Wind, Rain & Snakes..

I have not blogged half as much as I have wanted to the past week or so, this week we have had pretty much a piece of every extreme weather imaginable, which has played havoc with our Internet connection! 


First of all, we knew it would be rainy in January it is after all rainy season, but nothing could have prepared us for quite how much rain we would see! It is literally like someone is holding a bucket up in the sky and pouring it down, never seen rain like it! The good thing is though, that we don't really get whole days of rain, we've had a couple but it usually just rains in the evening, or late in the afternoon..
Then came the wind! So strong, it pushed us along when we we're outside, quite scary driving around as there are so many trees and we saw loads blown down - not to mention one falling on an electricity cable just as we we're driving past it! 
Last night we had the extreme thunder & lightening - lightening bolts that last for around 30 seconds each lighting up the whole sky, which is obviously followed by the thunder...wow, the thunder! I am not really a fan of thunder, I am getting used to it more now, it sounds like the sky is ripping apart and even shakes the house! Last night, there was a huge clap and I found myself doing an involuntary hop across the room to get away from it! I guess, when it shakes the house it kind of feels like an earthquake - or at least the sound does, anyway! 


We had an earthquake here our first week, it was 6.1 on the Richter scale but luckily very deep, but it was such a strange sensation, and although it didn't have a sound, it sounded like thunder, like a rumble before everything else started to shake! It being our first week, I did the complete wrong thing in panic and ran, when actually as our apartment was in a Rice field, I was perfectly safe where I was (George was out at the bank and didn't feel it because the roads are so bad!) After that, I found myself in a bit of a worrying state, late at night if I heard an aeroplane going over, I'd think it was another earthquake, every time we went to the beach I'd be planning my escape - I am a lot calmer now though, and it is not at the forefront of my mind...


No, that has been taken over by the thought of snakes!! It is my own fault, I watched a stupid programme about the deadliest animals in the south east Asia pacific region - and, yep - most deadly snakes can be found here in Bali! I now find myself looking at every pile of leaves, every tree, even shouting at the floor when I get out of the car in case any are underneath!! This is what I do though, I have an obsession and it stays with me for a while and it's all I can think about! I even had an idea yesterday of some night vision goggles, that didn't act on heat they somehow pick up snakes - I have no idea how, but I think it would be a winner! I think this would definately be a good one to take on Dragon's Den! George didn't agree, he said it was stupid - easy to say for a snake lover!! (Weirdo!) 


Speaking of deadly snakes, it has reminded me of a night over Christmas. We went to the Gili Islands, which are a group of three islands off Lombok, absolutely beautiful! One evening we were all sat around the bar there were a couple of locals with guitars entertaining us, it was a really nice chilled out night. Anyway, our friend, a South African diving instructor called Darren, shouted out "there is a snake on the bar" so, naturally I ran (not very far, I ended up standing on a table next to the bar, because here I was safe!?) The local man, had a baby cobra in a bottle and was teasing it, making him stand to attention as cobra's do, bearing in mind, we we're on a desert island, nearest hospital minimum 2-3 hours away and this would kill you in an hour! It turned out, he hunts the old fashioned way, with poison arrows - he had this snake for his darts! We all sat back down, pleased he had put the Cobra away - then, he bought out a sea snake!! This would kill you in 20 minutes! It really was one of the most surreal experiences of my life! Fascinating though, to think that people actually still hunt this way - we thought after, that having those snakes on the bar, was actually the same as him holding a loaded gun, crazy!!


Wow, I have really rambled! Here is a picture of the Gili islands, we stayed on Gili Meno, which is the middle island, there are no cars or bikes - only horse & carriage, walk, or cycle! Can't wait to go back there.

Our favourite place for lunch, looking out through the mangrove trees

Me!

Gemma xxx