Chicken

Now just some general stuff about Indonesia and the kind and gentle people here.

I’m sitting at a Bar, asked the Barmen what be makes an hour? “$150,000 Rp a day” he said, so about $15.50 nz dollars, I almost tipped him a days pay after hearing that, this guy also has a family he hardly ever saw due to living onsite, I took him and his mate out to the boat for a beer. This was on Gili Air, one of the popular Gili Islands, tourists arrive from Bali on the fast ferries daily.

Driving into Mataram a few days later was like a video game, but for real, the horn is essential, overtaking mandatory. Arai says “Mosquitos everywhere today”, meaning motor scooters, hardly anyone with a helmet, we approach the roundabout, he doesn’t bother going around just cuts straight across to our exit, it seems to work, try it.

When I say 'We' I’m talking about Arai and me, Arai being my driver, he's cool, good English, I’ve meet both his ex-wifes, all his kids, Mother, Sisters, Brothers, ex wife’s new husband’s and the cat who all live together. I asked him about all the track houses we were driving past outside Mataram, being about the size of a double garage “what’s going on here Arai” I said, “Government houses, available to buy if you earn less than 2 million a month” he said, 2 million Indonesian rupee is roughly $200 nz dollars, I guess they won’t be getting the power on.
 
The blood sucking boat was thirsty for THREE new start batteries, and Arai found a place in Mataram, which is the largest city on Lombok, a population of around 500K, the island has the population of NZ. This place is a shoppers paradise, shops everywhere, you only have to think about something and it will appear, but not on your bloody phone screen, in person. I hopped out of the cab in the rain and there appeared a guy with an umbrella, when parking, you’ll have a parking guy, tips about $2000 Rp 20 cents.

We found some batteries which were cheap, we went to the Mall, KFC, this was the best KFC chicken I have ever tasted, Why you might ask?, well my guess is because they use real chicken, not that tortured mutant crap they grow under lights in sheds.

Did I tell you about the market chicken, well while Niece was here we set off to the market one morning, Me, Em and Pam, first thing on the shopping list was a ‘hand fan’, thanks Gals, I loved this little indoor market, well indoor/outdoor/dirt-floor, this was the closest I’m ever likely going to get to celebrity, white male tourist with two blondes and loads of women with Hijabs, the Girls may have been getting dirty looks but not me, I made the most of it, we came to the women selling the fresh Chickens, she could have used one of our fans for the fly's, but why a fan, when a hand will suffice, Niece and Pam were disgusted, Niece being the pescatarian was understandable, but they were mainly hand wringing about the hygiene, I wimped out, but have since been back and brought the last chicken of the day, it had been out in the 30 deg heat all morning, later I roasted half of it and it was fabulous, now I’m a regular.

The weather here has been wonderful, locals say it's normally raining this time of year.


A few pics since arriving.

Off to work
 
Not at work, sitting by the pool
Agung , An active Volcano and the highest point on Bali
$2 Pumpkin, eat your heart out
One of my favorite spots on the east side of Gili Gede
Spider Boat going fishing in Lombok Strait, these Guys fish all night, every night, mainly for Mackerel
 
Potential here
 
Horse power Baby
Kumai Fisherman
 
Wall outside a property Lovina
 
 Pound of Tobacco $15

 Plastic Fantastic

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