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

Balangan Beach

18.12.20011



I little video I filmed for you guys (in finnish, soz) in the morning, check it out: !
PS. I accidentally uploaded this to last night's post... Got the videos mixed up.. So if you wanna see last night's REAL video, click here.



So basically, realized, that Jasmine hadn’t gotten on her flight since she was not sleeping on the bed next to me. I decided I needed to go find an Internet café because I knew Jassu would’ve facebooked me ;) So I went to have brekkie (nice to have a GOOD breakfast included for once, instead of the rice crispy cereal brekkies they have at hostel in oz :D) and started talking with this  Aussie man. It was nice to have brekfast with someone and talk about stuff instead of eating alone :) Ps. Tim didn't really look this miserable unlike in this photo :D



So I checked my facebook (yes, jasmine hadn’t got on the plane from korea to bali, and would be here not until Monday 3pm) and read an email from Bahri (!!) the Jakartan man from last night’s dinner, telling me that he had found the kobra blood –shot –restaurant, and that he could take me there. SO STOKED. After the Internet café I decided to check out the sea conditions. I wandered to the beach but FUUUUUUUUUU. THERE WERE NO WAVES. I was in the state of ”hmm what the FUCK will I do today”. So. I guess no surfing for Sandra then!



After talking to these Balinease surfing guys, I left the beach and just decided to just keep wandering around and hoping to bump into backpackers that would be cool enough to hang out with me. I had tried to take a video on the beach but MY CAMERA WOULDN’T TURN ON and for a while I thought I had already managed to fuck up my camera .....before I realized I had just inserted the battery the wrong way... oopsiee ;D



After wondering around aimlessly and walking quite far away, I saw this guy that looked like a traveler. ”Hey, excuse me, do you know where’s the place to be, when it’s raining and there’s no waves? Where is everyone?”.



Carlos was this nice Chilean guy and after he said that he had no idea were everyone was and that he was looking for everyone too (since he was traveling alone as well) he asked me whether I’d want to walk around with him. I was happy anough to do that and to finally have had found another lonely soul backpacker ! hahahaa



We just wondered around in the sun (the rain clouds had finally pissed off! <3) talking about all the usual traveling stuff and we decided to go to a beer garden. As we were trying to find one, Carlos asked me whether I wanted to check Balangan Beach out and _GO SURF_. He had been there the day before, as he had been killing 4 days already while waiting for his friend to arrive. Needless to say,we ditched the idea of cold beer and went to rent a scooter from the guy Carlos had rented it the day before.



We paid 3,5€ each for a days rent on the bike and headed off to my hostel. I had to get e.g. sun screen but things didn’t go as smoothly as planned, since we got lost trying to find our way back to the main street :D I think we were driving around for at least an hour before reaching my Mastapa Hotel.. There was also the fact that Carlos was trying to not bump into the cops since his Driver’s License was back at his hotel room!



After getting my stuff and his surf board we were on our way ! It was soooo nice to be sitting at the back of the scooter and what made me even more jolly was when it started to rain a bit as we were accelerating up the hill : D I was just laughing and loving every moment of it!



It’s amazing how the course of my day turned 180 degrees after meeting Carlos! I had thought that it would be a shit day doing nothing an wasting time in Kuta, because there were no waves and I was alone AND my hotel isn't the one where to meet people. If the surf's dead, there’s nothing to do in Kuta (you should see this place... There’s nothing more than k-marts, restaurants and heaps of clothing stores...) . I was  so sure I would end up just killing time :/ BUT THANK GOD I MET CARLOS!

Soz, forgot to photoshop my tan in...

Because I don’t have a driver’s license and I’m too much of a pussy, I don’t feel comfortable enough renting a (motor)bike. What if the police stops me? (ok I can always pay them) But what if something happens? I have no driving experience what-so-ever, my reflexes are shit and the traffic and amount of bikes here are crazy ! So renting a bike and driving by myself is not an option i’d be willing to take :D



But how good of a day did we have !



Balangan was BEAUTIFUL ! Although we were pretty sad with the fact of Balinese destroying the nature with the villas, hotels and resorts they are bulding :/ They also don’t seem to be that concerned about trashing the nature.. But the surf ws so gooooood. I rented a board for 100 000 rupihas for two hours (they had monopoly over board renting so I couldn’t really haggle the price down) and ran into the water. IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD TO BE BACK IN THE SEA. Five months of not surfing had made me ITCH to get back in the water :]



I was surfing with a 7”6 long board and managed to do pretty well so I’m happy with that! One day... one day i’ll surf a short board! Also I realized that the programme i had asked my gym personel to make me to srenghten my arm muscles (to help me out with surfing) has had an effect ! I could paddle way more and not get tired... oh gosh I am sooo happy :) !



I had a really nice time with Carlos: We bought lunch and ate it in a shack overlooking the sea. Carlos would’ve wanted fried rice instead of noodles but because the restaurant was out of rice, he had to settle for noodles. Hahahahahah I can only imagine how sick he is of noodles after staying one year in Australia (working holiday visa)... .BEEN THERE DONE THAT! ;) We got some bintangs too and enjoyed life. Sooo good. We also had this dicussion about surfing and sharks, surprise there :D



After lunch we made our way up the hill and sat on this cliff to watch the beach break and the sun. This made me hope even more that I would’ve brought my Nikon with me. Next time i’ll bring it no matter what! It was so picturesque that I almost felt pissed off for not taking my good camera... You can’t do shit with a digital camera and a beautiful view..



