Episode 7 Gili Meno: A Turtle A Day
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We have seen Hawksbill turtles off the shore almost every day since arriving
on Gili Meno. We still get as excited as children every time we spy a turtle
under the sea. The poor turtle knows we are there, watching, and stays low on
the corals hoping we will go away. We do not. We hover above with our snorkels
waiting until the turtle surfaces for air. Only then do we let it go on its way
undisturbed.
The fast boat trip from Amed on Sunday 28 February was fun. Even the crew was
excited when two very large tuna breached the surface a short distance from the
boat. The captain immediately turned the boat arround to try to see them again.
One fellow put out a fishing line hoping to catch dinner. We did see them once
more but that was all. Thank goodness we were not close enough for the fish to
take the bait. I fear the difference in size would have meant the fisherman
would have been dinner for the tuns instead.
We were headed for the Gili Islands, three small islands with white sand
beaches and undersea corals just off the west coast of Lombok. It took us about
one hour to reach the largest island, Gili Trawangan. Just offshore a pod of
dolphins leaped and played in the waves. Gili Trawangan has a party boy
reputation, but we were not planning to join in. Mama and Papa, that is what we
are called here, were headed for the next island, across a 1 km strait. We just
stopped at Trawangan to pick up two passengers returning to Amed before heading
for the quieter and more sedate Gili Meno.
We have a nice fan-cooled bungalow room with a balcony at Kontiki Hotel, in
front of a wide stretch of white sand. Once again we can snorkel right from the
beach. Much of the coral reef has been killed by climate change and bad fishing
practices but it is coming back. We have been swimming at least twice each day
and still are not bored by the undersea. There are colourful fish to see, new
corals and even an area with coral regeneration forms. Someone with imagination
has constructed iron pipe structures in the form of tagine pots, long houses and
even a downed airplane. New corals are sprouting on the frames and fish are
sheltering inside.
Right next to our hotel is a Hawksbill Turtle Nursery. Started by a local
man, Bulong, and funded by donations, the turtle eggs are protected and young
turtles gathered as soon as they are hatched. Four small concrete pools hold
young turtles for 8 months when they are finally big enough to be released and
fend for themselves. The pools are cleaned every day and the baby turtles are
fed bits of fresh fish every two hours. We walked to the other side of the
island one day and discovered three more pools from the same project. These
babies were almost ready to be released. Bulong seems to have a loyal band of
helpers and is doing an excellent job. It must be a labour of love.
We stayed on Gili Meno longer than we expected! There are no ATMs, and VISA
withdrawals and money exchange come at exorbitant rates, either in the Gilis or
Amed. We quickly adjusted to the leisurely pace of the islands and feel no
crying need to return to the more populous area. We withdrew money to last for
both Amed and the Gilis while in Kuta and we are OK for another few days, thank
goodness.
We have explored more of Gili Meno by foot. There are no motorized vehicles
on the island, just a few bicycles and horsecarts to take you and your luggage
to the more far reaching hotels. It makes the island much more peaceful than the
mainland.
One evening we walked to the other side of Gili Meno to enjoy the sunset and
have a good BBQ fish meal at Good Heart, another hotel on the remote west side
of the island. Another day we walked to the north end of the island hoping to
find a promised snorkeling spot. The tide was too low and the corals were
sticking out of the water so we kept on going. After 1 1/2 hours, we were back
at our own beach, convinced we had the best beach for swimming, but at least we
saw the whole island.
In the center of the island is a small village with an elementary school.
Older children must take the ferry to Gili Trawangan to go to senior school or
take lodgings on Lombok, the closest big island. In the village is Gili Meno
Bird Park, started by an Aussie who now lives in Sanur on Bali. It is an
ambitious project with about 200 exotic birds, a crocodile, a baby komodo dragon
and two small macaque monkeys. The owner hoped to collect and breed species in
danger of extinction. There is a bird nursery on the premises but it looked
unused. The birds are let out of their cages every day and allowed to fly freely
under the large net covering the entire bird park. It was an interesting visit
that not many of the beach oriented visitors make.
Mealtimes find us comfortably seated in a “beruga” by the water’s edge. A
beruga is a raised platform with a split bamboo floor, a low table and a
thatched roof for shade. To accommodate soft western bodies, wooden backrests
and soft cushions are provided.The best restaurants all offer this Indonesian
seating arrangement. We can sit all day in comfort as there is no big lineup
waiting to take our place. It is very civilized.
Rather than move hotels, we decided to take a day excursion to see another
island. Everyday groups of people arrive on Gili Meno on the local ferry to
enjoy the island for the day. Yesterday we took the ferry to Gili Air for a
change of scenery. Gili Meno is just a 15 minutes trip to Gili Air, the closest
to the mainland, or the largest island, Gili Trawangan, on the Island Hopping
ferry. We had a relaxing day snorkeling and doing lunch. Gili Air was much the
same as Gili Meno with perhaps more hotels and restaurants, except we are sure
Gili Meno beach is bigger and cleaner. Still it was good to see another of the
islands.
Our current schedule has us leaving Gili Meno next Sunday. Most of the fast
boats to Bali leave from Gili Trawangan so we will spend our last two nights in
the Gilis on Trawangan. We have several recommendations of where to stay and how
to avoid the party scene. This won’t be the last of our beach time. We will end
our Indonesian Odyssey in Sanur, on the East Coast of Bali.