Komodo: It's Hard to Say Goodbye

Flores to Lombok 4D3N, Day 4

After partying last night, everyone was still asleep that morning. I opened my eyes at 5 am again and began my routine to washed my face and brushing my teeth. However, I felt so lazy that day, I saw a France couple near my cabin was sleeping and not bothered to hike to Kenawa Island so I decided to get more sleep and didn’t take the hike chance as well.

I tried to sleep again but I couldn’t, I went to the deck after the last group was headed to Kenawa Island. I could see the sunrise from the boat so I think I would just stay on the boat and better to just enjoy my last sunrise on the boat alone without everyone else. I sat there and listen to music with my eyes looking at the sunrise. This was my third sunrise on this boat, every sunrise I witness on this trip was never disappointing me at all. I could see everyone hiked to the top of Kenawa Island from where I was sitting on the boat, they looked so tiny like ants. They were sitting facing the sun that slowly risen like me too. Kenawa isn’t that high to hiked actually, I was just lazy and just need time to be alone.

Mas Andi (boat chef) sent me banana fried after I saw him making a banana pancake, I told him I preferred banana fried rather than banana pancake and he gave me what I want! I thought he would give me 2 or 5  pieces of banana fried, but he gave me lots of banana fried. I couldn’t finish those and share them with everyone when they arrived on the boat. Everyone said it was delicious and they took it over and over again, I guess they were hungry after the hiked.

I saw mas Andy was cleaning the boat when everyone was hiking, that’s when I realized why the boat always wet when we arrived there after doing our hike. He was the culprit! I thought it was wet because of the dew or the current that was trapped there. Turned out it was Mas Andy who's mopping the floor with seawater. Everyone was coming back and I shared the banana fried to them. Patricia and Ale came straight to me after arrived on the boat and asking me why I wasn't hiking! She told me, 

"You told me last night you would go hiking! I was looking for you everywhere Umi, I was worried!". 

I felt bad for her, it was my mistake, I told her that I would go hiking, and yet I didn't do it.

Ale calmed her down by saying "She wants to have her time alone Pat," and she stopped asking me.

Sorry.

We sat on the deck and ready to say goodbye to each other because it was our last day to be on the boat. After we packed, we were ready to head to our next destinations. Everyone had different destinations or places to visit so we hugged, taking pictures, and we parted while saying to each other to meet again in the future. We knew, it's impossible for us to be on one boat again in the future and this promised to see each other again isn't possible. I know it wouldn't come true though, but what else we can say to each other except this? It's truly hard to say goodbye.

Arrived on the harbor, there were shuttles that would take us to our next destinations. It divided by 2 destinations which were to the Gilis or to Kuta since I would head to Gili Trawangan so I was on the shuttle to the Gilis. I remember the shuttle which I was in was filled with our group again. There was a Netherlands couple, Spanish, Germany Girls, a Swedish, and a local, if I’m not mistaken, the total of us in the shuttle was 17 people along with 1 boat crew, 1 driver, and 1 assistant.

Before we arrived in the Gilis, we had to stoped in the rest area (Indomart & Alfamart) so whoever wanted to go to the toilet can use the toilet in the rest area. Everyone also bought some snacks or water or noddles. I sat with Yawan in front of Alfamart, that’s when I saw that Germany guy again and I spontaneously waving my hand and smile to him. Luckily he waved back and smile at me, if not I would be really embarrassed. That Germany guy and I had a moment sitting side by side again that morning in silence, same as before, we never had a small talk or a conversation, so I wasn't sure if he would wave back to me when I spontaneously did that to him.

We sat there and ate our snacks and Ale joined us eating his noodles. Several minutes later we have to part again and would really never seen each other again in the future, my last time seeing Ale and Yawan who were heading to Kuta which different from my destination, they were really kind to me. On the shuttle, everyone saw some students who practice lining for our marching ceremonies. Swedish guy or Andreas asked me what it was and I told him it was because 17 August is Indonesian Independence so every chosen student had to practice that marching ceremony before the actual ceremonial day comes.

In Mataram, the shuttle made a turn to the Wanua Adventure office and it was snacks time for us. I was sitting alone before Andreas, Lisa, and Nina come to join me. Lisa and Nina were the first girls I knew on our first day along with Patricia. While for Andreas, had the first conversation with me on our second day, we accidentally sitting side by side on the shuttle so we talk quite a lot there. The snack was not much but better to fill our stomach than nothing. We had 3 kinds of fried things and a cup of hot tea. Done with the snack we hit the road again and 3 hours after our ride from Kayangan Harbour, we finally arrived in Bangsal Harbour.

It's the last time we really had to say goodbye, we've done this twice already and this is the third time we say goodbye to each other. Everyone parted away again and we were gathered in 2 groups, Gili Air group, and Gili Trawangan group. Since I was in GT group along with Andreas and 3 other guys from Spain, we followed the crew and he bought us a Ferry ticket which was so great. Only paid 2100k of their service for 4 days and 3 nights with their full service, still had the free shuttle, snack time, and still get a free ticket to go to the Gilis? Wow, Their service is top-level! If you are a slow backpacker like me, this kind of trip is right for you.

We waited for the Ferry to come to the seaside. The harbor was getting attacked by Tsunami a year before so it needed to rebuild again. It wasn’t a problem actually, but my luggage suddenly became a problem because it needed to be carried from the road to the shore. Luckily, the Spanish guy offered me a hand to carry my luggage, couldn’t thanks him enough. After the boat came, we get on the boat and 15-20 minutes later we arrived in Gili Trawangan and we get off at the seaside again! Prepare your flipflop, please. I almost cry when I saw the Spanish guys left me without helping me with my luggage. The boat was on the seaside and high enough from the boat to reach the beach, so I needed someone to take my luggage there. Suddenly, Andreas offered me his hand to take my luggage from the beach. I feel touched and happy because I thought he left me like the others did to me.

We said goodbye again 4th times already because we had different hotels to be check-in. My hotel was on the left side of the harbor and the others were on the right side so it was really our last time to say goodbye and never see each other again. But, it turned out I was wrong again, I met Andreas in the Paradise Sunset in the evening! I saw him walking from afar when I was sitting with my new friend I've met in front of my hostel's gate, Jihye. I only saw his scarf which has a peach color actually. I would never forget his scarf because I've seen it when he read a book on the deck the other day, also he wore it almost everywhere, the scarf was always beside him.

He walked confidently to the other side and he couldn't see me waving at him at first. I was hopeless letting him go away like that until I've seen him again walking far right behind me looking for a table to sit. I was standing to take a picture at that moment, so I waved again to him, and finally, he saw me and come to join us there. We decided to have some fun together that night, have dinner together, and went to see live music together. I saw him again the next day when I was looking for a place to have some massages, but unable to call him because he already turned the other way, and again, I saw him because of his scarf! Maybe without his scarf, I wouldn't saw him again and again. So thanks to the scarf I guess? How funny! Too bad we were not taking any pictures together, I only have this picture with my memory with them.

How about you? Have you had any experienced that would never be forgotten by you? I think the moment I always meet my Swedish friend would always memorable to me because it probably never happened again with someone else in the future. Accidentally meeting someone over and over again because I couldn't forget his scarf is hard to forget, right! Tell me if you have any experience you'd never forget about in the comment! and my story about Flores to Lombok for 4 days and 2 Night end with this post. In the future, I might be smiling again remembering this day through my post here. Our memory can fade, but our writing last.