27 April Day-trip to Lombok

We took a pony cart to the port area and then a local ferry across the strait to Bangsal on Lombok Island, about a 20-minute ride. Lombok is about the same size as Bali, but not as developed for tourism, and is not so "cute". It is about 70 percent Muslim while Bali is perhaps 80 percent Hindu. Lombok has a higher volcano than Bali, Mt. Rinjani at over 13,000 feet, which last erupted several years ago. Lumbok is also the first island on a different tectonic plate, the Australian versus the Asiatic plate that Bali lies on, and shows this by the different fish and birds here versus Bali, which has similar species to India.

Lombok Trip Route in Red

Our island guide Duani escorted us to his friend's car, and we began our tour driving down the beautiful coast, with only a few covered by resorts thus far, to the old Hindu temple built in the 1700's. It is used by the Hindu King and his family, and on special holidays attended by over a thousand Hindus. Our guide said that Lumbok Hindus only worship three gods, Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer), while in India they worship hundreds of gods, many of them related to these principal gods. He also told us that the King now has only ceremonial power, and owns lots of rice fields. He also said there were not any violence between the Muslim majority and Hindu, Christian or Chinese Taoist communities.

Leslie enjoying a go at weaving

We then went on to see a potter's workshop, and a weaving village, which Leslie found more interesting. She received ten minutes of instruction on the local weaving type and then purchased an elegant piece for $150. She wanted to see another weaving type, Ikat, but finally understood that only men did this in Lombok and we were told that they were out in the rice fields harvesting so none were available to observe. Not likely!

We also went to Sade to see a typical Lumbok farming village with the Sasak traditional mud-floored houses made from bamboo, which seemed an unimpressive tourist location. After lunch we went to a local market to find attractive sarongs worn by the local Muslim ladies in distinctive pastel colors, which we found were imported from a factory in Java, and Leslie bought several nice ones.

The drive back was as sunset approached, and we got some nice photos of the sun setting behind Mount Agung across the strait on Bali, and arrived via our little fishing boat just as it grew dark, happy to be back on our own little island of Gilli Air.