Gili Trawangan & My Birthday

Gili Trawangan 28.12 & 29.12



My feelings about Gili Trawangan and about everything in general had changed 180 degrees over night; when yesterday I felt like I wanted to just go home and I was sulking around and nothing excited me (I was starting to suspect a weird case of home sickness I’ve never had / bad case of hangover sadness) today I was loving life, enjoying myself and smiling at the world :)



I had read about the islands (Gili Trawangan, -Air and –Meno) from this Finnish blog that seizes to exist anymore and I had high expectations to be fulfilled. The pictures this person had taken were breathtaking and I was waiting to be astonished myself. But yesterday, since my overall mood was shit, I didn’t see the reason why this island was so special. But, like I said, the next morning everything was different:



I’m loving the islands’s atmosphere; when yesterday I was just plain bored, today chilaxing and not doing anything seemed ike a perfect combo. Plus, now we have the island full of friends, thanks to yesterday, and it no longer feels like I was (or we were) alone.  Also the rhythm of the island was cool – the sunset was the only thing to set the pace. I was truly enjoying the island’s way of simple life :)



Although I had felt pretty miserable yesterday, we managed to turn the evening around and have a good night. After arriving on the island in the morning and bumping into a Finnish couple (Lotta&Ilkka) we learnt that there was a bonfire every night on the beach overlooking the sunset. So naturally we went there.



Long and Agus, two Gilians with ridiculous afros walked/biked us there and after arriving at the beach we met this Norwegian guy (with the bluest eyes in the world) and  this German guy. They failed to amuse us and because we just didn’t click, we kinda bailed on them accidentally.



We decided to buy a beer and I’m glad we did, because at the bar this girl complimented my dress I had purchased at a flee market. We started taking with Kelly (USA) and Chris (England), this couple that were doing long distance. They both were teaching English with the difference of Chris teaching in Korea and Kelly teaching in Japan. We relly hit it off when they asked us how old we were ”well, actually... 21 today.” ”IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY? OMG! WE HAVE TO BUY YOU A DRINK”. And that’s how we met our first mates :) We also started talking with this other bunch of people from England, Jenn, Ian and Rich.

 The Market

We all decided to meet up at the Irish pub (after hotel runs and dinners), since on Wednesdays they have a massive party. We figured we’d go buy a beer from the store with Jasmine since it was super expensive at the bar. Typical island pricing. We were looking at the beers at a shop near the market when we noticed they also had vodka! We decided to buy a small bottle (only 19,5% whattt) and just then this Indonesian lady who was eating there asked us to sit down an we kindly did. We got some cups and started mixing the juice and the vodka. I felt kind of awkward drinking vodka infront of the Indonesian lady so I explained it was my birthday. ”IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY?” And then the lady, Sri, got up and ran to the other side of the store/kitchen. She came back with another small bottle and insisted upon it being my birthday present. I was so taken ! She was adorable :) She said she couldn’t drink (religious reasons, I assume) but she had a cup of juice with us before we headed back to the Irish pub :)



When we got back the English were playing cards and we met Aishah, this beautiful Jamaican/Spannish girl who had lived in London but now lived in Australia. She was g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s and when I had seen her pass me during the day time, I had thought she looked like a malibu/hawaji Barbie with her dark skin, sarong wrapped as a long skirt and her flower in her hair :) The game quickly swopped into flip cup and soon we had gathered a whole audience among some randoms playing it with us. Nothing however beats the flip cup at Fraser Island!

Getting some Warung

I was getting drunk because everyone was sharing their drinks in flip cup and I was getting some free drinks from people and the bars for my birthday :D We went and took over the dance floor. It was so good dancing on the sand with your barefeet :) Many hours later I was getting knackered regardless of the vodka redbulls and extra josh (this vitamin extract that you put over your drink and it wakes you up with its ”energy drinkliness”) I had had so I headed home to sleep at 4 am. Jasmine stayed behind with some Aussies (which there are not enough at all on this island, Raksu!!! All the hotties must of stayed behind at Kuta!) but she came back home at 5. It was lovely when at six a fucking baby started crying somewhere on the otherside of the wall <3<3<3<3<3<33<3 loving it. That’s just what I love to do when I am drunk/hangover at 6 am – listen to babies cry...  But. All in all, Really good birthday and incredibly nice people :) I was so happy we had finally gathered a really good group of people!



