Lembongan Island, Indonesia

Island Life, Part I

My second week in Bali, I switched from the Canggu surf camp to a homestay surf camp experience on Lembongan Island (http://www.kimasurf.com/lembongan-island-week.html).  Atop a stunning clifftop, I had a big bungalow to myself (and the bugs and brutal heat) and awoke at dawn every morning to accompany Wayan (and sometimes some Germans) on his boat out to one of three breaks: Playgrounds, Shipwreck and Lacerations (Lacerations was my favorite! Despite the name and the shallow reef, the only issue we had there was the occasional jellyfish sting. But the swell was not huge the week I was there.) Wayan and his adorable wife and kids took amazing care of me, cooked some great local dishes and taught me quite a bit about the culture and island life... and surfing, of course :)

After the morning surf session I typically explored the island on a rented mountain bike. The dirt island paths only supported motorbikes, golf carts and bicycles which was a nice change from the chaotic mainland traffic! I either had a super hilly 45 minute bike ride to town, or a 15 minute hike on a narrow overgrown trail dangerously close to the ocean cliffs - either way, it was always exciting! I usually did my run at dusk in an attempt to avoid the heat, and inevitably ended up somewhere near town for sunset and drinks on the water. I found great company in the friendly locals, and random Kiwis, Aussies and Canadians that I met along the way. The biggest dilemmas? Where to eat, when to take my siesta, when to reapply sunscreen, whether or not to get a 6 dollar massage or go snorkeling, and which beach to check out.... ah, Island life! This island is an incredible breath of fresh Balinese air - an hour boat ride from the mainland, but light years away in character and scenery. Though it definitely boasts some touristy resort spots, as a whole I thought that it was Bali's best kept secret!

my bungalow

view from where I slept

Morin guest house

seaweed farms near town

On marathon training abroad...

Marathon training while backpacking around for two months was probably one of the dumbest things I did while I was gone. Australia wasn't so bad, minus getting used to people driving on the other side of the road, nearly running into things because I'm staring at awesome landmarks or surfers, and the occasional poisonous snake scare...  

New Zealand was even better - aside from getting lost on farm roads! I got to run up volcanoes, next to giant rivers, across mountain ranges... breathtaking.

 

But when I got to Indonesia, I had my work cut out for me. 100 degrees fahrenheit plus 99% humidity? It was brutal. I was chased by so many dogs that I lost count, including one incident where a pack of about ten of them went after me at once (fortunately, some locals somehow got them to stop!) I eventually just started walking every time I saw a stray dog. Which was pretty much all the time.

Then there was the issue of the drivers in Bali, which were probably scarier than the rabid dogs. Motorcycles everywhere, zipping in and out of the car traffic. People on bicycles, with surfboards and/or three+ family members. Potholes. Pedestrians. Fruit vendors. Bamboo piles. Cows. Drainage canals. Balinese Hindu incense/offerings like little fragile sacred landmines everywhere. All fighting for space on a tiny patch of asphalt! People honking and shouting at you, while staring at you like you are crazy.

Obviously not the most relaxing experience, but many memorable ones! My favorite run moments where when 1) I got high fived by a group of men over the age of 80 and 2) When a baker tried to sell me an entire cake while I was running! (It did look good, but I didn't have my wallet)

When I got to some islands that were car-free, I figured that my luck was looking up. And then I ran into the goats and horses pulling carts. Despite all of this, I miraculously managed to get my Boston marathon mileage in... a bit unconventional but a great way to explore new cultures and take crappy photos on my iphone :)

 

 

Balangan Beach, Indonesia

Back in March 2014: another day in Paradise, very close to the center of Bali but felt light years away. Small waves so we went with plan B: a cycle of relaxing on the beach, dipping in the crystal clear waters, and eating ice cream :)

Bali Kima Surfari - Canggu, Indonesia

In March I tried a week of surf camp through Bali Kima Surfari at their Canggu location. Had such a great time that I ended up changing my plane ticket to extend for another week with them at another one of their camps!

Pretty much, this sums it up:
eat-surf-eat-relax by the pool-surf-run-eat

with the occasional 6 dollar massage or outing for shopping, beach sunsets, live music or bike rides.... It was challenging to train for a marathon with the weather, crazy drivers/dogs (more on this later) and the multiple surf sessions per day, but I somehow survived 3 workouts/day by pretending I was in some exotic bootcamp.

Several dives a day into some body of water took the edge off Bali's intense heat/humidity. The camp offered weekend excursions for beaches, sunrise volcano summits or to explore other communities and to learn about the culture.

Fun group of guides, good equipment, beautiful community and facility, great food. They did coaching/reviewed film at night and whisked us off 2-3 times a day to the best spots via van or boat. The breaks walking distance from the camp were also pretty consistent.

All inclusive, easy, paradise.

I've never done anything like this before as I usually try to get "off the beaten path" and avoid tourist packages or too much "gringo" time - but this was well worth it and the most relaxing "active" vacation I've ever had!

Favorite moment: longest ride of my life - blissful turns down a nice big left at Turtle West reef. Ahhh.

I still suck at surfing (though I definitely improved over the week), but the trip only intensified my love affair with it. Not a matter of IF I'll go back, but WHEN :)

Thanks to everyone at Bali Kima Surfari Canggu - you were the highlight of my 2 month trip!

Website for Bali Kima Surfari

Canggu camp

silly photo shoot on the beach

Pete loves Bali

 

storm rolling in near camp

 

 

deadly combo - post-surf Orange Julius