In Reply to: JBR Bali and Lombok (Lombok) posted by ChrisR on Saturday, 8. April 2006 at 22:50 Bali Time:
Yeah, glad you enjoyed it too. It was rather different from Bali when I traveled for the first time there in November last year. Bali felt a bit 'fake' in a sense compared to Lombok. Lombok sort of felt like the real deal ie traveling to a foreign land. Don't get me wrong though both places are the real deal. They do have strong religious differences ie Hindu and Muslim. I think the religious difference plus the somwhat undeveloped tourism industry gives this place a different feel.
I stayed on Lombok for 3 nights iirc, it was the end of Ramadan and the start of the Idul Fitri holidays. Everyone was making preperations to celebrate thus the hawkers were desperate for a sale. I remember the night before we were eating in a resteraunt on the main stretch and we had half a dozen persistant young lads join us at our table offering us things for sale. We were saved by the bell so to speak as the sun had just gone down and everybody left to go and pray. It was an interesting insight into how they follow their religion etc. Prayer 5 times a day starting at 4am. Another time we were cruising down some windy road in a taxi and the driver started to let go of the steering wheel and doing some unknown thing (to us) with his hands .. we thought what the.. before we realised it was time for his prayer. We asked him about it etc.
Anyhow it was an interesting experience, bit different from Bali but just as interesting for the newbie.