An Island to Ourselves and The Great Waterboom

Our second night on Gili Air the power was out on the entire island. Kaysha and I wandered the empty dark beach. Some cafes had generators, empty, little beacons in the dark, where all the employees were bellied up to the bar chatting with the bartender. Most places where just dark quiet, save an occasional group of locals and a guitar. 

That night we slept with our doors open—no power, no air-con.

Breakfast is simple and yummy. You get to pick one drink and one food. On the menu there are omelets, pancakes, and jaffles. I asked our guy (two sweet young local guy run Matahari 1), wait, what is a jaffle? Oh yeah he said, waffle! Turns out it was a egg tomato sandwich put in a sammie press—a toastie if you will! 

This whole island is based on tourism, but warungs (Bali restaurants) set for 50 people would maybe have one western couple, whispering in the corner at a candle lit dinner. Kaysha and I couldn’t figure out if we’d just come during slow season? 

We went to a aqua yoga class on the island. Kaysha had said she has always wanted to try water aerobics but knows it will be all old people. So when we saw aqua yoga, definitely had to give it a shot! Turns out to be probably as silly as you’d expect. The pool was too deep for Kaysha and she kept kinda floating away! 

One day, we rented snorkels and trekked awkwardly over dead coral, through the shallow water. The Gili islands have rich ocean life right off the shore. We saw flocks (schools? bunches?) of exotic colorful fish and coral, even saw a huge sea turtle! It was so intimate. Just the two of us, slowing swimming behind this massive turtle, and the soft crackling of old coral pieces rolling across the ocean floor. We sat on the beach with the impossibly salty mouths that one receives from a long stay in the ocean, reading and drinking a fresh papaya shake. 

Blissful. 

Kaysha and I braved the rough seas to take a ferry over to Gili T for the day. We caught up with Bellamoon and sat on the beach watching snorkelers make the same awkward walk through the shallow ocean, wearing flippers, stepping on something sharp, toppling over, taking their lovers down with them. On the ferry back to Gili Air, we were on a more rustic slow boat. It was a long wooden boat with plastic covering the few windows that weren’t open. It pitched and leaned at worrying angles. The waves crashed up over the bow, heavily spraying everyone onboard! We would raise up with a wave and then slap down onto the water. It wasn’t a ride for the faint of heart! The ferry made a quick stop at Gili Meno and they switched captains. As we left Meno’s dock the boat turned at strange slants and then spluttered and stalled. The crew was laughing and had their phones out filming. The original captain was giving instructions to the new captain…Oh no, we realized there was a driving lesson going on. When we finally made it safely to the docks of Gili Air everyone gave a received round of applause for the newb driver! 

Our last stop in Indonesia was on the southern coast of Bali in Canggu. There was amazing seafood BBQs close enough to the ocean that the waves misted your face. 

While we were having dinner, a man came up trying to sell us a glass bottle of red liquid. I thought it was booze but he opened it up and it stunk of roots and old man cologne, ew! He was talking so fast, we couldn’t understand anything he was saying. Then he put some on his hands and rubbed it on my knee. I jumped cause it tickled, and he jumped cause he thought that I thought he was feeling me up! We stared at each other with wide eyes for a second and then he started rubbing the stinky liquid on my neck while giving Kaysha his sales spiel! Finally we convinced him none of our friends would want this as a souvenir and he moved on to the next table—he did give a pretty good shoulder massage to be fair… 

Kaysha and I spent out last day together at Waterboom: The #1 waterpark in Asia! 

After the first slide Kaysha turned to me and said “Oh man! What if we become adrenaline junkies?” 

I said “Kaysha, we went down ONE water slide!” 

“Well, I just like to consider all my options…” 

So much love for that little Virgo!

We rode every single ride. I was so proud of Kaysha, she rode even the most extreme slides where you have to free fall and go upside down! We felt like kiddos, padding up around with wet bare feet, running up the stairs to ride our favorite ride again. 

The next day we grabbed breakfast, packed our bags and grabbed a taxi to the airport. Kaysha was off to a 24 hour adventure in Taipei before returning to North Carolina. As for me, my Indian visa had finally come through. 

I feel so blessed that I am so close with my family and get to travel to exciting places with the people I love. A few hours after Kaysha and I went our separate ways she texted me, “I’m already planning where we can meet up next!” 

(Such a Virgo).