Superb Sumbawa

Lain here...

One week in after starting again from Gili Trawangan and we are back in the swing of what we came here to do. We have had such an incredible run so far as we have headed east from one side of Lombok to the other, across the Alas Strait and now we are about a third of the way around the northern side of Sumbawa. Sumbawa is absolutely stunning! As we are paddling along over reef for the most part of every day it is so hard not to stop every kilometre or so just to have another snorkel! Hence our way around this is to just get in 5 or 6 times a day and tie ourselves to our boats as we can check out the wonderland beneath us without the rigmarole of landing on beaches all the time.

Although we have seen astonishingly beautiful reef and gorgeous white sand beaches we have also had to deal with a bit of current and headwind here, but who is complaining when the rewards are so high! We hit a very strong head wind a couple of days ago so pulled up onto a very quiet looking black sand beach. After assessing our surrounds we decided that as there was a road about 50m away we would leave the boats to fend for themselves whilst we head off to load up on a few essentials (water and some more 2 minute noodles)! We made our way to the road and met 2 dudes hanging out smoking cigarettes who assured us that a public bus would come by eventually. Eventually it did and as we clamoured aboard the rickety old machine we certainly surprised a few locals as to why 2 'whities' just got on a death trap of a bus seriously in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road! (We actually had scaled through prickle bush fences around farming fields to even make it to the road)!

Anyway, apart from the fact that the bus was so rusty I could see the road whizzing past my feet directly under my chair, we made it to the nearby town (Badas - yeah pronounced Bad Ass) and disembarked. Job done... we toped up supplies and had managed to fill 40L of water bladders as well. Now to find another bus. We were befriended by a few locals as we stood again on the side of the road waiting for our return lift but the locals assured us that a bus would not be coming for many hours as it was now too late... they did however spot an opportunity and that was to load us and all of our goods onto the back of 2 scooters and deliver us back to our random spot on the side of the road. We had an absolute ball cruising along with our 2 new friends and enjoyed the opportunity to travel with the wind in our hair at greater than kayak speed!

The day after our supplies top up we then headed over a big stretch to get us to Moyo Island and here again is where we have found our little slice of heaven. Reef, rainforest and monkeys on the beach! We have spent a rest day here just to take in the beauty as long as possible... or maybe it is that our hammocks are just too comfortable!

Tomorrow we load up and head off again and as we truly live this adventure for every glorious second it gives us who knows what is around the next corner...