I feel like Landon is past his jet-lag because we slept in until nine this morning! We had luxurious showers on our outdoor bathroom patio, which I just can't get over. It's simply the best. I told Landon that we have to build an outdoor bathroom when we move to Miami. Please don't picture a "port-o-potty" kind of outdoor bathroom, because that's the exact opposite. This is like a genuine, luxurious master bathroom you'd find in a home...only there is no roof and you have an unhindered view of the sky and the beautiful pink flowers hanging overhead as you start the day with a hot shower...ahhhh yes). We had breakfast on the beachfront terrace, the sounds of the crashing ocean filling our ears and fresh fruit filling our bellies. We then met our driver, Mr. Mamine, who was to drive us to the northern side of Lombok to hike on Mount Rinjani and visit the beautiful waterfalls. Gunung Rinjani is the highest mountain in Lombok and the second highest in Indonesia at 3,726 meters. It is an active volcano with a recent eruption in 1994, and its huge rater contains a large crescent lake that is 6 km at its widest point.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the island was as we wound along the coast, in and out of palm tree forests and across rivers. The scenery was constantly changing. We wound up high cliffs that offered expansive views of the turqouise inlets that flowed into beaches and then the tall green mountains behind them. The sand was so pristine-white that it assumed the deep blues and greens of the water as it sloped off the beach. There was such stark topographical contrast between the towering mountains and the ocean, and endless wonder that stretched in between nature's great monuments. We passed enormous fields of rice paddies in all stages of growth and harvest. When the rice is very young and tender, it forms willowy wisps of close-packed green strands. As it matures, it takes on a stronger, reed-like appearance and stands straight and tall in the reflective brown water of the field. And at harvest, the water recedes and the plant takes on a yellowish-brown hue, ready to be taken for preparation into the form that finds itself onto our plates. The terraced rice paddies were so visually-astounding, and even more impressive was the ingenious irrigation system that gave sustenance to it all. As I marveled at the ingenuity of the engineering of it all, little did I know I'd experience it right at the source later that day.
It took almost two hours to reach Mount Rinjani, and as the incline grew so did my excitement as we climbed towards the cloud-covered peaks ahead. Mr. Mamine helped us find a hiking guide, and we set off with a thin but sturdy-looking Indoesian man in his young twenties. I was wearing my sturdy and trusty Chaco sandals, Landon was in tennis shoes, and our guide was in flimsy flip-flops that looked like they were from the sale bin at WalMart. I was amazed that he could hike in them along the steep path and slippery stones when we crossed the river, but he was a fearless leader as we made our way to the first waterfall. Landon and I were stunned by the seventy-five meter wall of white water that pounded into the pool below with enough force to kill anyone beneath it. It freely fell from a giant rock ledge covered in an array of greenery so varied that I could hardly count the number of different plants. The mist surrounding the waterfall was enough to soak us in seconds, and I closed my eyes to take in the fresh scent and feel the coolness on my sweaty skin. I smiled at a mother bathing her child in a calm area of the stream. Her naked daughter was gleefully splashing around as she tried to shampoo her hair.
The hike to the second waterfall was about twenty-five minutes from the first, and we had to cross the strong, swiftly-flowing water several times to continue on our way. All the while I had been noticing that the water rushing downhill was being carefully directed by man-made stone gutters and tunnels. It was really quite amazing how carefully placed and extensive the system was, and we crossed a neatly-placed bridge over one particularly rapid-flowing portion. We reached the second and greatest waterfall, and stood in awe at its massive power and beauty. This one stood even higher than the first, violently throwing infinite gallons of water into the deep blue pool below it. Landon and I had both worn our swimsuits and we took long, cool dips into the pool, losing our breath instantly in the clean cold. I will tell you that being in a bikini on a primarily Islamic island (Lombok is about 90% Islam, 10% Hindu, quite the opposite of Bali), makes one quite popular, and I was asked to pose in the photos of four teenage boys that were also visiting the waterfall. Landon thought it was hilarious and jumped in all the pictures as well, and I only wish that we had captured the moment with our camera too.
After several more swims in the pool and many minutes of quiet reflection on its beauty, we began our hike back continuing along the same path until we crossed the bridge and came upon one of the tunnels I had seen earlier.
"Want to go in?" Our guide asked, motioning toward the gaping black hole of the tunnel.
"In there?" I squeaked. Surely he was joking.
"Yeah! We go back through irrigation tunnel."