Today we've just been chilaxing at the surf spot beach (no-ho waves at all), eaten good food, and bumped into Aishah. She told us to meet her and everybody else including her fiancee Nick (Aus) at the shisha place. Later on we went to eat together with Chris and Kelly at the market. Ate some preeeetty delicious fish!



But seriously, like I said in the beginning, I fell in love with Gili Trawangan.
I love the slow pace of the island and its simple life. I love the fac that there are no cars and no motor bikes on this island (although it means that I have to be constantly dodging horse carriages and holding my breath). The Gilians are another reason why this island is so wonderful; they are sooo nice! Also the food is the best I have had. I LOVE their food culture here. Skip all the restaurants and eat where the locals eat – cheap and delicious. We fell in love wtih ”Warung” – A KIND OF buffet, but not really.



You pick from the counter what you want on your plate and then pay sme 15 000-25 000 rps for a massive feast of a meal. We always got the ”take away” version, because it was such an awesome WAY of eating: It was this rough brown paper wrapped as a cone and then stapled so the food wouldn’t fall out when you carry it to the spot in which you want to eat it at (we always went to the surf spot’s beach shack).



Also the market was amazing: every night at six the locals would build a market and you could buy warung or delicious fresh fish that they would grill for you. And it would be dirt cheap local price. We ate some amazing red snapper and some other fish on our trip. So good. Also the scenery and the view and the SUNSETS can’t be complained about. I also loved strolling barefoot (although I'm like the only person to do so..). But the most important feature would be the people: people are the ones to make the place. The five days that we were to spend on the island wouldn’t have been anything without the people we spent them with. : ) Gili T <3

Kuta - Heaven or Hell?

I had been thinking of going to bed straight at nine because I really had some catching up to do sleeping-wise, but I figured that whatta hell, i’m in Bali, it’s Saturday night. I’m gonna go and get some food, have a beer and meet some cool people (and maybe end up getting drunk and going to bed at 6 AM).





As I was walking amid the busy streets of Kuta, I realized that I was in true hot backpacker man heaven.. Kept repeating ”well helloooo” in my head every 6 seconds.. haha :D But srsly: Singlet, tan, toned surf body, slightly over grown hear and facial hair.. yes please!

Drops Bears!!!

I had asked my reception of a good place to eat ”what kind of food” ”...Indonesian” (why would anyone want anything else whilst here?). So the girl pointed my in the left-hand direction. I found the place she had recommended ”Kopi Pot” but it was empty and so I followed Tom’s advice: If it’s empty, don’t eat there (and look for the places where the locals eat).

Kuta-FASHION

I had been walking down the main road, Legian st. and saw some couple backpackers go own this kind of alley so I followed them and I hit the hussle street for sure.. Everyone was trying to sell you tops or get you to rent their scooters. I was walking towards the beach and made it to the promenade, although I couldn't see the beach since it was pitch black. I finally saw a place which was packed with people eating, but I felt a bit awkward to go inside to this fancy restaurant ALL BY MYSELF – loner ! SO instead, I decided to go to the place next door – which was the right choice, as it was a food court (Indonesian food!) and full of LOCAL people. So. Can’t go wrong with that.



I ordered noodles with prawn and took a large Bir Bintang (Balienease Beer). I started talking with this middle aged guy, Bahri, who was on vacation from Jakarta, Indonesia. We were talking about studying and such and I asked him whether he knew where I could try this Cobra’s blood –shot. AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THIS RESTAURANT SOMEWHERE (!!!) but for my misfortune he couldn’t remember the name of the place. I gave him my e-mail so that if he’d remember the place, he would e-mail me :) He also wrote down the phrase for me in Indoneasian so that I could ask the locals whether they knew of the place! Indonesian friendliness hey :)



