Our stay in Indonesia has been a mix of new places and friends and the return to some of old favorites, both places and people. Gili Air is certainly on the top of the favorite place list, it is simply paradise found. So it is no wonder that wonderful people come here. Every year I meet some great new friends, this year I took two home with me, “hey Sam, look what I found, can I keep her?” hahaha.
The first find was a spunky German girl, Steff, who I had the pleasure of diving with at Blue Marlin Dive Center. My preference for diving with her became well known in spite of me thinking I was cleverly hiding my intent, like I can do that. When Steff did not show up for one of the dives the other Dive Masters teased me, “you can dive with someone else you know?” I invited her to the boat, she met the girls and the rest was history, she has joined us for a month. Steff has taken to boat life like a natural, she says she has never slept so well and loves the rocking. She also gleefully takes on any task. It is great to watch someone fall in love with the lifestyle I cherish.
The next “stray” I brought home is Anna, who hails from Southern Orego, not far from where the original Furthur lays in rest. She came to hear us play music; I played cowboy and hippy songs for her. The next day I was bicycling to breakfast before we departed for our Lombok tour and heard someone call my name, turned and there was Anna. She joined me for breakfast and I invited her to come along for a few days, no hesitation. Anna is the quintessential hippy princess; her long randomly tossling blonde hair mildly controlled by a paisley head band says it all. She brought back all sorts of wonderful memories of a past hippy goddess I once knew, all memories I love revisiting. Before she knew the name of the boat on the dinghy ride out, she told me she had been to a Furthur show, and then she saw the back of the boat and let out a big wow. I had finally found another Deadhead!!!
Anna had ticketed plans that made her stay all too short, and as the song goes, ‘Like the morning sun she came and like the wind she goes”. I think we will see her again, hope so!
So with Sam gone on some land exploring, Hannah, Steff, Anna and I have had a great week exploring Gili Air and Lombok Island. First stop was Marina Madena, which now has a small dock and even shore power. This is one of two places in Indonesia which we can tie up, plug in and wash the boat. No sooner did we do so than we were visited by a horde of local kids, beaming smiles abound. I broke out the balloons, always a Segway into great fun.
The week passed all too quickly, we celebrated Steff’s birthday in Furthur style and headed back to Gili Air. Back to our friends, music and diving and the adventure goes on.
HI Brian! I am the mother of the “quintessential hippy princess Anna”. I could not be more proud of her. I could envision and feel the ocean breeze in her tossled hair, although I had not idea where she was. Thank you so much for allowing her to be part of what looks to be an amazing adventure. I appreciate your generosity and kindness. Sail Further in Peace.
Dena Dixon