Where the hell is Tim?: Desert Point

Because we had gone north to Senggigi instead of south, which I had suggested, I feared that I would have to miss out on going to Desert Point. Desert Point is on the tip of the south-western peninsular of Lombok and considered one of the best waves on the planet so I really wanted to see it.
I had some problems hiding my disappointment about our change of plans because I hadn't so far seen any waves on our trip which originally was planned as a semi surf trip and really had been looking forward to this particular wave. To lighten up my mood Bekki came up with the brilliant idea to rent a motorbike for three days and head down there and after one day of rest we packed one backpack with stuff for three days, rented a bike (bike sounds so cool but it actually was a full automatic moped) and hit the road. It turned out to be a great way to travel. I drove and had the backpack between my legs on the footrest and Becks sat behind me with our day pack. I really want to go back there, fly into Bali or Lombok, and rent a bike for a few weeks (it only costs between 2,5€ and 5€ per day) and explore the south coast of the islands east of Lombok. My bag between my legs, a tent on the back and a surfboard at my side, exploring the lonely but nearly perfect waves of Nusa Tengara. The perfect surf trip!
We thought we would need two days to get there but Lombok is a very small island and we made it in 4 hours. On the way we met a German couple who we had met before in Senggigi and who followed us to the break. It turned out that it definitely had been the easier option to go to Senggigi first because there where only very few hostels which where all quite expensive and the trip down there was beautiful. That stretch of land is not very touristy but it has heavenly white beaches and crystal clear turquoise water and the islands off the coast could easily be wallpaper models. There are beautiful diving sites, quiet but wonderful beach resorts and it is the place where the Lombok-Pearl is grown.
The last 3km to the wave where hell for our motorbikes. The, to that point surprisingly good, road turned into a dirt track that could easily compete with Sumatra's worst roads for the title of being the worst road in the world. It was very rocky and the holes looked more like craters, some of them filled with loose sand which made it hard to control the bike. Definitely a dessert point. But the bad road conditions which make the access to the spot very difficult do some good too. They help keeping the crowds away and I was really pleased to see that there weren't as many people there as I'd thought and it always seemed to hold the balance between locals and the foreigners unlike most of the world class waves where the wave is always packed with people.
When we arrived I didn't believe my eyes at first. The wave was perfect. Slow but big and powerful waves breaking at the outside corner, rolling towards the beach, speeding up a little to almost double up again and end in a huge slab on the reef to the right. And barreling at all times. The lip was peeling the tubes out of the shoulder of the wave, forming a perfectly shaped oval, the eye of god... It is really hard to describe the wave because there is so much about it that I cant put into words but I can say this: Only seeing that wave, a wave of such pure perfection overwhelmed me and made me feel very happy. It was definitely one of the most beautiful and fulfilling moments of that trip.
Over time the locals and surfers had built some bamboo huts, tables to eat and benches facing the wave which made it even better. It was as if I was dreaming. We sat there for a long time, had something to eat and watched the wave and the surfers. It was about 6ft, outside maybe 8ft in sets and consistently dropping. A local told me that we had missed the big day of 12ft but it was still impressive. It was hard to get my eyes off it but what am I telling you here... you get it that it was cool and impressive and I'm starting to get on your nerves jabbering on about it. Just come and see it yourselves... it is an unforgettable sight.

We had a swim away from the wave, where we collected shells and relaxed a bit after the trip and Bekki and I headed back to see the sun going down over the wave. It was magical. I tried to get some pics but I tried to get the sun and the wave into the picture and used the digital zoom for that which wasn't particularly easy.
We had dinner with our friends on the benches facing the water and sat there for a long time, only listening to the ocean and enjoying to be in such a wonderful place.

I chose this one as well because you can see Bali's highest volcano, which is unique to Lombok's sunsets

I woke very early the next day and went straight down to the beach. Not many people were awake, only a few early birds caught some steadily dropping waves, so I went for a walk along the beach. I don't do that very often and I mainly enjoy it on occasions like this. I love the morning. In my opinion it is the most beautiful time of the day, when everything seems to be fresh and new. The waves were small now and by the time I got back it was so small, that it wasn't worth going out, which was a shame because I really wanted to but probably also a bit lucky because in every guide desert point is described as a wave for "the most experienced surfers only" which definitely doesn't means me.
We stayed a bit, had breakfast and enjoyed the sun and the great atmosphere til midday. Then we left, the swell wasn't showing any sign of picking up again over the next days, towards Kuta, where we hoped to find some more waves.