From Falls Church, Virginia, USA
Hi,
My hearty congratulations to you on your efforts. Our two experiences:
Gili visit
We played safe for a variety of reasons. We the four oldies (63 to 74) also had a Guest Mom with her five year old son and his six year old cousin from Praya. By the time they reached Sengiggi, the kids had car sickness. Then they enjoyed a hearty breakfast with us at Holiday Resort and then the road near the harbor was under repair due to heavy rains which made the last two miles of ride very bumpy. They became sick again and we had to nurse them back at the harbor that was empty.
We rode in a speed boat and got to Trawangan in 10 or 15 minutes. I am impressed you kayaked to the gillis. Should I warn the hubby about the Michele Obama muscles now
Day trip to Mt. Rinjani
We wanted to see the mountain and may be visit one of the falls. We had heard the first fall was only 10 minutes walk and the next one was further away. By the time we reached our destination, the rain clouds had cleared and we enjoyed the breakfast at the restaurant near the entrance. The view of the valley and the falls was spectacular.
The rest of the trip was far more challenging. We thought it will be a 10 minutes cake walk. Little did we know we had to navigate the slippery steps up and down but all took it as a challenge and it was well worth it. By the time we reached the falls, my wife was ready to plunge in but she was not prepared.
I admire you for climbing the mountain. Before seeing it, I could not comprehend why it will require guides and two days but now I am a believer. I hope you will do a detailed posting.
The return trip was even more challenging because it had already become steamy hot. The ride back was very nice and interesting. We stopped by a Mosque under renovation. The sign said it is a heritage site and there were several men cutting bamboos to make roof tiles. Every piece was measured before cutting and then splintered and shaped to make tiles. One of them was pleased with the cigarette money offered.
Now I believe age has nothing to do with attempting to climb. If one is prudent and well prepared, it is doable.
Josi