I have spent the past 2 days trying to compose something about our current location, Gili Trawangan one of the 3 Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. But most of the time I've just been staring slack jawed at what's going on around me.
As I shared in my last post, M. and I were here in 2001 at the tail end of a 5 month trip through Southeast Asia, where we travelled to so many mindblowing places. I counted today, and M. and I have been to 19 countries together over the last 15(!) years. And of all the places we've seen, Gili T. was our absolute favorite. In the world.
I knew it was going to be different...but I just cannot get over what has happened here in 11 years. I have never personally witnessed the growth of a village to a city, but that's what's occurred here. And it's just shocking.
Chanelling the spirit of Sofia Pitrillo, here goes my best effort the describe Gili T. then, and now.
Picture it. Gili T. The island was "settled" by fishermen from the island of Sarawak in the 1950s, but in 2001, it had barely made it into the backpacking guide books (although some intrepid travelers had begun to arrive in the late 1980's). It was a word-of-mouth kind of destination, and when you made the difficult journey from Bali to Lombok, and then through the choppy sea from Lombok, you understood why. Nobody wanted the secret to get out; the place was pristine. The tri colored waters--from dark blue to turquoise, and then ringed by the most gorgeous aqua--lapped at white sand beaches. You could snorkel maybe 10 meters off the beach and see coral, giant sea turtles, and gorgeous tropical fish. When I say Gili T. is the second largest of the three Gilis, I need to put that in context. Second largest means probably 7 km in circumference. Just a guess. We biked it yesterday, and it took us about 45 mins, but that's only because we often had to walk the bikes through the deep beach sand that covers the coastal path.
Arriving in Gili T, your rickety wooden fishing boat (with small motor belching out petrol), simply anchored at the shore, you rolled up your pants, jumped out, and somebody threw you your backpack.
Accomodation consisted of maybe 10-15 family run losmen (guesthouses), which were mostly simple thatched huts behind the road. There were a few very basic concrete block motel style places with private bathrooms. When M. and I arrived, we spent our first night sleeping in a local guy's bedroom (not with him ;), because there were no rooms available, and he was kind enough to give us a place to stay. This was apparently a common situation when you arrived later in the day (on 1 of 2 boats that came per day) as we had. People would typically sleep on the beach or outside in hammocks in that situation. But I was never that hardcore.
Days were spent swimming, snorkelling, and lounging in beachside restaurants, with their cushion filled raised thatched platforms. Of course, with a good book and drink in hand.
Even back then, Trawangan was considered the "party island" of the 3 Gilis. That meant a once weekly dance party at one bar. The rest of the time, it was chill, baby, chill.
There were no ATMs, no stores, no market, no money changers, no spas. There were maybe 3 dive shops. there were some cidomo (the tiny pony drawn carriages that replace cars here), but I don't recall seeing anyone on a bike. You just kind of wandered and got wherever you got.
For those friends who have backpacked Southeast Asia (there are several of you!), it was like the southern Thai islands that many of you visited in the early 2000's..Ko Tao would be the closest.
Fast forward, to 2012. We arrive on a speed boat directly from Bali, and roll up our pants, pass our kids to waiting arms on the ground, and jump out. someone tosses us our luggage. This time, it's not two bavkpacks, but one duffel bag and a Pack 'n Play (we left the rest of our luggage in Bali). There is now a pier, so not sure why we didnt use it, but i did enjoy that arrival.
The costal road is now jam packed, both beach side and across, with dive shops (30 or more, I'm guessing?), numerous tiny shops selling sunscreen and sarongs, and restaurant after restaurant. The potholed road (still dirt) is choked with cidomo traffic, abd hundreds of people riding bikes. There are even people jogging!
The thatched bungalows have been replaced by luxury villas and boutique hotels, many of which have ocean facing infinity pools and swim up bars. Many of the beach front restaurants have maintained the same desert island/simple wooden tables on the beach aesthetic. There are just SO MANY of them, and they're so clise to each other. And there are some nice places, including Italian, Sushi, and a French cafe. There is a gelato stand. There are at least 5 ATMs. There are spas offering full body massages and pedicures. And there is pumping nightlife. And everywhere, everywhere, new places are being built. On the north shore, which was deserted, there are 2 or 3 five star hotels. Thankfully, most of the development is low rise, and the hotels decorate in traditional Lombok style.
As part of Lombok, the Gilis are Muslim, but you wouldn't know it, save from the beautiful call to prayer heard from the brand new mosque 5 times a day.
There is now a night market in what is now essentially a town square. It's filled with stalls which I'm sure are filled with delicious food. But eating street food is where I draw the line when it comes to travelling with the kids.
having said all of this, the place is still obscenely gorgeous, nothing can change that. We are staying in a boutique hotel with an incredible pool. Our room has a bathroom that's igger than Big J's bedroom, and its got a bidet. Of couse, that was one if the first things Big J had to explore. ;)
We still eat our meals on the beach, and last night, we were able to get Little J's clip on high chair onto a low table in a thatched roof spot. The food is even better than I remember, with tons if places offering super fresh barbecued fish, along with fixins such as corn on the cob, baked potatoes and salad. Yum.
It's not the same experience, but it's still incredible, and I feel lucky that we're here. The reality is that if it was the same as it had been, we probably wouldn't be here with two little kids. It's still a far flung, truly exotic place. The water and views across the water to Lombok's massive vilcano, Rinjani, are still beautiful. And on our bike ride yesterday, we saw that at least half of the island is still wild and undeveloped. So maybe later today we'll go hang out on a quiet piece of shore, which is still so easy to do.
We plan on staying 2 more nights--tonight, and tomorrow...which is a BIG day for us. It's M's 40th birthday!!! I didn't plan for it as well as I could have, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I hope that being here will make it extra special for him.
After that, we'll head over to either Gili Air, or Gili Meno, where I think we'll find an experience closer to that of 11 years ago. We'll stay in a simpler place, and enjoy real peace for a few days. And then back to Bali for a final 2 nights (not sure where yet) before flying back home. Not ready to think about that yet!!
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