So about a month ago, Sean and Kev, came over. Sean was taking a break from digging trenches in the north sea with his wee/massive robot thingy, and kev left behind his life as skivvy to the billionaires on board a luxury yacht based out of St Barthes in the Caribean...hard life eh! (only joking kev!) So there was a pretty good swell to start of their visit, and the boys spent about 9 hours in the drink on the first day! Fishing was had, the fish was eaten (thanks sean and nick- spear tag team extraordinaire). they managed to feed the locals with a feast of fish and we all had a big fire on the beach, which was accompanied with copious amounts of Brum...Brum is the local brew made from fermented rice, and is cloudy white or red in colour depending on the variety, and goes down a treat, tastes kind of like sherry but not really, anyway, needless say much fun was had by all....and i will just say this, Eddie one of the local boys found nick and his 'rice bum' merrily strolling home starkers in the wee hours of the next day!! ha ha..rice bum on account of its colour! Good times.nice one eddie.
Then some more surf some more brum and general shinanigans were had, before kev had to leave us, after the some of the quickest 10 days i've ever known. Then we were three, and headed to Sumbawa, an Island to the east of Lombok, renowned for its consistent waves and friendly folks. So after recruiting some more folk, we headed off on a brilliant road trip. Saw many sights, some spectacular, and some pretty smelly, but after 6 hours on the road we made it. We headed for the town of Maluk, about two hours south of the port of Poto Tano. Maluk was way bigger than any of us expected, pretty developed and it was clear there was quite a bit of money around. we found out later that the town was neighbour to a huge gold mine, employing over 4000 locals. I went to one of the entrances to the mine, heavilly guarded and surrounded by miles of razor wire fences a sign read gate 41, and we never got wind of any other gates any where near us, so it was pretty large. After a night in Maluk and some of the best food of the trip we headed south to Senkongkang, a small villiage which ran along the break YoYo's. After a surf in pretty small waves (the only we were to get on the trip) we found a rad we beach front hotel/hostel/ozzy piss up shed, where we set up camp. they were short on beds, so for two nights i roughed it in the hammock on the porch, a bad move seeing that the resident crew/owners returned on the first night from an almighty piss up at about 4 am which lasted through till the next evening! hardcore boys - 'well there's fuck all waves so we might as well just get pissed mate' ( said with ozzy accent) So with no swell, and a new land to explore we found some great beaches, swam, fished and generally took it pretty easy. Nick had a go at night fishing, rather him than me! And made good friends with one of the local spearfisherman Indra, and between them managed to feed all the guests after a bonus catch including two Box fish. I didn't know you could eat them but
Indra assured us you could and after chizzling through it's solid shell/bony frame we ate some incredible meat, beautifull fish.
Anyway we eventually headed back to lombok, with the long journey ahed of us, apart from one flat tyre, some gnarly overtakes and losing each other only to find each other again, it all went without a hitch.
So back in Kuta we've had a couple of day trips to Mawi, surfed and fished, and had the catch cooked by Ebou Rooni, the wife of the local top dog, who is a very good man, and likes getting some good fish for dinner. After a mission on our friend Yans boat, nick and sean insured the next day we would have another feast after they brought home a bevvy of fish including some lovely trivali and snapper, which we ate with our friend Huda and his family on the site of his newly built house.( thanks Eka for some delicious sambal) I think it was some of the best fish i have ever eaten.
Today shooting and surfing at local break, Segar Sean had an unfortunate accident which resulted in him getting a few stitches to the head, after diving onto a wayward surfboard....no too good like. But all is well, and some swell on the way....so happy days.
Time is looking short for me and sean now, and the mission of climbing Rinjani is not looking too good, bad weather and it's being an active volcano, are making the five day mission look more and more impossible....it's a bummer but a good excuse to come back.
here are some snaps....
Nicks new octo-hair-do
some loons standin on some coos
the crew on a down day at the rantung piss up palace, sumbawa
the rain at the Rantung, Senkonkang (yoyos), Sumbawa
The stitches going in...The nurse, Amy at one point was trying with all her might to get the needle through seans leathery heed. She said 'Orang Scotlandia bunyer ****goat' (where **** insert skin) - Scottish People have strong skin! haha and he didnt even get a lollipop.
The damage. Ouch.
