Leaving Lombok, by Garth

On July 9th, just after breakfast we drove to the Lombok airport. We were taking an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur which would connect with another flight home to Penang. It was about an hour drive from our hotel to the airport. It was a very small airport with only 4 gates for planes to drop off passengers. However, we were surprised by the number of people at the airport. We were in Lombok over Ramadan, a Muslim holiday. During that holiday, many people fly to their home. We were told that sometimes the whole village will come out to the airport to welcome the person coming back. It was extremely crowded outside the airport, but once we got inside the airport was empty, except for people who were taking flights out of Lombok.  Everyone was dressed in very bright colours so it was a beautiful sight to see all these people, many of them - from the very old to the very young - jammed into the back of pick-up trucks.

Groups of people standing in front of the terminal

More people in front of the airport

Pick-up truck filled with people at the airport

Many people just waiting around

Just before we went in the airport. You can see Garth with Hannah and Kate.

Before we left Lombok we had to pay a departure tax of 150,000 Rupiah (about $15 Canadian) per person. In my hand I have 900,000 Rupiah (18 - 50,000 Rupiah notes). On the back of the 50,000 Rupiah note you can see the Pura Ulun Danu temple that we visited in Bali (see 'Second Day Tour from Ubud, by Elizabeth')