Lombok
On the beautiful island of Lombok now and like it much better than Bali. I am staying in a quaint fishing village on the southern coast of the island. Met up with Devin right away and we have been exploring the area on bike and getting some great waves. The waves seem a little more forgiving than in Bali and have had much better conditions. Some of the breaks require a boat to access and we have gotten good at bargaining for a good deal. There are fellow travellers from all over and since it is such a small place you see the same people all over and it has been quite easy to make friendships. Have been eating a lot of fish, fruit, and many delicious dishes.
Feels like a step back in time here, the locals all ask your name, where you are from, and seem genuinely pleased to meet you. There is a big fishing business here and I think mostly tourism is the main source of income. There was a big real estate deal that threatens to change the whole area, apparently a group of Dubai investors have bought practically the entire coastline, but they have been stymied by their crashing economy. It would be a shame to have big hotels here and there is a lot of resistance. A new international airport is to be completed next year about 30 mins from here, so changes are in the air. For now, it is a true tropical paradise and I hope it remains this way.
Themocracy