Buying Black Pearls, and Touring Lombok
February 23rd, 2007
On Lombok, enterprising young Mohammed paddled out to Ocelot in an outrigger canoe and we negotiated buying diesel, a trip to the local market, buying black pearls, and touring Lombok, “the Bali of 30 years ago.” The economic contrast between the islands of East Nusa Tenggara (Timor, Flores, Sumbawa) and Lombok was evident in the well-paved roads, and the homes and offices built of sturdy concrete with elaborately carved window frames and doors. High in the forested hills we stopped to feed peanuts to a troop of macaque monkeys perched on posts by the road. We enjoyed a glorious lunch high in the hills under towering volcanoes, amidst blossoming bougainvillea, frangipani, and the lush green landscape of terraced rice, peanut, chili and tobacco fields. At sunset we walked around the formal gardens and pools built by the last Balinese king to rule Lombok.
Amazingly complex patterns are woven
using crude but complex back-strap looms
Lombok is known for its fine pottery and textiles. Whereas crafts are done at the family level in Timor and Flores, Lombok has full villages devoted to one craft or another. A young Muslim woman took us through her village of stilted bamboo homes set around a communal well and small stables - horses and buffalo kept for transport and plowing. In each home a woman sat at a back-strap loom weaving intricate “songket” cloth of cotton and silk threads died yellow, red, blue, green, silver and gold. At a pottery village we watched artisans apply crushed eggshells or sand to the dark brown plates and bowls, creating patterns in bas-relief.
Gili Air is a small, sandy bit of paradise off NW Lombok and has no motorized vehicles, only “ben hurs” — highly decorated pony-drawn carts that ply the sandy tracks carrying tourists or villagers and their goods around the island. The beaches are white and the water clear and warm. Lining the beach are dozens of bamboo and wooden covered platforms, tables and chairs, decked out in colorful cushions. Chalk boards announce the day’s specialties: seafood or chicken curries, gado-gado, fruit smoothies, cold beers and even $2 Piña Coladas. Jon enjoyed a delicious $5/hr massage on a covered platform above the beach, with the warm, gentle afternoon breeze wafting over him.
Sue & Amanda enjoyed cooking lessons
For 4 days we ate out 2 meals a day, never spending more than $10 for the three of us, even for the huge jumbo prawns, butterflied, grilled, and served with garlic butter. Amanda and Sue joined other cruising women for a $5 each cooking class in a small concrete kitchen with 1 fridge, 2 gas burners and 2 woks. They learned to grind, stir, boil and cook up 4 different curries and coconut/peanut dishes, then sat down to feast with their families. On another day the local dive shop asked for volunteers to help with International Coastal Clean-up Day, and the three of us spent a day underwater collecting fishing line, nets, plastic bags, and bottles. While we yachties try hard to be green travelers, it was satisfying to make the extra effort to actually improve the beaches and waters.
Entry Filed under: World Tourism News
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