Weeks 14 and 15: Bali and Lombok

I would advise that if you are (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired (d) fed up with the miserable British weather you stop reading NOW. Having just returned from a two week holiday to Bali and the Gili islands, I can only apologise if this entry reads like an extended brag.

The Gili islands, somewhat confusingly named since 'Gili' actually means 'island' (try explaining to someone from the biggest archipelago in the world that you are going to visit 'the islands'), are three small islands off the coast of Lomok. We stayed on Gili Trawangan, the biggest and most densly populated of the three, which has an overall circumference of only 4 miles. Trawangan has an incredibly relaxed atmosphere, no doubt helped along by the abundance of cheap alcohol and Bob Marley playing on loop. There are no cars on the island, only bicyles and horse-drawn carriages, adding to the relaxed, unhurried pace of life. Our villa was right on the beach and included a private bar and swimming pool, so we were free to be as lazy as we pleased!

I was staying with some friends of Jenna's - all Americans living in Asia for the year. I was initially a little apprehensive about being the newcomer tagging along with such a tight-knit group of friends, but I needent have worried. Seemingly Americans share none of the social ineptitude of the British - they all made a big effort to get to know me and make me feel included. The others were all in Asia on a full scholarship, so we ended up living a little more 'extravogantly' than I am used to. Extravogance' is, of course, a relative concept and when you think about how far your money would go at home it seems foolish not to live a little luxuriously (our villa was probably equivalent in cost to a night in a Travel Lodge back home). I have always thought - and continue to believe - that some of the best food in Asia can be be bought for pittance on the streets. However, the food we had on Trawangan was incredible - grilled fish straight out of the water, fresh salads, creamy Gelato ice-cream - and I couldn't begrudge the extra cost. All in all it was nice to leave behind the 'backpacker' mentality for a week or two, but it did make it hard to come home. It was somewhat demoralising to return to my room in Jakarta, with its uncomfortable bed, nosiy neighbours and unsanitary bathroom facilities.

After leaving Trawangan we spent the next few days in Ubud, Bali, and I fell in love with the town almost immediately. Ubud is a sleepy little town, with beautiful architecture and more art galleries than you could ever hope to visit in a single trip. It is also very small, which means that you only need to walk for a few minutes to find yourself standing in a field of rice paddies. One evening we had dinner and cocktails in a hotel overlooking a valley of rice fields. It was one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself in order to believe you're really there. Another night we went to a traditional Balinese 'fire and trace' dance, which didn't dissapoint. I particularly enjoyed the bit at the end where the lead dancer set alight a pile of coconut shells and kicked them into the audience, leaving some observers looking rather startled (I think I've mentioned before the absence of health and safety regulations in this country). Basically, I've had a lovely time, but I find that leaves me with strangely little to say. No doubt I'll find more to whine and moan about after I've been back in Jakarta a little longer.