getting from Bali to the islands off Lombok turns out to be really easy. they have a good shuttle system for tourists so i get a 9AM pick up at the home stay, a 30 minute ride in a van then they drop you at the boat out to the islands. it's really well organized and they even tag the tourists with tags..... my bag and i are both tagged yellow for a drop on Gili Air. as soon as the boat departs there is an exodus from the cabin to get a place on the upper deck. 
soon the upper deck is packed like a boat filled with african refugees fleeing to europe but the mood is quite different. the crew brings out the beer and it transforms into a party. i love being on the water. the salt, the sun, the wind - it all feels fantastic. the channel crossing here is notoriously bad because the boats they use aren't really designed for any bad weather. there is an obnoxious group of french tourists on the deck and my worst fear is being stuck with them in a lifeboat. i think i'd rather face the sharks. i take the morning option and get across before the storms come up. the drop on the island is a wet one. you just jump over the side and wade to the beach.
the island is really tiny. it only takes 5 minutes to walk to the place i picked out online. it's not even noon so i drop my bag and head out to explore the island. the first stop is the yoga place next door.
on the board at the yoga centre i found a note someone had posted. when i walked past at the end of the week almost all the tabs were gone. it really seems that simple on the island... take what you need.
