C & C globetrotting around the world…

After the disappointment on Lombok, we returned to Padangbai on Bali. There at least the beach had been nice, even if not ideal. It’s a bit frustrating because we spent the first sunny day in a week in transit. The ferry was rocking back and forth in the waves so much, that we got nauseous. A lady sat down next to Cecilia and started talking. She said she doesn’t speak English well, but that she likes to practice it. When she saw that Cecilia’s nausea wasn’t getting better, she offered her Tiger Balm oil to apply on the nostrils. It worked almost instantly, which was a huge relief. Tiger Balm is really used for everything in Asia: aching muscles, head ache, nausea, mosquito bites, etc. We finally arrived back in Padangbai and went to look for a guesthouse. We found a place for 200,000 rupiahs and decided to splurge and spend the extra $5 for a hot shower, aircon, a mosquito net and internet in the room. We showered (with HOT water), which felt heavenly and managed to get the sand out of our hair, hehe. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that matter, like a hot shower.

The following day, we spent it relaxing on the beach. Although it was pretty early, it was nice not waking up to the sound of the alarm clock or loud motorbikes. We had breakfast on the terrace, reading and sipping our coffee. Then we set off to the beach which we had discovered last time, 10 minutes away. We suntanned and swam for about 2 hours, then ate lunch and headed back to the room until we returned around 3-4pm. We swam a lot, since the water was even better than in the morning and there was no sun to tan. We read and sipped a coconut, which was fun.

On our last day in Padangbai, we spent the afternoon at the beach and although it wasn’t very sunny, we had nice swims in the water. We sipped the usual coconut, ate its flesh and enjoyed reading. When the massage girl came back to nag Cecilia to get a massage done, she conceded to half an hour. The girl still wanted to charge 30,000 rupiahs, the same price as for an hour. Funny girl! She said it was not good business just 15,000. Or maybe she can’t do the math? In any case, we told her we’ll come back tomorrow for a full hour massage. It’s kind of unfortunate, but the vendors really come to bug us all the time. It’s probably due to the fact that it’s low season and business is slow, but when you just want to relax, it’s annoying when you get nagged every few minutes. They are also pretty persistent, starting off by “Hello, where are you from? What’s your name? Nice to meet you. Where are you staying? Would you like to buy a bracelet?” We know they’re just trying to make a living, but it’s annoying nevertheless. The result is that we don’t feel like talking to anyone anymore, because you know they will try to sell you something. It’s too bad, because we feel like we’re missing out on the culture. Although Lombok and Padangbai was far from the beach vacation we had hoped for, it was still pleasant.