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March 15, 2008

Gili Air - Island Life

-Sunrise Cottages: complete with day-bed, hammock, mosquito netting and a salt-water shower. Our home on the island. -

Gili Air, literally translated as Island of Water, is secluded and easy-going. It retains a rural charm, is filled with coconut groves, lined with white sand beaches and has dramatic views of both Lombok's Mount Rinjani and Bali's Mount Arung. Easily enough to stroll around the perimeter in an hour, we found Gili Air to be the one place we had been searching for in all our travels.

At Sunrise Cottages breakfast consisted of banana pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice and a basket of island fruit.

A local girl in the middle of a sandball fight.... how can you tell there is a surfer influence on the island?

Walking on the beach just before sunset on the west side of the island.

I was wondering why this crab was sitting so still to have his picture taken... then I looked closer... he was dead!

The only road on Gili Air, this sandy path served well for the rare horse-cart and passerby on foot. Oh to have a world as locked in time as this place.

Strolling in the coconut groves you were always sure to find two things; Cows peacefully grazing, knowing that they are safe to live a long life, and free range chickens rummaging through the tall grass. If you were quiet enough and luck was on your side you might even catch a glimpse of a four foot Monitor Lizard. We were fortunate enough to see two in our time on the island! A relative of the Komodo Dragon, the Monitor Lizard is known to reach up to seven feet in length and are stronger than an alligator of equal size!! But don't worry, they are relatively harmless.

Leaving the island on a packed to the brim, rickety old boat. Thank goodness the water in the channel is calm in the early hours of the morning.

Looking west towards Bali's Mount Arung was always a great start to a laid-back evening of sipping iced cappuccinos under a beach hut and watching the moon glimmer on the open ocean.

5 comments:

Kirstin said...

How did you like the Giver, Trev?

The Olson's said...

I never thought that I would like a book more then Harry Potter but The Giver easily took its place as the best book I've ever read.

Les said...

was going to ask about how you liked the Giver but alas, am too late. I was thinking about rescuing it from the poly library, but then who'd I be, but a taker. hope to hang with you soon!

Anonymous said...

I always feel like I've taken a faraway vacation, just reading and seeing the pictures... a moment to relax in a quiet place...
Amanda Friesen

eva Lian said...

hi there

do you have phone number of the sunrise cottages please? you can send to evalian@gmx.de
ohhh you save my holiday if you could send one
thanks for big favor