Colors of Gili

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Gili Trawangan    |   Lombok   |   Indonesia

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Great days in the small paradise islands. 

With my friend visiting from Finland, we escaped the Ubud life to the Gili islands. All those tropical ocean blues were nice change to the deep greens of Ubud. Can't wait to visit the islands again!

Here are also some phone photos of the trip. So much sand, sunlotion and swimming!

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Busy days

Long time no hear! Lately my "once a week" posting haven't been so succesfull but I'll try to get back on tracks. Everything is going well here and we have started the renovation of the first room. I've been going around the island trying to find new materials for the new rooms as well as trying to find the final details for the previous ones. We already bought more than 75 square meters of marble and limestone. Can't wait to get them installed.

Some big ceremonies have slowed our workers a bit down, but I hope in the up coming days we get to the good speed again. We have already asked more men to join the constuction so we could start renovating the other room aswell. Other than working I've just been visiting some nice rice terraces, hot spring and made new connections and ideas for photos. More about those later.

As usual, here are some photos of what has been happnening

We started to take down the old room 9.

Shopping for finishing touch as well as getting some bed covers made.

Also doing some big decisions for the new rooms - like this woodcarving from Java.

The Gaytari Bungalows stickers are placed to the hotel's cars.

A beach in Sanur

Quick sketches of room 9.

Hot springs with some sulfur.

Inspiring abandoned waterpark. Already did one shoot here but I have some new ideas aswell.

Being a tourist at Jati Luwih

Time flies

I can't believe it has already been three weeks since I came here! I moved from the hotel to my friend's house for a while since the hotel is fully booked. We are planning to continue making this house like a proper home but so far the hotel has taken all our time.

I've been making plans for the next rooms to be renovated and with Bagus we have already decided the characters and the atmospheres we are looking for. Now we just have to get the new parking and laundry area ready as soon as possible so we can start renovating the rooms.

When I haven't been working I have been going to the gym and looking for models and locations for my photoserie. Yesterday I had the first photoshoot and I can't wait to get the photos done! I'm still inspired by the shell jewellery from Papua New Guinea so I'm continuing the serie I already started here last time with Cinta and brothers Dijay and Ary. I'll show more about that later.

Here are again some phone pictures from the past days.

My friend's house surrounded by rice fields.

Slow morning with the cat.

The reality of how it really went.

Already looking for things to the new rooms.

Laundry area slowly coming together.

My friend Liia from Finland came to visit Ubud so we went to see some rice fields.

Installing some new spot lights to higligh the garden

The colour of the light is quite cold, but lets see how we will fix that.

Putra found over two meters long snake from a palm tree next to the pool.

From this display we already bought the new bathroom floors. But which ones? You will see later :)

After finding this small river for the photoshoots, I like to go there for a quick swim.

After my photoshoots I usually take a polaroid picture with the model. Me and Danu by the river.

Today the workers started to cut the bedek, the bamboo ceiling for the parking area.

Slowly settling down

Since I promised to my friends and family that I'll write more about my doings here in Bali I'll try to actually do that. Let's see how well it will go!

During this past week I started to make the blueprints of the rooms that we will renovate next. With my friend Bagus we have already started to brainstorm what kind of characters will join "Graeme" and "Draupadi" and what kind of personalities they will have. I'm already quite excited what we have come up with, but it's not yet time to reveal more...

I've been also busy designing stickers for the hotel's cars and smaller stickers just to give the employees to use in motorbikes or helmets. We have been trying to find the best company to print them, but the nicer materials would require less details or the minimum order of 500 pieces which is a bit too many for us, at least yet at this point. 

Other than work I have just been reading, eating and finally, after four years, I started to go to gym again. Also before my friend Cinta headed back to Finland we went for a haircut and had lunch in Clear Cafe. I miss her already!

Still working on the finishing touch for Graeme and Draupadi. We need some trash bins and...

...Bed covers,  key rings and so on.

We are also already looking for new great things for the future plans.

Clear Cafe with Cinta.

New haircut.

Breakfasts on the Bale. I usually have nasi goreng, fruit salad and juice - with a book.

Making the blueprints of the rooms on the third floor.

The interiors that haven't really been touched for almost twenty years.

But before we can start renovating the rooms.

We have to finish the parking area first.

Young coconuts.

Ubud Fitness Center.

At the printing shop getting some samples done.