Nusa Lembongan

Nice little island, off the south coast of Bali.  First day I got here I just kind of walked around.  Got a luggage handle on my backpack fixed.  Checked the internet.  How amazing is it that on an island most people may never have even heard of I can stay in touch! Stayed in a bamboo hut overlook the ocean.  Watched part of the last football match.  Got up at 3 a.m. to see it.  When they went into overtime I went back to bed to be be fresh for diving the next day.

No pictures of my diving.  But here's one of a seaweed harvest.  It's used for cosmetics.The locals are always harvesting it, carrying bundles of it on their heads. 

Yesterday after diving I changed lodging and rented a scooter from someone there.  Went across part of the island.  The roads are narrow.  No cars here.  A few trucks they use for heavy transport.  But mostly scooters, bikes and foot traffic.

They're having a funeral ceremony for the next week or so.  I haven't taken any pictures of it - not sure if it's polite.  The way it was explained to me is that when someone dies they bury them immediately.  Then when the time is right many families get together, unbury the bones, clean then cremate them.  The new place I'm staying is next to a temple.  Last night they started chanting.  By the time I got myself organized to go over there they'd stopped.

Anyway, on one side of the island is a narrow suspension bridge, the road part of it is made of wood.  Missing a few timbers.  Clickety clack.  Only one scooter in a direction at a time.  When I got onto it to go to Cerrigan there were some little kids walking in the same direction.  As soon as they heard me my bike started running.  Halfway across some of the timbers are spaced kind of far apart.

Once I got to the other side of the bridge, I turned right, the scenic route according the lady at my new place, and stopped at a little roadside place for a bite to eat.  Chicken wrapped in banana leaves (very moist and tasty) rice and bamboo shoots with peas (actually, peanuts - but they call them peas...) cooked to order and a coke, for about 3$.  A little kid came up to look at me.  I showed him my ipod and the next thing his grampa was there, his mom, his dad, a sister or an aunt, another old man.  Everyone came to say hello and ask me where I'm from and such.  I took a few pictures and will email them once I have a decent upload speed.  The ones from this computer take a long time.  They told me about the cook's brother's weeding.  I said, making like I was hold a book, reading?  No!  You mean like pulling weeds, I made motions.  No.  The brother and a woman from Kuta.  Oh....wedding!  They're Hindus.  They don't seem to like the local Muslims much, too strict, I guess.  Bali is one, if not the only, Indonesian island that's predominantly Hindu.  Most are Muslim. Hindu is a complicated religion with a lot of gods. 

Today diving we saw a Mola Mola, aka a sunfish.  Distinct to this part of the world.  Kind of strange looking.  We were lucky to see it.  Now I'm just going to kick back.  Do a little window shopping on the main drag.  Maybe get a massage, about 10$ from someone that the lady at the lodge recommended.  Tomorrow I head to Ubud.  The cultural center.  I was planning to do a bit more diving after I'm done with Ubud.  Now I'm thinking I may just spend a few extra days there.