Gili T- Welcome to my Paradise

Our next stop in Indonesia was the tiny island of Gili Trewangan. So tiny you can walk around it in just 2 hours. Lined with nearly empty white sand beaches and clear blue sea, Gili T is one of those places made for post cards. The island has a sleepy, laid back vibe to it and we easily managed to while away 5 days there.

One of the main highlights for me was getting back on the surf board. The waves at Gili T were perfect, possibly even better than the ones I learned on in Hawaii (but I don't know if I would admit that! :P) The current however was challenging, and the board rental limited so I spent 3 days struggling on a short board and wore myself out each time - it was great, and hopefully I improved a little!

We also enjoyed a day of scuba diving, another past time I had thus far left in Hawaii. The marine life was amazing and we saw 4 sharks! Don't worry though, we made it out with all our limbs intact.

Finally, we spent a few nights at the many bars that line Gili T. That's where we learned that this island really is the place were everyone knows your name. In a short 5 days all the locals were our best friends, no doubt hoping to find a Canadian wife. Getting tired of people asking the physiotherapists for massages, one night we went under cover as Zamboni drivers and to our surprise people we didn't even remember talking to were coming up to us the next day saying, "Hey, it's the Zamboni driver!" That's when we knew it was time to move on.

Unfortunately, once again, my camera is out of commission, (why can't they make all electrical outlets the same?) so tune in next time for some pictures of the amazing and beautiful Indonesia.

Mount Rinjani - one more high!

We have reached our last country in Southeast Asia - Indonesia. Our first mission was to climb the countries third highest peak, the sacred volcano, Mount Rinjani. At 3,726 m this was no day trip. It was of some interest to me that the manager of the trekking center is an Indonesian guy who had done an exchange in Quesnel, BC. Now that's a small world! He is working through a partnership with New Zealand to develop ecotourism to strengthen the economy in Lombok. I have to say he's doing an excellent job. We were certainly hiking in luxury. It was just the two of us, our guide who spoke excellent English, and 3, yes 3, porters to bring up our tents, food and supplies. Each porter carried about 40 kg so that was certainly a load off our backs.

The hike was challenging, we walked about 6 hours a day, mostly uphill, but the views were rewarding. On the second day we started our climb to the summit at 230 am. The sky was so clear we could see the Milky way and at that elevation it was a chilly 10 C. We made our way up the steep and slippery incline by flashlight and felt a bit like we were climbing Everest. After 3.5 hours of climbing, the air getting thinner and thinner we finally reached the summit. There was an awesome feeling of accomplishment and the views from the top were breathtaking. Unfortunately a few clouds had gathered, but as we were above them we still enjoyed a blood red sunrise. It was definitely one of the coolest scenes of the trip - and that's saying a lot!

After climbing, sliding and falling down to the inside of the crater we reached a secluded lake complete with a waterfall and hot springs to soak our aching muscles. We were greeted the next few days by many monkeys scouting us out and we finished off each night with tea and a camp fire. Now if only we had some s'mores! Our last day concluded the trek through a beautiful rain forest. It was a wonderful 4 days but I won't lie, we were happy to take off the runners and shove them to the back of our bag for a while!

Koh Phangan - Full Moon Me!

Koh Phangan is a magical island in Southern Thailand that Lindsay and I have called home for the past week. Koh Phangan is known for it's off the wall full moon parties. At each full moon the whole beach lights up with music, dancing, fire throwing, swimming, you name it, anything goes. The party is always pumping from sundown to long after sunrise. There's something about Koh Phangan and the full moon that just keeps you going and going like the energizer bunny. Not to mention if you do manage to roll out of bed before sunset, (I'm not even exaggerating) the beaches are beautiful and there are many serene places to stop and clear your head. Since I am keeping this blog rated PG (don't worry mom!), that's about all I can tell you about Koh Phangan, but I will leave you with some pictures.

Getting Pumped!!

The Bucket - drink of choice at full moon - whisky, red bull, coke

Jump Around!

Lazing by the pool by day at our luxury resort - 18 bucks a night!

Full Moon Me!

A great snorkeling beach!

Our resort from the other side!

Midnight tire swinging!

The Full Moon beach before the Full Moon
Magic Mountain
Just a small sample of the crowd at Full Moon

After Koh Phangan we were booked to go on a live aboard scuba diving trip. Unfortunately after making our way to the touristy Phuket we found out the trip was cancelled due to rough water. We were pretty disappointed but being put up in a 5 star hotel cheered us up a little, and I'm not complaining about having a few extra days to catch up on sleep!

Livin it up at our hotel in Phuket

Checkin out the nightlife in Phuket!

Going for a run on the beach!