Post by Sarah Sackville
Another week goes by, and another escape is needed.
I have fun socializing in Canggu, but when it’s time out I need, Canggu isn’t delivering the goods.
It had been seven years since I had last visited Lembongan. I was nervous the memory of an unspoiled paradise was going to lead to disappointment.
After 45 min of pitching and rolling, we landed, and I was greeted with what seemed to be an island where time had stood still. For the last seven years anyway. Not much had changed!
Relief!
I had this insatiable urge upon glancing the crystal waters to drink it all up. It looked so delicious, crisp and clean. That dazzling blue which makes you want to rip all your clothes off and dive in.
Or maybe that’s just me.
But seriously, the water there is intensely beautiful.
Another thing I really enjoyed about Lembongan and its sister islands was the friendliness of people. I feel as if everyone that lives there is abundantly happier than in other parts of Bali. I can understand why. Lifestyle choices. It would be a simple and satisfying lifestyle upon those islands.
Roads through the island are a mixture of what was once gravel and dirt lined by fruit trees, grazing cows (that I swear look more like deer) and the occasional thatched hut. There’s minimal signs making for a high chance of adventure. Though the funny part is that you never really feel lost.
Again the surf was huge.
Broken boards and battered bodies. Reef kisses and the Russian roulette of getting barrelled. I watched on as surfers dared the colossus ocean. One by one they came in either too intimidated or been finished by the waves. Until there was one left.
My partner.
Of course.
I played the cool calm girlfriend while inside I was crumbling at the thought of him being out there. I hadn’t seen waves that big for a long long time.
It’s okay, he survived. He even managed to admit he had got scared. Which made me feel better about being nervous.
Much to my delight, we dedicated the next morning to a leisurely snorkel instead. Though with rough seas on the way home, it was far from leisurely. We were dragged this way then that by currents while our skipper diverted us being capsized by launching us sideways over waves.
I secretly was enjoying myself. I mean, I had my phone in a waterproof case and my camera is also waterproof. We weren’t that far from land and there was plenty of other boats around. I knew it would be fine if something did happen. I enjoyed the thrill and I trusted our skipper.
We were sharing the trip with a group of yogis-in-training, all that practice at being zen wasn’t paying off for them. They screamed and squawked as the ocean played with us like it’s toy.
Leading up to all of this, however, everyone had had their minds enriched and eyes opened by the beauty of what lay under the surrounding islands surfaces. Only one other time have I been in water with that quality of clarity. The blue was so blue and the fish in the plentiful.
There were even some Buddhas. I had read somewhere previously that they were put there for tourist reasons. It made for a cool picture nonetheless. The current in that particular spot was so eminently strong that the (Is there a term for a group of snorkelers?) snorkel herd was forced to cling onto a rope to not be swept away.
Which now I would like to point out why this picture of the Buddha is so impressive. I dove three times and was swept, missed the rope, caught by another snorkeler – also three times – before I got this shot.
The afternoon was followed up with taking photos of silly tourists at the blow hole.
Definitely, a highlight of the day was watching a couple get soaked from standing too close to the edge. Desperate for a shot without other people in it, they suffered the consequences.
The rest of my time on the Island was spent playing some guitar, treating my taste buds to tantalizing fish, letting off fireworks – hehe – and having every inch of stress lifted away into oblivion.
I’m hoping to return soon so I can explore Penida, the bigger island next door, it’s home to hidden treasures. Treasure I want to find. I want the booty.
Additionally, I’m going to do my open water. I’d like to be able to dive the magical reefs and even spear my own dinner! Stay tuned 😉
And as always here are a few pictures more pictures:
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The water is beautiful!