As we were talkign and listening to the calming sound of the ocean (and I noticed i had burnt my face, my legs and my arms... shiiit) Carlos suggested, that maybe we should travel together. He was about to go get his ex from the airport (joo sanonko mitä... mun tuuria?? :D:D) and she was about to stay here with him for 10 days (Carlos on the other hand is staying in Indonesia for 30 days) so probs after that. Since we share the same interest (surf surf surf) it would be cool to wander around with him. I might’ve laughed A BIT when he told me his ex doens’t surf.. .haahahahahahaaaa good luck making her stay on the beach for 10 days as you surf!!! At least i’d be bored of not doing anything else but lying on the sand by that time... Just like in Airlie Beach hey... ;)



Carlos told me that at least New Years we should spend together and that would be cool :) I know i’ll be with Jasmine then so the more the merrier :)



As we were driving back to Kuta (unfortunately) I was pure smiles. The sun was beginning to set (SOO BEAUTIFUL, WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T I TAKE MY CAMERA) and the light was all pink and violet... It was magical...



He dropped me off at my hotel and said he had to go to get his ex from the airport but that he’d call me to my hotel (since we were planning to go out). Later on that night I was sooo knackered that I just decided i’d go to bed as it was already 2 hours after Carlos’s ex had arrived at the airport and I hadn’t heard from him.





Just as I was brushing my teeth I heard this weird sound. I was so knackered that it took me a while to realize it was the phone! I answered it with toothpaste foam in my mouth. As Carlos was calling from his Aussie phone from Indonesia to a hotel phone, the reception was really bad and I couldn’t really hear what he was saying :/ So, phone call for nothing. I just passed out on my bed and figured i’d see them tomorrow.

Hookers and Chiropractics in Amsterdam

Arriving to Amsterdam 9.7



Caught my train from Berlin to Amsterdam which was a 6 hour ride. Met this cool New Yorker, Jake, and sat the half of the trip with him. He caught my eye cause of his skatebaord (:D) and we got into talking when I asked where the restaurant wagon was. Had a couple of beers with him and listened to pete & bjorn john’s classic album. Jake was pretty cool ! He had studied art and was a furniture carpenter. He had been in Berlin for a couple of days but really he had come to Amsterdam for this interview for an Art school, which PAID for you to study at their school.They also apparently pay for your ACCOMMODATION???????. He told me he had been pretty confussed with my origin, since my accent is a mixture of everything. Apparently I have a strong American accent but you can also tell that I’ve been traveling in Australia for a long time by the way I say my A’s :D (I think hanging out with Tom for the two days straight might’ve also had an impact.) Mission complete ! I’ve always wanted an aussie accent :D haha.



As we approached Amsterdam I got this flutering feeling in my stomach – I was so happy to see Melanie. When I finally saw her on the platform I ran up to her and we hugged for a long while. I cried a bit because I was so happy. I wear my heart on my sleeve hey.



We went to Marty’s, Melanie’s Australian boyfriend, whom with Melanie is currently living with. He had a nice pad in De Pijp – the hip part of town, which has no tourist what so ever. The house was almost like an hostel – Marty lived with another couple from Adelaide and they had some Aussie mates over. So yeah, it was me, Mel, Marty + this Canadian Jonas and eight other Australians. We got some beers from the local 24/7 and I saw my FIRST EVER LIVE PROSTITUTE (i’ma s excited about this as I was when I saw real live Jews... Not being discriminating or anyting but I had just never seen them in real life.. hope no one gets offended...). She was this slim, dark skinned woman and she wasn’t even that bad looking. She was wearing heals and a white top as a dress. It barely covered her ass and we were pretty sure that if you would look at the shiny floor, you could’ve seen her cuca ! That’s how short her top was. Anyway, she was with this fat nerdy looking guy with glasses and it was just so obvious what was going on. They were buying beers (I would need a fucking bottle of ABSINTHE if I were in her shoes) and I was just a bit shocked but also a bit fascinated about the situation. I’ve  read a couple autobiographies on call girls and women that sell them selves to fulfill their heroine addiction so it was just a bit intriguing to see it happen in real life. Anyway, enough of hookers.



We went back to Marty’s flat and don’t think I even finished my first beer cause I was just so sick of drinking. I was talking with Jonas and he too is a chiropractic just like Marty and when I told him I had never been to one, he asked if I wanted him working on me. Of course I said yes, I mean fucking hell, my body was violated by all that Deadmau5 raving, partying in Berlin and carrying 20 kilos of shit in my backpacks. And my god, did he fix my body. I was just laughing the whole time cause I had had a couple of beers and I just found the whole operation so funny. He probably worked an hour on me (normally take like 15 minutes..) cause every freaking muscle in my body was just so fucked. When he finally asked me whether I still had some muscles that were hurting, I thought for a second. I was sure I ad been complaining about some pain somewhere.... OH YES, my cheeks hurt cause I’ve been smiling too much :D :D: D:D:D:D  So he fixed that too 8D oh  god. But so worth it, lying on that chiropractic chair for an hour would’ve really cost me 200 fucking euros, so yeah, it’s good knowing people and getting that sort of expensive treatment for free.



And yes, I felt like a total newborn child the day after.