Gili Air

After Sanur we took a boat to Gili air. When we got on the boat they took are shoes and, with bare feet, swaying to the rhythm of the ocean, we got right into the island vibe.

On the island everything moves to the rhythm of the ocean. Waking up at sunrise to appreciate the beginning of the day we watched fishermen setting their nets from colorful boats that rocked on the waters. They seemed so at home on the ocean, balancing on the edges of the boat and jumping into the water to tie lines or pull the boat ashore. We fell into the movement of the ocean when we donned our snorkels and floated with the fish, following their amazing colors, shapes, and behaviors. My favorite was the parrot fish and squid and Adam liked the sea turtles and a giant fish he saw. Sometimes the little blue fish would swarm around us surrounding us with a column of moving shimmering blue.

Then after that the days were lazy and slow. We would walk the quiet beaches and rest drinking fruit juices in the little bamboo huts with day beds in them that lined the beaches. The pace of the island magically takes hold as everyone relaxes through the mid day together. This is also the month of Ramadan and most people who work on the island were fasting so even employees were resting and napping throughout the day. It seed wrong that people who are so hungry and thirsty have to serve food and drinks to others but that is how the tourist industry works. You work and push hard to make enough to be able to support your family at home. And what seems like little money to us is huge for them. We live in a world with such disparate wealth.

After a lazy day the island would rally again for subset. Restaurants set up bean bag chairs on the beach in rows like at a movie theater, but instead of watching a screen we watched the sunset. Everyone drank bintang (the local beer) and smiled as the sun went down. Then, after a delicious meal the tourists went to bed and the locals ate dinner and often worked and talked into the night.

I wrote this after watching the sunrise one morning:

Into light and unity:
Golden globe rises over where mountains and ocean meet, sprinkling golden butter warmth in a celestial trail connecting us. As the hills lighten life wakes. People move up and down the beach, animals rise, and birds sing in far away trees as the ocean watches, rolling and tumbling , millions of lives moving with her flow.

Travelers are like these sea creatures, letting life pull them in unforeseen directions, releasing themselves from obligations and returning to the pure flow of life. We are here to slow down. Let our heart beats calm until they fall into line with the ocean and each other. Fall into light and unity.