That large Bintang was doing its tricks on me, anf after what must’ve been like a three cans, I started to feel knackered so I left back to my hotel. On the way I purchased these tops I had been looking at and HA, got them super cheap. The girl had wanted 90 000 rupiahs for one, but told me I could get 2 for cheaper. Well, I only had like 110 000 on me, so I got two tops for that price 8)



As I was walking back, I had just started to believe what they said about Kuta – that it’s a hell – but just then a Balinese girl have me this ”free drinks 10-11pm” –pass and I realized I could be at man made heaven ;) Went back to my hostel to ponder to drink or not to drink but thank god I was so tired that I decided to go straight to sleep (at 10). BEST DECISION EVER!

+ JASMINE WOULD ARRIVE AT 3 AM <3

Arriving at Kuta, Bali

Lentoemäntä ja vierustoverit sai olla herättelemäs mua, kun oltiin laskeutumassa, koska olin niin tokkurassa. Hei wtf, miks mä kirjotan suomeks? :D Anyhoo, so looked out of the window and just though ”fucking wet season”. Trying to stay positive though! ps. how cool was the volcano/mountain rising above the clouds?!



As we were landing, they made an announcement that ”human trafficing in Indonesia is highly restriced”.. Alrighty, good that I left my slaves back home then.. Also, when I went to buy a visa (US$25) I saw these ”Death Sentence for Srug Trafficking” and just though ”oh god, i hope no one has put naything in my bag”.. getting slightly paranoid hey?



Getting out of the airport felt mad – Balinese men hussling you to come into their taxi. Filmed a couple of videos for you, so watch em:







As we arrived to our hostel I agreed to give my taxe driver 10 000 rupiahs more, since he hadn’t been lying: there was traffic + he was nice. Well, actually I ended up paying 5 000 more still, since he didn’t have any change. oh well. Note, a euro is almost 12 000 rupiahs.

The afternoon went by getting money from the atm, buying shampoo & conditioner and necesities like that.

Would you believe that this was at the airport ?!

Oh and le fuck, I realized I forgot to transfer photos + videos from last night on my laptop so [as I am irting this the mornign after]... I’ll make a post about last evening later. BESIDES, I want to surf.

I’m out!

Fuck Sightseeing - Surf

28.7 Costa da Caparica



I had only two days left in Portugal but instead of seeing Lissabon, I decided to just surf....! I knew I could always come back and I probably would anyways next summer during the Tall Ship Races.



I was getting a bit stressed about Paris. I only had my ticket to Irún, next to France’s border, where from I’d walk to Hembaye train station – a five minute walk away. But I had no clue whether a train to Paris during that time of night (I’ be arriving around 12ish ?) would even stop at the station nor that whether I’d even get on the train... Damn stupid PARIS ! It’s impossible to get there since every freaking interrailer wants to go there. I only objective is to get Belgium so I can get on my flight and head back home. But damn France is in the middle of my way... I realized that although I WOULD get to Paris, I’d still have the problem of getting OUT of there. It might be the case, that all the trains from and to Paris would be reserved for the next 3 weeks (or that I’d have to upgrade my interrail ticket into a normal or 1st class one, that would cost me like 100e or so).



That’s why I decided to buy a plane ticket. I’m usually up for an adventure, but in this case I was running out of time. I didn’t wanna go fooling around with only one week left.. So I bought this plane ticket from Valvedrois (at least I think that’s what it is called) to Brussels for 115€. Argh, chocked of using the money I had been saving, from spending less, on a stupid plane ticket -__- Fucking France.



Anyhoo, after this hassle I ran to the ferry and took off to Costa da Caparica again. Spent the whole day at the beach with Rafa and Mali (the life guards) again. Went surfing, met this Portugese surfer. He made me try his (short) board. He gave me some tips and was cool :) Too bad, my arm muscles are weak as shit so I quickly switched back to Rafa’s long board 8)



Rafa invited me to have dinner with them and I told them I’d have to go back to my hostel at first but I’d think about it. I left back to my hostel at 7 and just decided to chill at the hostel. I was soo knackered from the sun and the surf. I had a nice time hanging out in the dining room / kitchen with these two polish girls (one of them was super crazy :D) and Lien though :)



The next day I was supposed to meet Mali and Rafa at the beach cause we had made tentative plans about going surfing to another spot. They told me they would wait for me at the life guarding spot, If I decided to come. The day before I had been considering whether to see Lisbon, but in the morning I had decided that nah, I can do what ever I prefer, and I wanted to surf SO... fuck sightseeing ! PLUS I was going to Madrid after Portugal, so I wasn’t seeing the sea anymore anyways.  ...until winter... and BALI! ;) ). I arrived at 1ish and just as I had suspected, they had left already ;/ I went to the near-by restaurant where Rafa+Mali’s mate, Rafael, worked. I asked whether he had seen them and he told me they had left an half and hour earlier to surf... DAMN.



Oh well, went to the store, bought some water, peaches and pastries to keep me company. The day was spent lying on the beach with my book – The Marching Powder. I also trusted the (other) lifeguards so much to leave my stuff with them when I went swiming in the sea. Although I was bummed that I didn’t get to hang out with Rafa and Mali and go surfing with them, it was a day well spent :)



However, there was an element of failure in the day. When I arrived at the hostel, I went to get some fresh clothes and my towel from my backpack that was in the –closed- dining room (I was leaving that night so that’s why my stuff was there). I think I still had my phone on me. I THINK it was in my shorts. But when I went to the public bathroom and left my clothes outside of my shower stall, I discovered, after taking the shower, that my phone was missing ! BUT the 5 euro note in my pocket was still there... How weird. I tried to look for my phone in my pockets and so and also in my backpack, but I just couldn’t find it. I’m not sure whether I dropped it when coming home or whether someone stole it from my clothes, but kinda seems unlikely since why wouldn’t they have took the 5 euros in the pocket, too? Also, I had this crappy ”cerial box phone” so, don’t see a point in stealing it : D



I wasn’t that bummed about the phone since it was a basic phone worth of 25e only, but still. Pissed me off that I’d have to get my third phone this year.... and it’s not like i’m made of money anyways!! I was in a hurry though to leave to the train station, that when the receptionist offered to call my phone, I was like ”nah, I gotta run and I don’t even remember my number anyways since it’s a Polish sim card”. Oh, what a dummie : D I could’ve found out my number from Facebook in 2 minutes. Oh well.

Costa da Caparica

27.7 Costa da Caparica, Portugal



Photo by Raphael Diaz

Today was by far one of the best days of my trip so far.
Thank you good karma !!!

But before getting into detail about how karma rewarded me with, i'll start from the begining.

I had decided the day before that I would go surfing to Costa de Caparica so after having breakfast with Lien, moving my luggage from the room to the other one (i want o stay in the cheapest room for 12.5€ so I have to change rooms two times.. :D)  and getting my stuff ready, I headed to the kiosk downstairs to charge the public transport card Lien had given me. Unfortunately the lady working there only knew Portugease, so I couldn't really communicate with her in Spannish nor understand anything of what she was saying to me. I decided to 'fuck it' and strolled to the terminal, where from the ferry would leave to the island. The guy working there told me in (English!) that the next one would leave in 50 minutes so I tried to figure out how to kill the remaining time.



I decided to go the near by café and have a coffee and finally taste that famous pastry "pastéis de nata". I've been getting by just fine by talking Spannish to people (after - of course - asking them "hablas español") but when I ordered a "café con leche" (café latte) I got this tiniest cup of dark coffee in it - an espresso. I don't like that stuff but I didn't really care so I just sat outside with my delicious pastry, coffee and my brilliant book in my hand. I was just feeling so incredibly happy. I don't know if it also had to do with the fact that I was in the middle of a good happy happy joy joy chapter in "The Marching Powder", but at that point I just felt so good.



