A couple journal entries

Journal entry for April 8, 2008
Gili Trawangan

The past 36 hours have taught me how valuable a travel companion can be. For short stints of travel going solo is okay, but for longer trips like what I’m doing, I’d really like a friend to talk to, laugh with, bounce ideas off of, share in fortune and misfortune and be an outlet to vent a little bit.

I woke up with a sore throat Monday after my birthday. I didn’t feel like doing anything, but new I needed to get out and see something. From Seminyak, I traveled to Kuta, bus to Padanbai via Ubud, ferry to Lembar on Lombok where I took a taxi to Senggigi and stayed the night, then a boat to Gili T in the morning.

I generally don’t like ferries; they’re too crowded and dirty. But this on held a wonderful secret… American power outlets! I noticed them while I was in the bathroom. This was good news since my camera battery ran out on my birthday. I had been meaning to find an adapter but never did. I was afraid of not finding on at all. I recharged my battery and now I’m hoping all the ferries will have American power outlets in them. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

Gili seems cool. Everything is slow, people walk slower, smoke their cigarettes slower and nobody is in too big a hurry. There are a lot of dive shops and restaurants. I’d like to walk around the island tomorrow, maybe do some snorkeling and hopefully meet some new friends. I’m using my cold as an excuse not to go diving. Otherwise at $30 a dive, I think I’d be tempted.

April 11, 2008

“Are you rich?” she asked. ‘Am I rich?’ I thought, ‘I have roughly six thousand dollars in various accounts, no car, no house, no job, no specific trade or skill and I’m carrying most of my possessions on my back. But am I rich? Certainly not right?’

“I think you are rich.” She had decided for herself. At twenty years old she helps her family run a shop selling sandals to tourists, hasn’t been further from home than the neighboring island to the east and doesn’t have a boyfriend because she wants one “like this” she says pointing to me.

Yeah, I’m rich. I’m healthy, I have food in abundance, I water my houseplants with water clean enough to drink, I spend more time wondering which clothes to wear instead of if I have clothes to wear, I’ve left my home country on several occasions, by my own will and for leisure at that, and the money I earn is mine to keep. Interesting isn’t it? How rich we really are?