The reason why I blog and happen to have a huge interest in photography is to treasure every single memory I have in life, particularly those I gained during a trip.
Blame the melancholic side of me.
Photography and writing are the integrated vehicle I use every time I need to walk back down the memory lane. Through the lens of my camera, I choose which part of the trip that is worth-keeping as a trinket. Writing the details of the trip in my Evernote journal helps me to archive every simple yet precious lesson I catch along the trip.
On my recent trip to Lombok, I stumbled upon too many breath-taking sceneries. As always, the moment my eyes caught an interesting object, a bonding time with my camera began. If you travel with me, you would notice that I always keep my camera within reach. It’s common to see me withdraw from the rest of the group as I got too busy exploring the surroundings while playing with the shutter speed button.
After the hike to Rinjani, I had one free day to explore Lombok. Deciding where to go next was not a challenge at all as Lombok offers plenty of touristy spots. Beach seemed like the perfect choice to be considered as next in the itinerary. I got all excited thinking that I’ll bring home such a diverse experience out of this trip.
From the mountain to the beach. Perfect.
However, I felt like something was missing. The itinerary was full with exploration yet lacking local culture interaction. So, in between mountain and beach, I visited the home of Lombok traditional Ikat (fabric) weaving, Sade Village, and got the chance to interact with its people.
The moment you entered the village, you’ll be greeted by one of the guides who are actually the local people of Sade Village. He started to explain a little background history about this village and what makes them unique. One of the very few information that I could recall was that they prefer to marry another villager in order to keep their cultural heritage within the village which has been their generational legacy.
Although I have tried to listen with the utmost focus, I ended up getting distracted as I caught an object to be photographed. Just like a hypnotizing whisper to my ear, my muscle memory led me to grab my camera and started to explore. The next minute I knew I was already off wandering the whole village.
A little world that only I can see was birthed out of my curiosity. A little explorer boy appeared out of an eagerness to capture the authentic cultural heritage that Sade Village brought to my eyes. Through the walk from one alley to another, I captured too many interesting views that I surely wouldn’t and couldn’t find in the big city.
Mawun beach was next. I was physically too tired and all I wanted was to actually lay down on my own bed. Nevertheless, the authentic beauties before me were just too mesmerizing to be ignored. It whispered elegantly asking for my attention, teasing me to open my sandals and enjoy the white sands beneath my feet. I was hooked.
Accompanied by my faithful travel companion, my camera, I let my feet enjoyed the sandy floors. My lungs were filled with the salty yet refreshing air. Every once in a while, the crashing waves greeted my toes as if inviting them to walk further into the ocean. Sadly, I didn’t bring extra clothes.
After a while, I decided to just sit down and enjoy the moment. There were not much stories to tell about the visitation to Mawun beach so I’m just gonna let the photos speak for themselves.
A different kind of tea time was served to indulge my tummy. The menu consists of one jagung bakar (grilled sweet corn), a bowl of bakso (meatballs) and es kelapa (cold coconut water served fresh with its shell).
I took one long glance towards the ocean before I walked to the car that brought me to the airport. With all the new memories about Lombok stored at the back of my head, I breathed out my goodbye and made a promise to myself that I would come back and spend more time exploring this beautiful island.
Write to you later,
HG. (@gersonhenry)
