Day 39: Ashwin&Danny set sail that day for a 6 hour tour...

...a 6 hour snorkeling tour of the 3 Gili Islands. The rented fins and mask left something to be desired (the fin heels were held together with patches and staples), but we made do with what we had and enjoyed the brightly colored corals and the plethora of marine life glistening in the bright sun. At one of the stops, where the current was exceptionally strong and it turned into an impromptu drift dive, we got to swim with a large hawksbill sea turtle that was coming up to the surface for air. When Danny followed beside the turtle, he didn't realize that he had commenced on a free dive to 30 feet and struggled to make it back to the surface for air. We stopped for lunch on the smallest of the Gili Islands and ate with a couple we met on the boat. He was an American working in the anti-terrorism unit at the US Embassy in Jakarta and she was a Peruvian/Sweed English teacher. She even commented that Ashwin looked like a splitting image of her good friend, who is half Peruvian and half Swedish (we really are chameleons). The two were so nice they even suggested that we join them for dinner that night.

As our room does not have fresh water, Danny was taken aback when he brushed his teeth the first night and he got a mouthful of salt water. We discovered from our diving experience that the only places with fresh water on the island are the dive shops so that they can rinse off the dive equipment. After our snorkeling, we returned to Manta to rinse off the salt - the closest thing to showering we've had in 3 days. We will no longer take American plumbing for granted.

After relaxing with a beer in a beachside cafe (which had one of the best playlists we've heard in a while), we walked next door to the Beach House, our favorite restaurant on the island. This time, we splurged and split a 400 gram lobster and the Mahi Mahi, both of which lived up to our high expectations. During our dinner conversation, we learned an interesting and scary fact from the couple. The reason why you don't ever see cheap Thai whiskey in the States is because it contains a small amount of amphetamines. When you drink 2 buckets of this stuff, as we did on Ko Phi Phi, it adds up, and this explains a lot of our behavior (fire jumping, late nights, etc). We feel a bit violated and in the future will shell out the few extra dollars for the middle shelf.

Upon the recommendation of a British lady that Danny dove with the morning prior, we walked next door to Scallywags, our second favorite restaurant on the island, to try the chocolate brownie with mint ice cream. It was exactly as she had described it - fresh out of the oven and still gooey in the middle. On this trip we have very rarely indulged in dessert, but this was a brownie not to be missed.

As it was our last night in the Gilis, and a Friday night, what else would we do besides partake in the nightlife with several Bintangs. Wanting to make some new friends, Danny told Ashwin "Play along, you bet me 5 bucks that those girls are American", approached a group of girls in the bar, and said "Could you help me settle a bet I have with my friend? I bet you're British, he thinks your American." Turns out they were British and were offended that Ashwin pegged them as American. Nevertheless we quickly befriended them and danced the night away to the most recent American tunes, with of course the occasional Michael Jackson song. Due to a mix up at the bar, we ended up with Red Bull (it's so strong it's not allowed in America) vodkas and somehow we ended up in a saltwater pool at a nearby dive shop until 4 in the morning.