T/R: Indo- the path slightly less trodden

**Misty_Fly** · 03-31-2010, 11:33 AM

I've been meaning to make a T/R about our trip around Indo in the summer of 2008 but have only just managed to get hold of the photos.

A tune to get you started:
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYrA-y9jYro"]YouTube- CunninLynguists - Dance For Me[/nomedia]

So we arrived in Bali and immediately concluded that the 'tropical paradise' of Kuta was most definitely anything but, and certainly not what we'd travelled half way around the world to experience. It was however, firing, so we headed straight to the Bukit. Here we found the surf was more crowded still, but we ended up in Balangan. The advantages of Balangan over its more prestigious neighbours are many: It has the kind of low-key thatched huts right on the beach that we imagined in which one can sleep for next to nothing; it is MUCH less crowded, and although it rarely does, if it does connect all the way along the reef, it's about 400yards in length, which also disperses what crowd there might be.

It can be a very classy wave indeed if you choose carefully

Reef bootie top turn steeze

We found that surfing lefts a lot helps your surfing more than just hitting rights. JPM cranks a nice bottom turn

The evening crowd comprises almost entirely fishermen, entirely disinterested in westerners trying to be rad

But the sunsets were huge, even if the waves weren't

Balangan hosted us very kindly for a week or so. There are zero facilities there other than a bed, a plate of nasi goreng, a lovely beach, and an intriguing and beautiful wave. So it was in good spirits that we began our trip and pressed of further afield.

**Misty_Fly** · 03-31-2010, 11:55 AM

We were headed in the general direction of Lombok, but we thought it a good idea to check out Nusa Lembongan on the way. As a place we found it to be a nice balance of having ample facilities without being too developped. What was less satisfactory were the hordes that poured in from Bali every day on tour boats. Shipwrecks was more or less the only wave that was working, which generally made for 40+ dudes in the lineup at any given time. Seeing as most of them surfed way better than us, we did not catch that many waves. Still, it was a nice place and one or two wide ones snuck through.

The upside of having a waterproof snapper

It's a long paddle home, or a taxi for lazy bums like us

Time to move on to pastures new. The 'legal' capacity of this boat is 25...

**Misty_Fly** · 03-31-2010, 12:20 PM

and so we landed in Kuta Lombok. About as far removed from its balinese namesake as you can possibly imagine. If it wasn't for the impending int'l airport soon scheduled for completion, I would live in a hut here if my live went tits-up without too much hesitation. There's about 20 buildings surrounded by stunning country.

We hooked ourselves up with a seriously fly set of wheels

and hit the 'road'. traffic was heavy

Mawi is a classy wave which sees few surfers. The road in is a cow-track. To run out of petrol out here would mean a long scooter-push back up the steep track about 5ks back to any lifeform on the 'main' road. Luckily this did not befall us, but just riding around the roads there was an experience unto itself.

Mawun is a lovely beach where cliché photos abound

and where whole families carry kilos of white powder on their heads

locals are gnarly

We went to see the local sport- stick fighting. It WAS gnarly.

We were the only white guys there. The locals tried to get us involved. We declined as politely and profusely as possible.

**Misty_Fly** · 03-31-2010, 12:47 PM

And after returning to our comfort zones, taking pictures of sunsets

we headed back to Bali. We stopped via the Gilis as the swell had turned off and we had some buddies there diving. Gili T is an unremarkable touristy place but it was diverting for a few days between waves and places, and allowed us to pursue some of our, ahem, 'other' interests.

A few days here was quite enough and we'd heard the swell was back on and firing on the Bukit. We stuck to what we knew and returned to Balangan which had served us so well a few weeks before. We had had camera trouble which robbed us of the long lense, so this angle of the wave is less than ideal, but it does give you an idea of how long it can be.

If you're lucky, barrels can be had. I look like I think I'm about to get lucky

After a spot of pigdogging (why?) I escape onto the face

and my internet is dying a slow and painful death. I will finish this report when this situation is rectified.