and was great as that day the sea was flat calm and like a mill pond.

Nusa Lembongan is a small island that lies of the south east coast of Bali – between Bali and Lombok. It is famous for its surf breaks – shipwrecks, razors, lacerations and playgrounds. The water is clear blue and really warm, the beaches are sandy white and very pretty.

Until recently the only tourists to visit the island were surfers but it has also become a diving island and is now visited by tourists who just want to see the views and relax on the beach. Looking back to the coast of mainland Bali you can see why – the vista is dominated by a ridge of dark mountains and behind them grows Bali's central mountain and volcano.

Tranquility at Sanur Beach

The clouds sweep the top of the mountains and the volcanic peak – lifts out of the top of them. In the fore ground when you look down from the cliff path that follows the coast round the the next beach and small bay you can see the lines of the sea weed fields that are maintained by the women sea weed farmers of the island.

It's production is mainly as an additive for products and for export to Japan. We only stayed on Lembongan for two nights and Gavin did not surf as he felt his injuries just were not better enough to risk getting them wet and risk infection. The breaks on Lembongan are all coral – so I think he did not relish the idea of possibly getting battered again and adding to injuries that still had not healed properly.

We plan to visit the island again once he is properly healed up. So we got the boat back to the mainland and drove straight back to the comfort and familiarity of Balian and Mr Obles place, Balian Segara.

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