Monthly Archives: November 2012

Island Hopping

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We plan to do a bit of island hopping next month (with my dad!!), finally getting around to Lombok, and then to the Gilis.  Not to sound like a broken record, but we have wanted to visit the Gilis since we decided to go to Bali. They’re not that far, in fact a 1-2 hour boat ride can take you to any of the tiny islands. But the biggest obstacle we’ve faced is that it’s nearly impossible to get a hotel room there. So when you visit, you need to maximize your day and be sure to catch a boat back home before it gets dark. Boat prices were a bit steep in Bali, so we hesitated and in the end, stayed put.

Well, we’re determined to do this thing. We’ve bought our tickets to Lombok and being even closer to the Gilis (than Bali), we’re going to visit as many of the islands as possible. The major highlights of Lombok is the proximity to the Gilis, the scuba/snorkeling and the relaxed beat of the island.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a New Years vacation.

Omnishambles

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Sorry for the written silence these past couple of weeks. We were soaking up every minute possible with Seth’s parents, Ed and Marlene.

But I have to say, thank god they returned to the States on Saturday. No, we were not happy to see them go. In fact, as you can see by all the pictures I posted, we had an incredible time with them!

What I’m getting at is the inevitable balance to life and that this week has really sucked. Our community is having water issues, resulting in no running water for days at a time. That means no cooking, no laundry, no showering, and no using the toilets. Even the maid got irritated and went home to the kampung to take a bath.

Next, I got sick. Flu over the weekend (perhaps related to infection), then some kind of allergic reaction and/or skin infection (because of the local deodorant?) that spread quickly and forced me to go to urgent care on Monday.

Let me tell you, third world hospitals are no walk in the park. Thankfully our friend accompanied us and helped interpret my concerns to the doctor, who didn’t speak English. (Boy do I have a new found respect for medical interpreters.) But it wasn’t even that which surprised us. It was the thermometer in the box in the waiting room, which I was asked to stick under my arm. While doing so a baby played with the box while getting weighed. Box returned, thermometer thrown back in. Was it cleaned? Nope, Chuck Testa.

Then it was the doctor who was himself in pain, whining and holding his stomach. The last thing I wanted was him to examine me. Thankfully his idea of an exam was to check my lungs, make me say “ahh” three times and shine a flashlight in my ears.

What?

He then started throwing out non-related diagnosis’ and when showed an e-mail from Ed (father-in-law, Doctor) with a prescription suggestion, instantly agreed and gave it to me.

I only just realized that I received half the dosage, and will most likely have to go back. Perhaps we’ll check out another hospital and compare…? Healing thoughts are appreciated.

In the meantime, I am feeling a little better and look forward to a Thanksgiving chat with my siblings this Friday and a big Thanksgiving dinner with new expat friends this Sunday. (We found out two of them are from Oregon, too!!)

To all my friends and family back home, I hope your long weekend is filled with tasty pies, healthy doses of tryptophan, and lots of delicious wine!

ps
Familiar with the title? It’s the UK’s word of the year.