I Left My Heart in Gili Trawangan

I've just arrived back in Ubud, after spending a full 7 days on Gili Trawangan. What a beautiful, unique and strange island. I miss it already. There will be a full, long, heart-to-heart post coming soon, but for now I will sum up what I have seen, tasted, heard, touched, smelled and felt in the last week in point-form.

No cars. No motor bikes. Dirt roads. Horse-drawn carriages. Pedal bikes. Sand bags. No police! An island governed by the people. Old world. Lots and lots of tanned skin. Young cool Indonesian guys, mostly from Lombok. Happy, smiling faces. So much talent!!!! Late-night grass-front private jams. Beaded anklets. Cats. So, so many cats. No dogs ( not even ONE! ). Fresh fish beautifully displayed at dusk. Turquoise blue water. Coral. A sea urchin in my foot ( ouch ). Reggae. Muslim announcements on the public speaker at dawn, midday and dusk. Magic. Flowers growing wild - so many colors! Flowers in my hair. Hardly any Aussies! Lots of Europeans, mostly Austrians and Germans. Delicious egg, cheese and tomato jaffle breakfast. Dirty feet. Lots of showers. Salty-skin. Sun-kissed. Sand in my hair. Property sales inquiries. I want a piece! Sunset bonfires. Palm tree bungalows. Life as it should be. Simple. Beautiful.