And we did. Though I was scared, I felt like it was an exciting adventure so we climbed down into the gutter and stepped into the unkown blackness of the tunnels. The water was to the middle of my thighs and flowing very fast and strong. If I lifted my feet up for too long it would carry me away. Every few meters were small openings to let in a little daylight, but it really only provided enough light for me to see the occasional bat swopping by my face. We made our way through the tunnels for what seemed like an eternity, Landon touching my back when it was pitch black to make sure I was still there, and I in turn reaching out for the certainty of our guide's cotton shirt. We finally emerged in the sunshine, and climbed out of the gutter and back onto the path.
"Special tour." Our guide grinned, and he was right.
We had lunch at a restaurant that hung off the side of the mountain, still able to enjoy the wild beauty around us while sipping traditional Lombok coffee and eating chicken with spicy chili sauce. From our table you could see the first waterfall behind us, the other side of the green valley across us, and the terraced rice paddies ahead of us. As views go, it really doesn't get any better.
We finished our time on Mount Rinjani with a visit to a Sasak Village, the traditional way of living for the people of northern Lombok. It was a well-organized tiny city of huts whose walls were composed of intricately-woven bamboo and roofs were made of palm fronds. They stored their rice and grain in smaller huts elevated several feet off the ground, under which goats and roosters rooted the ground for food. Handwoven baskets hung all around, useful for many purposes from swinging a crying baby to catching a wiley chicken. This way of living was quite different than the Balinese compound we'd seen the day earlier, and I was glad to get yet another view of a culture so different than my own. Cacao, mango and cashew trees lined the village, and from its edges there were magnificent views of the mountains and valleys surrounding it. I wished we'd had more time to do a trek up Mount Rinjani, but it takes about 2-3 days and we wanted to see more of Lombok and the Gilli Islands. Guess we'll just have to come back. :)
On the drive down the mountain, we stopped at Taman Wisata Tetebatu, or the Monkey Forest, to feed the monkeys that had made the mountainside their home. We had passed several on our way up, standing like dedicated sentries along rails and stumps lining the road. With our bag of peanuts we approached a few of them, which soon turned into a massive crowd of hopping, chattering beasts! One particularly aggressive fellow as intent on having all the peanuts for himself. While Landon held a few in his hand while taking a picture of me, the greedy fellow climbed up his leg and latched onto his wrist in an attempt to get at the peanuts. Landon would have none of it and shook him off, but this didn't deter him much as the cheeky monkey later gave me a good slap across the calves when I ran out of peanuts. I tell you, my view of monkeys has changed drastically since coming to Asia. Don't get me wrong, I still adore them, but I have become well-accquainted with their selfish and greedy behaviors!
We dined by candelight on the ocean terrace again, talking about our incredibly fun day and planning our trip to the Gilli Islands by boat tomorrow. We plan on snorkeling and hopping between the three islands that are rumored to be so incredibly lovely and exotic.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the island was as we wound along the coast, in and out of palm tree forests and across rivers. The scenery was constantly changing. We wound up high cliffs that offered expansive views of the turqouise inlets that flowed into beaches and then the tall green mountains behind them. The sand was so pristine-white that it assumed the deep blues and greens of the water as it sloped off the beach. There was such stark topographical contrast between the towering mountains and the ocean, and endless wonder that stretched in between nature's great monuments. We passed enormous fields of rice paddies in all stages of growth and harvest. When the rice is very young and tender, it forms willowy wisps of close-packed green strands. As it matures, it takes on a stronger, reed-like appearance and stands straight and tall in the reflective brown water of the field. And at harvest, the water recedes and the plant takes on a yellowish-brown hue, ready to be taken for preparation into the form that finds itself onto our plates. The terraced rice paddies were so visually-astounding, and even more impressive was the ingenious irrigation system that gave sustenance to it all. As I marveled at the ingenuity of the engineering of it all, little did I know I'd experience it right at the source later that day.
It took almost two hours to reach Mount Rinjani, and as the incline grew so did my excitement as we climbed towards the cloud-covered peaks ahead. Mr. Mamine helped us find a hiking guide, and we set off with a thin but sturdy-looking Indoesian man in his young twenties. I was wearing my sturdy and trusty Chaco sandals, Landon was in tennis shoes, and our guide was in flimsy flip-flops that looked like they were from the sale bin at WalMart. I was amazed that he could hike in them along the steep path and slippery stones when we crossed the river, but he was a fearless leader as we made our way to the first waterfall. Landon and I were stunned by the seventy-five meter wall of white water that pounded into the pool below with enough force to kill anyone beneath it. It freely fell from a giant rock ledge covered in an array of greenery so varied that I could hardly count the number of different plants. The mist surrounding the waterfall was enough to soak us in seconds, and I closed my eyes to take in the fresh scent and feel the coolness on my sweaty skin. I smiled at a mother bathing her child in a calm area of the stream. Her naked daughter was gleefully splashing around as she tried to shampoo her hair.
