I woke up at 5 a.m. and prepared to set out for a run. It was still very dark, so I had to look around for all the necessary tools while everyone was asleep. Due to a lack of sleep the night before, I was unsure how early I could get up the next day. Note to self: Given my “runner identity,” I should have prepared for the run anyway.
And I had one of the most enjoyable runs in a long time. I ran in solitude, stopping for pictures of the sunrise. I knew that I had just under two hours for myself. The only fear I had was the sighting of packs of dogs on the meandering dirt paths.
The initial jog was still in the dark. It was rare to spot any person then, and the dogs were out early. I kept my phone’s flashlight on and jogged. Twenty minutes later, I was so happy I had gone for the run. As I made it to running on the sidewalk alongside the big roads, I enjoyed the long, wild run by myself.
Strava gave me a decent suggestion for the run. I went along but then off track, thinking there may be a short way back connecting two adjacent routes on the map. I was wrong because there was a fence I couldn’t pass. Fortunately, I got to see many unexpected things marching on.
Being in Lombok for the first time, I did not know what to expect. I ran through poor villages in front of beaches that are part of the Mandalika beach. Even though this is the tourist town of Kuta of South Lombok, they are not exploited and excavated, unlike popular islands and beaches in Vietnam such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Ha Long Bay. I could not experience this kind of run living in the city.
I felt grateful that I was fit enough to run for much longer. It was wonderful to explore the local vibe and observe how the locals lived. I returned to our hotel in the Kuta beach area with time to spare, getting ready for breakfast with my family. We later had a fantastic time hiking up to Bukit Merese and swimming on Tanjung Beach.
I later learned about a folk story behind the name Mandalika. Putri (Princess) Mandalika was a beautiful Sasak princess and heiress of a powerful kingdom in Lombok. The other princes fought for her. Knowing that if she had to choose one prince, the other princes would cause war, she decided to sacrifice her life for peace.
Next: Who’s got the monkey?