Desert Point, Lombok

While I was in Lombok I wanted to go to Desert Point which is one of the legendary surf spots on the island where WSL (World Surf League) has hosted competitions in the past. It turned out that it wasn’t that easy. It’s located quite far away on the island, as the name suggests, and the road is quite bad. I got recommended a hotel to stay at on a small island called Gili Asahan from where I then could take a boat to the place. Gili Asahan is a quiet and beautiful island where you can go diving and snorkelling, or just enjoy some peace and quiet. Which I did. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets, nice swimming and good snorkelling. I saw a heart shaped construction of the coral reef just outside my hotel. Too bad I didn’t have a proper lens to my camera to capture the shape. But I enjoyed seeing it.

And that’s the thing with me, of course I love to take photos, but I’m more about seeing and experiencing things and places. I very much would like to visit Nazaré in Portugal. Not for photographing surfing, but that would be an added bonus of course, but I want to see it! I want to see the big waves come in from the sea, the power of the Atlantic with gigantic waves. Someday!

Anyhow, I set out to go to Desert Point early on a beautiful clear day in a fishing boat from Gili Asahan. I had checked the report on Magicseaweed, and it was supposed to be good but you never know. The boat ride there was just amazingly beautiful. I could study the coastline of Lombok and we met some fishing boats, I even spotted a dolphin and of course I could see Gunung Agung on Bali.

And I enjoyed the whole experience so much. When we were getting close to Desert Point it didn’t seem like the waves were good, and I could see no surfers. But that’s a risk you take. And I was having such a good time so it didn’t matter and I was taking lots of photos of the nature, the fishing boats and the fishermen. As we was getting closer I could see one lonely surfer appearing. And while we were at the surf sport the waves started rolling in. And sitting in a fishing boat when that happens is a very special experience too. So I got some surf photos from Desert Point, and I got to feel what it’s like to sit in a boat when waves are coming in. And trying to take photos at the same time, which is even more trickier than being on the ground photographing surfing. But not as tricky as being in the water taking surf photos.

And when we got back, since it was a clear day, I went snorkelling with my camera and came back with even more photos. And I was exhausted, which I usually get after photographing for a long time, so I then could relax and enjoy the island and the hammock outside my cabin. The thing with the exhaustion I thought was something that only happened to me, yes very pretentious I know, but when I was participating in a photography workshop I heard that from another photographer as well. So I guess it has something to do with focusing so much and being so concentrated that drains you of all the energy you have.