Back on Lembongan

I’m pleasantly knackered once again. I thought twice about using that word as it seems it’s only the Brits who use it but decided I like it enough to use it and once introduced to it so might you. I know, I’m totally too good to you, it means you’re absolutely exhausted and derives from when horses who at the end of their useful life were taken to the knackers yard to be killed. They were knackered. So pleasantly knackered might seem a bit strange, I am however absolutely exhausted but happily so…bored yet? Sorry I’ll move on…

We’ve been back on Nusa Lembongan for six nights and I’ve already lost all track of days and time.

After a fleeting stop on Bali, where in the pouring rain we stocked up on DVDs, enjoyed a massage at Putri Ubud Spa 2 – our preferred massage place of anywhere in the world, had our favourite meals at Bata Bata on Jalan Bisma served as always in beautiful surroundings with a broad smile and bought last minute essentials, kettle, noodles and the like, we caught the Rocky fastboat from Sanur. Travelling back on the same boat were John and Sue, the lovely owners of World Diving and Kate, bringing her dog Pepper back to Lembongan after a stay in Kennels on Bali while she travelled for a few weeks, so it was a chatty, heart-warming crossing, the perfect welcome back.

After a day settling in and unpacking our ridiculous amount of supplies and stuff we ended up heading back to Sanur to buy a couple of bicycles. Last time we had hired them but it made no sense to keep shelling out with no return, especially as this time we were quoted a discounted rate of two point one million IDR EACH for two months rental! When we came over two days previously we had spotted a very lovely clearly new bicycle being wheeled up and accosted the chap pushing it who told us he was bringing it over for a friend, where it came from and that it had cost two million. So off we went and what do you know there were two available that day which we ordered before heading off to buy even more DVDs, have a lovely sushi lunch and pick up some cat biscuits for our neighbour. Since returning with our bikes we’ve already had two people ask for first refusal when it comes time for us to leave and sell them, so even including the one million boat fare and one hundred and fifty thousand carriage I think we’re onto a winner, we also have gorgeous bikes for the next few months.

And on Sunday I got back into the water, just under six weeks after I was forced out and let me tell you it was BLISSFUL. I used my new cressi travellight BCD (Bouyancy control device) for the first time and LOVED it; I dived with some very awesome divers and completed my Nitrox certification before having a great dinner with a friend who unexpectedly turned up on Lembongan.

Since then it’s been a blur of catching up, dives, mantas, dinners, instructor course research and interrupted naps. I’m following my new conservative dive plan assiduously and I’ve had not even the slightest twinge of decompression illness, long may that continue.

Marias Boemboe Bali Warung has reopened much to our joy (How jealous are you Brett?) Gede and Maria really do cook some pretty spectacular food but Maria is much in demand on the island and has another location which was taking up all her time but now a balance has been struck and our lunchtime haunt is back in business, woohoo!

In a few days I’ll be turning another year older, not a bad place to be spending my birthday, not a bad place at all Xx