See Lombok Before the Tourists Come

Off Komoto Island, Indonesia, October 26, 2011, 3:15pm local time - aboard M/V Silver Shadow

Lembar, Lombok Island, Indonesia, October 25, 2011


We anchored off Lembar, the port for Lombok Island, early this morning and were transferred ashore by tender.  Lombok Island is on the eastern side of the Lombok Strait from Bali Island, and Lombok is a want-to-be Bali.

For you of a scientific bent, the Lombok Strait is where the Wallace Line passes north to south through the Indonesian archipelago dividing Eurasian flora and fauna from the Austral pacific.  Politically, the strait also separates the more developed western Indonesia of Java and Bali from the less developed, long-neglected eastern Indonesia.

On reaching the pier, we were herded back on the tourist buses for what was called the Historical Lombok Tour.  Lombak's history from the 17th Century seems to largely consist of a three-party war, conducted by the Sasak (Lombak's native peoples), the Balinese, and the Dutch.  Although these wars continued into the 20th Century, the killing did not stop Lombak's current population from reaching 3.1 million mostly impoverished souls.  FYI, this island is about one-half the size of Hawaii (The Big Island) where J&E live.

Our local guide was a Sasak who had never left the island and was locally educated.  He spoke excellent English and was candid in the extreme.  "I had two wives, but it didn't work out."  His knowledge of local history, culture and folktales was extensive.  Also, he was a local singer and TV commentator, so the tour was very entertaining.

Gamalon Orchestra Welcome to Lombok

Our first attraction was the Narmada Royal Palace, which is now a park.  It was built as a royal retreat by one of the 17th Century Balinese kings and consists of his quarters, a terrace temple representing the nearby active volcano (Mt. Rinjani), and a tank (water feature) which collects spring water thought to have fountain-of-youth properties.  The tank is also a surrogate for the crater lake of the volcano (Segara Anak).

Telaga Padmawangi Tank and Temple, Narmada Palace

We visited the sacred spring of eternal youth.  The waters are supposed to reduce signs of aging.  This is accomplished by washing your face in the sacred waters.  J&E washed, but there are, to date, no visible positive changes.  However, it didn't cost $200.00 like the facial in the ship's spa (which doesn't seem to have any marked effect either).

Our next stop was the Lingsar Temple, the most holy site in the Sasak religion.  Sasak beliefs are largely Muslim, but also include animist and Hindu practices.  They reflect the inclusive approach to religion often seen in Hinduism and Buddism.  Lingsar Temple embodies this in its architecture and rituals.

Lingsar Temple, Main Gate

At Lingsar, there are a number of spring-fed pools which also have special properties.  One is the Indonesian version of "Thee Coins in a Fountain," or the wishing well.  The pools are somewhat unique in that they are inhabited by eels whose appearance insures your good fortune.  Sadly, the eels would not appear for the benefit of our tourists no matter how many soft-boiled eggs were offered by the guides.  Eels, it appears, are very fond of soft-boiled eggs.

The Sasak's flavor of Islam represented by Lingsar Temple is in decline and not the "official" version of Islam in Indonesia.  There are many new, "official version" mosques under construction.  Our guide called it a "mosque race," with each village building a new and bigger mosque, but the attendance is often "less than 16" for Friday prayers, according to our guide.

Our next stop on the half-day tour was at Sayang Sayang Art Market (Tourist Trap).  These "Art Markets" seem to always consist of about two dozen stalls all selling the same stuff.  Well, they did offer us a free soft drink.

Our last stop was at Mayura Court in Mataram, the current capital of West Nusa Tenggara Barat province.  Mayura Court started existence as the Balinese raja's palace complex and a Hindu temple.  It was the site of negotiations between the Balinese and Sasak over cooperation in fighting the Dutch during the 1890s, and the site of a battle between the Balinese and Dutch in which a Dutch general was killed.  He is buried here.

Mayura Court, Pavilion -- Site of Sasak/Balinese Meetings

Balinese Hindu Shrine, Mayura Court

Mayura Court was also used as a prison by the Dutch and Japanese.  It has a long history of involvement in the political events of Lombok.

One quaint and colorful aspect of the local Lombok scene is the pony cart used as taxis around the island.  The Lombok pony is a little larger than a Shetland Pony, but smaller than a Quarter Horse; however, he is one strong animal.  The pony can pull a horse cart made from a mini-pickup truck bed that has been modified with a sun shade roof and painted in bright colors.  Then, add to this the weight of a driver and 4 to 6 passengers -  one strong, little horse.

Lombok Pony Cart

(Image by Ms. Dorothy Thompson, used with permission.)

A 30-minute bus trip (nothing for experienced tour bus riders) back to Lembar Harbor, and we were put on tenders for a short trip to the Silver Shadow.  In many ways, our Lombok visit was a better tour experience than those in Java and Bali.  Java's congestion and Bali's over development made both of them less appealing than Lombok.  Although Lombok may have less to offer, it may provide a better insight into Indonesia, so, "visit Lombok before the tourists come."