We get to the speedboat, there are a lot of tourists waiting to get on board and the luggage carriers are busy charging all the suitcases. We wonder how they manage. They are carrying three gigantic bags/suitcases on one shoulder and making numerous backs and forths. The boat is “docked” on the beach so to embark, we have water up to the thighs. We sit in front of the boat with our short pants soaked. We think we’ll be better off there with a clear view. Wrong choice. Up front, it’s really shaky and Côme and Julia are not feeling well at all. The fish skewers and dragon fruit Côme had eaten in the morning will not stay in his belly. Good thing we brought a plastic bag with us. After 40 painful minutes in the boat, we finally coast on Lembogan beach. We have to find a scooter to get to our hotel that is located on another island, Nusa Ceningan, 5km away from here. And it turns out it’s the scooter that finds us. A man who had seen us arrive on the beach brings us one and rent it to us just like that on the street for three days (with 3 helmets, including a cute panda helmet for Côme).
Doo takes our two backpacks with him and go by himself to the hotel while Julia and Côme are waiting his return in the city. One back and forth later, we all settle in a hotel lost in the hills. On our way, we pass by a “peculiar” cemetary, a narrow bridge rather shaky and many bars and restaurants by the sea. Our room/bungalo is very nice but once again, there’s only one bed and we have to pay extra if we want sheets for the sofa. It looks like we’re gonna sleep together once more. It’s not like we’re not used to it right? But maybe this time around we’ll tie Côme up at night so we’re not beaten up… Anyway, we have barely settled in that rain starts to pour. Our host tells us that the rainy season has just begun and that from now on, it will rain pretty much all the time… Today, we won’t explore the island. We’ll just go out at night on a pouring rain to go eat. Our hotel only serves breakfast and this time, there was no way Doo could come back with the food while driving the scooter under the pouring rain (Côme thought he could though).
Total number of toads met on the way: about 50.
Total number of toads smashed on the way: 0.
Total number of times Julia yelled “careful!” on the scooter: about 51…
Next day, it’s not raining, it’s even sunny. We’re lucky! So we go explore the islands. We stop at cliffs and algae “fields” that are cultivated as food but also for japanese cosmetic products. The inhabitants have been growing them extensively since Covid because they had to find a source of income since there were no more tourists. We end up on the biggest beach of the island but unfortunately, it’s really polluted. Some tourists are even picking up plastic to fill a huge garbage bag in about 10 minutes. An old man then comes to ask us if we want to go snorkeling. He offers to go with him on his boat for a the fraction of the price of the agencies. We first go grab a bite and go with him. Julia will ask Doo if he thinks the insurance is included in the price. Doo will smile, “nah… I don’t think so…” then he asks the man if it’s possible to go swim with the manta rays. The man tells him there are quite a few waves over there and that it could be difficult for Côme. So we decide to forget about the rays. And it’s a good thing we did because Côme is panicking in the sea after swallowing a bit of water through the snorkel. He then just holds onto Doo for dear life and Doo has to swim to the boat (which is already a good 15m away) with a panicked Côme on his back. Not easy. We will end up returning snorkeling for a bit after we managed to calm Côme down, but his stress will quickly come back. So we go to another spot, with less waves and closer to the corals. Way too close! Doo has barely jumped from the boat that he steps on the coral floor and breaks them. Freak! We’re destoying the corals. We can’t be that kind of tourists! We are then extra careful not to step on the floor but we won’t stay long anyway. Côme is panicking again, especially since there are spiky corals that look scary and sharp. Alright, we’ll forget about snorkeling… What a shame ! It was magnificent…
The next morning, we say hello to our half bathroom mirror gecko and we prepare ourselves for a relaxing day on the beach and a reef exploration. But first, we dive into the pool of course! On the reef we’re having a lot of fun catching the hermit crabs. Every shell has one and when we’re putting them on the palms of our hands, it’s really funny to watch them run away. Some are trying to pinch us, but like with their tiny legs running, it tickles more than anything. We also catch some crabs but it’s more difficult. They are quick to evade. They’re like dust in the wind. And then we discover algae and other species we didn’t know existed. In the afternoon, Julia has a lot of fun trying the scooter (she handles it really well!) and we discover a secret beach. It’s beautiful, there are waves, no boats and hardly anyone!
Tomorrow, we return to Denpasar for a night (same place for our “routine” warm swimming pool and great restaurant). This time around, on the boat ride back, we’ll sit in the back (with every other traveller who are sea sick). Doo is preoccupied with the vomit festival in the works… Everyone will turn out fine though… Piouf!!! The next day, we will leave Bali (to Julia’s great despair) and have a very short stop in Kuala Lumpur (Doo is still trying to convince Julia to stay there longer, to no avail). And then, off to Vietnam!
In Nusa, Côme:
Did not understand: how the boat could float with such shape.
Learnt: that it was very difficult to swim in the ocean and that a centipede was pooing while walking.
Loved: to watch the fishes under the sea.
Julia:
Did not understand: that there was so much pollution in the water (and she was horrified by it).
Learnt: how to drive a scooter.
Loved: enjoying the many different habitants of the reef with Côme while the tide was low.
Doo:
Did not understand: what was the viscous animal on the reef.
Learnt: that the inhabitants of the island were protecting their ancestors from the rain by placing an umbrella on their tombstone.
Loved: to feel the hermit crabs’ tiny legs strolling on his hand.