I called Expedia today to get my refund on the Bali Nyuh Villas disaster. I was on the phone with them for 50 minutes via Skype. And they could not refund me at that time. The manager of the Villas had a short time window in which he could confirm the records of that day. And it wasn’t now. It was in four hours. Well, whatever. As long as I got my money back, right?
Well, the Expedia rep said he’d need to call me back, following the manager’s call, to give me my refund. Unfortunately, I’d be in route to Gili Trawangan. And I didn’t know when I could get back on Skype again. So I gave him my parents’ phone number and alerted my parents.
Everything worked out. The manager confirmed the non-booking and my dad fielded the Expedia call. Although he said it took 50 minutes for him, too, and he had to speak with a supervisor. This refund hassle turned me sour to Expedia, too.
Jameelah and I checked out and went to the Perama office. We saw lots of 20-something travelers there. It was indeed going to be an active, fun, island-hopping experience.
The bus left promptly at 12pm for Padangbai, the port town. Jameelah and I played 20 questions about 20 times. And we kept chanting Padangbai. Try it. It’s fun. Padang-baiiiiii.
We arrived in Padangbai an hour later. We hauled our backpacks to the shore, waded out knee deep to a small boat, and ferried over to the big boat. I estimated about 20 travelers onboard and a crew of 5. I popped two Dramamines (for sea sickness), and we were off. Jameelah and I passed time with backgammon, chess, and a nap.
We arrived at Gili Trawangan at dusk, about four hours later. Again we ferried from the big boat to shore via a small boat and knee-deep walking. However, it was more challenging in the dark.
The island, too, was dark. Light posts were sparse. There was a two-mile stretch of restaraunts, bars, and mini-marts on the mid-eastern side of the island. And that was it for lit areas.
The Gili Islands are too small for normal city infrastructure. Everything is imported onto the islands. Motor vehicles are not allowed; instead they use cidomos (horse carriages). While there are power stations on the islands, most businesses have generators for common outages. There are no police on the islands, although crime is low. The population of Gili Trawangan is only 800.
We rushed to look at lodging. We had no reservation, and I assumed many other of the Perama riders didn’t either. We needed to snatch a room quickly. The island is small, and it’s possible that all lodging can be booked.
We chose the first one that interested us. It was an A-frame hut with private outdoor shower for $25/night and only 200 feet from the beach. Score.
I heard some wailing over a loudspeaker in the distance. I didn’t like it. It tore through the peace and quiet of the island. I consulted with my guidebook. There was a mosque in that direction. I figured that was the source.
Jameelah and I walked over to the main stretch. We enjoyed hookah next to lapping waves and under the starry sky. Jameelah thought it cost $1. But it turned out to be $11. Oh well. So, lodging on the Gilis was cheap, but the food and drink–not so much.
We noticed many cats on the island. And most had no tail. We weren’t sure why. It was odd.
Jameelah turned in early. And I went back out to explore. When I returned later, I startled her from my heavy walking on the wood plank floor. She thought there was an earthquake. 