I got on the ferry and watched the beautiful scenery and smelled the ocean. Oh, how I love that smell... :) I'm so happy that next summer I'll be smelling the ocean for three weeks if everything goes as planned...! When we arrived in Trafaría, I found out that the bus was due to leave in 20 minutes so I just wandered around for a bit. I felt almost ecstatic. It was such a beautiful day - the sun was shining, I was walking on a freaking peninsula in Portugal, the scenery and the buildings were ashtonishing and I was about to surf (finally!!!). I was just so unbelivably happy. And also, just so grateful to be traveling on my own. Once again I was going through a list in my head of things that I appreciated about traveling alone. I just loved it how I could fully absorb everything without any interference. If I were to travel with someone, it would mean that I would need to keep that person company - which would mean talking. Don't get me wrong, I love long conversations but sometimes it's just pleasant to be in silence and enjoy the environment.



After the bus journey I was dropped off at Costa de Caprica and I wandered to the beach. I was looking for this surf shop the receptionist in my hostel had recommended for me. He told me he had a friend working there ("just ask for philippe") and that I could rent a board and a wet suit from him. I had to get my map out to see what the street was called and suddenly this guy in board shorts, who was passing me, asked me in English whether I was looking for something. I gestured at the address and he told me he knew that place and asked whether I was looking to buy a surf board.

"No, I just wanna rent one and a wet suit too. I'm staying at this hostel and my receptionist told me that his friend works at this surf shop."
"Ok I know where it is, I know the owner too."
"Oh, really?" (thinking that I'd better get a good deal know)
"Yeah it's just there *points at the flags of the shop* But I mean I have a board and a wet suit, you culd just borrow them."
"Really? That would be sweet, for how much?"
"For free"
"No way, that would be so nice of you! What kind of board do you have? Long or short board?"
"Both."
"Well could I borrow the long board? I don't really have any paddle power for the short one."


So yeah. Good fucking karma. I saved so much money today and hang out the whole day with the coolest life guards. A wettie would've cost me 20e for haf a day (so fucking expensive!!) and a board god knows what. I was so grateful for Rafa, the Portuguese life guard that lent me his board :) I went surfing and was froffin'... It was so good to be in the ocean again and all those bad memories from Morocco, that I might've combined with surfing in my sub concious, where whiped away :) After surfing I was just hanging out in the life guard tower with Rafa and his work mate Mali, a Brazilian guy. Just sun bathing, enjoying life and reading my book. I was just so amazingly happy. Eating my fruit and smiling to myself :) "Life is better when you surf" - so true.

It was funny when Rafa left out for lunch and I stayed back with Mali. He doesn't speak really any English so I was having a conversation about Brazil (world cup, weather and how they have winter when we have summer) with him in my basic Spannish and his Spannish/Portuguese :D Amazingly we did actually succeed in having a convo and I was just even more proud of my Spannish skills :D



Mali and Rafa have to use radio phones while working so at one point I just grabbed the phone and started chatting into it in English/Spannish about taking Mali and Rafa as hostage and how I "Necesito dinero rápidamente" !!! Mali was cracking up also - when after talking into the radio phone - he sighted very loudly and I told him "Hard work, hey". Yeah, so hard, sitting on the beach the whole day and looking at girls !

I was a bit bummed that I had't taken my camera with me (I left everything valuable back home and didn't even take a wallet with me so that I could go into the ocean without a worry) but luckily Rafa had his camera with him. He has a Nikon D200 and a SICK lense.... It was a sigma 200-500mm and cost him 2000e..... eheheee. (He is a photographer while he is not rescuing lives on the beach). We made some great "baywatch photos" and he promised to e-mail them to me. I told him that tomorrow I would come to Costa de Caprica with my camera so I could take some photos myself and surf some more (since I can use hi board again, yay !). He invited me to stay and have dinner with him and his friends tomorrow so I might do that too.



When I left home after five hours on the beach (I applied sun screen many times!) it took me two fucking hours to get back to my hostel so all the shops were closed since it was half past nine already. Luckily had some stuff at the hostel so I made a salad (without feta boo) and joked aroun with Lien and Marta. Too bad the girls are leaving tomorrow but yeah, I don't think I would be hanging at the hostel that much anyways... TIME TO SURF!

Falls Festival Day 2 pt. 2

Tent Motel

I saw Jesus (Tom)

Ladyhawke

@ The Village playing minigolf

10 Minute Dance Parties