When in Nusa Lembogan I decided to take the little paths, I discovered the back of the scene: the garbage treatment on an island. Where do you put your coca cola bottle when it’s empty and you live in the middle of the ocean? 

   

I observed in Koh Rong in Cambodia some boats collecting weekly all the trash and sending them in land where they were treated… Or dropped in some landfilleds. 

How Nusa Lembogan was dealing with everything?

  

  

I am not a green reporter, I didn’t wake up that day feeling that I had to pierce this mystery. I must say that the only reason I start to ask myself where ended up my sneakers’s plastic wrap was because of my little trip on the only road circling the island after visiting the Mangroves.

  

It was clear on the map that only the west coast was providing accommodations for the tourists. I wondered what was this green bold area represented on the drawing representing Nusa Lembogan.

   

Fields of palm trees, little huts, fishermen houses and in some parts, garbages. Not that green anymore huh!

    

You always imagine going on an adventure in a paradisiac island, and findin the most beautiful landscapes ever. All more beautiful than the others. Specially when you are travelling during the low season (thank you monsoon) and that the island hosts only 5 000 souls. Nobody tells you you will have to wal with the garbages, ruins and trash at the bottom of a mountain. Sorry if that ruins your picture, I think it’s just a big jump into the reality. 

  

 But I had that day an authentic experience. The one that the travel agencies try to avoid making publicity about. The one I was not ready for. And what is travelling if not experiencing and learnings? 

    

I am not saying here that Nusa Lembogan was a dirty piece of paradise. Well, ok… That’s the title of this article, but I try to get you read me how I can!

    

I just try to say here that thanks to this day, I lost a bit more of my naive state of mind about the world. A virgen island is not virgen of trash. Humans fuck everything up… Or maybe, in the end, I liked to see the real face of Nusa Lembogan… Maybe, I found beauty in the dark side of it…