It didn’t take long to break my own promise to myself and fail to write my diary entries for 2 nights in row.
The poor excuse(s) of guests in the house, cooking and making music podcasts will have to do.
Here are the happy couple recently betrothed in last week’s 3 day wedding event in Seseh with visitors from both north and south.
Yesterday a whole day was spent lazing at my favourite spot on the two islands of Lombongan and Ceningan.
The Three Island Bar which is always quiet and has great views over to Nusa Penida and back to Lembongan with Bali in a hazy far distance beyond Lembongan.
Yesterday’s treat was a Sunset cocktail at midday, a number of dips in the unbiquitous infinity pool and a suprisingly good chicken burger. It is a rather pleasant way to spend a Saturday and the deceptively cool breezes coming up the channel between Ceningan and Penida mean that it is only when i return home do i realize that i’m actually burnt to the proverbial crisp.
Most people who visit ask why i don’t have a pool at home. Well, first of all if i did have a pool that would price me out of the wonderful house i currently live in but secondly I do derive a certain pleasure that is the mini trip to get to 3 island bar.
Down the back lane to the yellow bridge. An adventure in itself, the narrow pedestrian bridge is always bustling with motorbikes hurtling both ways, just arrived vistors exhausted from day plane rides dragging their wheelie suitcases back and forth and Insta addicts in 7th heaven, they’ve see the you tube travel influencers shows about Lembongan and now it’s their turn to shine online with family and friends with yellow bridge selfies and reels.
This little obstacle course has improved my moped riding skills no end.
Then, past the spanking brand new petrol station, follow your nose until the fork in the road takes one up a series of relatively steep climbs and a quality of road that only appeals to the locals and the slightly foolhardy. After about ten minutes of bumping around, avoiding roadrunner like chickens and a number of dogs who love to make the middle of the road/path their bed for the day.
On arriving it does actually feel like I’ve made a slight effort to get somewhere even if the rest of the day the playlist i know so well now, is peppered with the likes of UB40, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, U2, Bob Marley (of course) Shaggy and many other daytime radio classics. There are the odd treats, Rock Lobster, T-Rex and Russell Morris’, “The Real Thing” and The Hoodoo Gurus, “What’s My Scene” which even after all these years holds a place dear in my heart for a number of reasons I shan’t go into now.
The temperature at 3 Island Bar was the same in Wisley Surrey yesterday which, excuse my French, is a total mindfuck on the 9th of September.
Other weekend activities included setting fire to the rubbish on returning home yesterday afternoon. The dogs do love to remove the bin bags and tear them up all over the increasingled parched lawn and my 1st world guilt about burning plastic in all its various forms has disapated quickly after riding past Lembongan’s always smouldering tip. I do try to moped past the tip at least 2-3 times a week to remind myself that the reality of this and any island paradise is actually a thin veneer of touristic fantasy painted on top of mainly filth, c02 and plenty of poverty. I do like to spoil a party and ensure that any guest staying does get a ride past the tip which actually scares them less that the meat counter at the market.
Today the internet guy turned up out of the blue to upgrade my internet to fibre optic cable, I didn’t ask for but i’m presuming somebody did on my behalf. Is my internet faster, I’m not sure?
I do know that i spent the 20 minutes after they left clearing, yes you guessed it, small snips of plastic cable from the front lawn, which i will be burning next weekend after spending another saturday supping on Sunset Mocktails at 3 Island Bar.
Will it still be 32C in Wisley next Saturday?
Meanwhile somewhere in Indonesia.. make sure you note the shoes.