The start of the journey

Tuesday, April 10th 2012
Dan's idea - why don't you create a blog? So here goes - probably be high-jacked by Brian who has taken to getting up and writing his own version of War and Peace each morning which he has just distributed to a 'chosen' few but for now he's reading so it's all mine!
Assuming you have all read my emails to date I am going to start with our dinner invitation to Sukini's.

The confirmation of the dinner invitation came late – 6.15, just as we were thinking about preparing our salad – with Yeni saying she would pick us up in an hour. Dinner was an experience – 4 different types of fish, two in banana leaves, one in a very chilli sauce and one, my favourite, basted and barbecued in a soya marinade. We ate outside sitting on the gazebo, Brian and I with forks, everyone else with fingers, delicious. Later we went to the shop where it was Sherly’s turn to work and were driven home after closing by Agust with Sukini and Dad in the car while Yeni and Sherly drove the bikes home, Sherly with a 5 year old girl on the back, Dad’s niece who appeared to have been farmed out due to a new baby! Arrangements have been made for a cooking lesson with Sukini and a visit to some of the beautiful and less touristy parts of Lombok with Agust. 

However, the cookery class didn’t happen, Sukini’s step-mother died in Central Lombok and I had a touch of ‘Bali belly’ – except it’s Lombok! Don’t know what it was but I don’t want it again thank you very much! Then today had a text from Yeni saying Agus was asking about the 'tour program', I replied asking when he wanted to go and have heard nothing since.

Meantime, Brian has broken the shower head so we are showering with what resembles a hose and the roof leaked when it rained yesterday so we are expecting a visit from the owner tomorrow.

A typical day - wake up around 8/8.30, Brian gets up to check sports results and update his diary and I read in bed for an hour. Game of scrabble followed by a late breakfast or brunch of fruit and eggs (not together!). Another game of scrabble, I'll do the washing - every other day - walk into Senggigi, shop around, have a drink, coffee or lemon juice, walk back, have a shower, play scrabble, cook dinner, watch a pirated DVD or play scrabble, bed. We would have played cards sometimes but they went astray when Brian lost his bag and we haven't managed a replacement yet.