The hike to the second waterfall was about twenty-five minutes from the first, and we had to cross the strong, swiftly-flowing water several times to continue on our way. All the while I had been noticing that the water rushing downhill was being carefully directed by man-made stone gutters and tunnels. It was really quite amazing how carefully placed and extensive the system was, and we crossed a neatly-placed bridge over one particularly rapid-flowing portion. We reached the second and greatest waterfall, and stood in awe at its massive power and beauty. This one stood even higher than the first, violently throwing infinite gallons of water into the deep blue pool below it. Landon and I had both worn our swimsuits and we took long, cool dips into the pool, losing our breath instantly in the clean cold. I will tell you that being in a bikini on a primarily Islamic island (Lombok is about 90% Islam, 10% Hindu, quite the opposite of Bali), makes one quite popular, and I was asked to pose in the photos of four teenage boys that were also visiting the waterfall. Landon thought it was hilarious and jumped in all the pictures as well, and I only wish that we had captured the moment with our camera too.
After several more swims in the pool and many minutes of quiet reflection on its beauty, we began our hike back continuing along the same path until we crossed the bridge and came upon one of the tunnels I had seen earlier.
"Want to go in?" Our guide asked, motioning toward the gaping black hole of the tunnel.
"In there?" I squeaked. Surely he was joking.
"Yeah! We go back through irrigation tunnel."
And we did. Though I was scared, I felt like it was an exciting adventure so we climbed down into the gutter and stepped into the unkown blackness of the tunnels. The water was to the middle of my thighs and flowing very fast and strong. If I lifted my feet up for too long it would carry me away. Every few meters were small openings to let in a little daylight, but it really only provided enough light for me to see the occasional bat swopping by my face. We made our way through the tunnels for what seemed like an eternity, Landon touching my back when it was pitch black to make sure I was still there, and I in turn reaching out for the certainty of our guide's cotton shirt. We finally emerged in the sunshine, and climbed out of the gutter and back onto the path.
"Special tour." Our guide grinned, and he was right.
We had lunch at a restaurant that hung off the side of the mountain, still able to enjoy the wild beauty around us while sipping traditional Lombok coffee and eating chicken with spicy chili sauce. From our table you could see the first waterfall behind us, the other side of the green valley across us, and the terraced rice paddies ahead of us. As views go, it really doesn't get any better.
We finished our time on Mount Rinjani with a visit to a Sasak Village, the traditional way of living for the people of northern Lombok. It was a well-organized tiny city of huts whose walls were composed of intricately-woven bamboo and roofs were made of palm fronds. They stored their rice and grain in smaller huts elevated several feet off the ground, under which goats and roosters rooted the ground for food. Handwoven baskets hung all around, useful for many purposes from swinging a crying baby to catching a wiley chicken. This way of living was quite different than the Balinese compound we'd seen the day earlier, and I was glad to get yet another view of a culture so different than my own. Cacao, mango and cashew trees lined the village, and from its edges there were magnificent views of the mountains and valleys surrounding it. I wished we'd had more time to do a trek up Mount Rinjani, but it takes about 2-3 days and we wanted to see more of Lombok and the Gilli Islands. Guess we'll just have to come back. :)
On the drive down the mountain, we stopped at Taman Wisata Tetebatu, or the Monkey Forest, to feed the monkeys that had made the mountainside their home. We had passed several on our way up, standing like dedicated sentries along rails and stumps lining the road. With our bag of peanuts we approached a few of them, which soon turned into a massive crowd of hopping, chattering beasts! One particularly aggressive fellow as intent on having all the peanuts for himself. While Landon held a few in his hand while taking a picture of me, the greedy fellow climbed up his leg and latched onto his wrist in an attempt to get at the peanuts. Landon would have none of it and shook him off, but this didn't deter him much as the cheeky monkey later gave me a good slap across the calves when I ran out of peanuts. I tell you, my view of monkeys has changed drastically since coming to Asia. Don't get me wrong, I still adore them, but I have become well-accquainted with their selfish and greedy behaviors!
We dined by candelight on the ocean terrace again, talking about our incredibly fun day and planning our trip to the Gilli Islands by boat tomorrow. We plan on snorkeling and hopping between the three islands that are rumored to be so incredibly lovely and exotic.
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