Life Begins Anew on Gili Trawangan

After zooming around mainland Asia for a couple months, I decided to settle down for a little while in this little bit of paradise, Gili Trawangan -- a tiny diving mecca NW of Lombok, Indonesia. No motorized vehicles, no police presence, no dogs (and consequently oodles of chickens and many inbred cats), droves of tourists consisting mostly of divers and honeymooners. Sand, sun, and surf! I am here with the primary focus to complete the divemaster program and be certified to lead other SCUBA divers. Perhaps another vocational option, or perhaps just for fun. So I got a bungalow, bought a bike, and began my diving routine. Banana pancakes in the morning, then diving diving, and more diving, perhaps stopping to such down some of the local tempeh, some poi spinning in the evening, maybe read some course material, and crash out exhaused.

Transportation to get to the island:


Taxis and heavy-haulers on Gili Trawangan:


Bball:


Spunky, confident, and strong kids:




Outrigger boats -- very popular in Indonesia:


My cute little bungalow!


Had to get a bike!


A sweet girl brings me morning tea:


And here are some of the co-inhabitants in my bungalow (generally give them free run of the place so as to not generate any bad ju-ju):






Spinning Fire!
Just spent last night spinning fire on the beach -- I lit up my new poi for the first time and it seemed like an idyllic setting with the gently crashing waves and below a bright moon and clear sky. Met a local guy named Rey who's the head of a 5 person troupe over here -- they are the only spinners on the island, so it was nice to cross paths.






Many people have professed interest in poi after seeing me spin fire, so I made a whole bunch of sets, and we have lessons after the last dive of the day:


Rooster fighting is a big cash crop for the locals -- many gambling bets placed on the contestants. Here are a couple well-trained and well-loved roosters:




My good friend Din -- artist, fisherman, and entrepreneur:


Watching the sunset from the top of the hill: