sorry it's a bit long again....you might like to read it in stages :')
Friday 2nd September
Last night, here in Labuanbajo, I went for dinner to find out about trips to see the Komodo dragons and some hiking. At the restaurant I asked the first couple I saw if they knew anything about the trips (maybe they had already been and could recommend a travel agency?) and they said they had already made a reservation to go on a trip tomorrow and there was room for other people. So I went down to the travel agency with the Czechs to find out more. At first I wasn't sure because it seemed I wouldn't be able to do the trek I was interested in, and it seems every tourist just does the same thing, but I thought the Czechs would be good company for the trip and maybe something would work itself out with the trekking.
So this morning I got down to the travel agency at 7am, and had breakfast at the bakery across the road. At 8am, Swatya, Jana (the Czechs), Florentine the young trainee travel agent and I walked down to the boat to begin the trip to Rinca and Komodo Islands to see the Dragons and go hiking and snorkelling on a 2 Day / 1 Night trip. Once the Captain turned up we were off!
As we left Labuanbajo we passed by the same small islands I had passed on the ferry here, but a bit closer up. Florentine helped the Captain's mate to prepare lunch while we sat and enjoyed the views for a couple of hours, until we reached Loh Buaya, the small Jetty on Rinca Island.
There are 1336 Komodo Dragons (known here as Ora) on Rinca, 1288 dragons on Komodo and about 150 on the surrounding Islands. As we walked along to the Ranger station we noticed that the Island is very dry with sparse vegetation, it is the dry season. We met our Ranger, Harris. He explained that on our 2 hour hike, he could not guarantee that we would see dragons, since they are wildlife. He grabbed his sturdy, two-pronged trident-shaped stick to fend off any aggressive beasts.
As soon as we walked around the corner we saw a dragon splayed out on the sand, which took us by surprise. This one had a broken leg from fighting. Close by is the rangers' canteen and there were more dragons hanging around there. They don't seem particularly dangerous (though of course they are) because they are lazy and just lounge around in the shade. Harris would give them a bit of a nudge on the backside with his trident so they would get up and walk along a bit.
We hiked a little, along the dry riverbed. we came to a dragon's nest and we stopped while Harris told us a bit about dragons. We were stood next to a few holes in the ground. The female actually digs a few holes and keeps her eggs in just one of them, the other holes are decoys to trick the male dragons who would otherwise eat the eggs. Dragons are cannibals! The mother protects the eggs but once they are hatched she pretty much leaves them be and the babies climb up a tree for safety, and stay until they are about 3 years old. Males outnumber females 3:1.
The thin forest gave us some protection from the searing sun and we saw some megapodes, but then we walked out onto the savannah for a while, cooking. We were the only visitors out there and it felt very remote. We came to a watering hole where a water buffalo was drinking, and then Harris pointed to a dragon up on the dry river bank. It had it's back to us so we walked around to the side of it, staying the regulation 5m away from it, maybe!
It was aware of us but not interested and again Harris gave it a nudge and it got up and walked about 5 metres before slumping down again. Then a huge water buffalo started down the bank and we thought there might be a fight but I guess the dragon wasn't feeling hungry or brave because it just stepped out of the way. After watching the dragon for maybe half an hour we walked back the way we had come and back to the boat.
Lunch was waiting for us: fried fish, which I guess they caught this morning, rice and veggies, very good. We then arrived at small Kambing Island for snorkelling. The water was a bit chilly at first, but ok. There was some good coral nearby, then I swam round to the beach and further round to the other side of the island. There was alot of plant life there as well as coral. The different coloured plants swayed gently with the current and it was great, as good a snorkelling as I can remember.
In the water I met a couple of tourists with their Indonesian guide. As we went along we saw many strange things clinging to the rocks, I wish I knew what they were. Then I saw a huge lionfish, maybe bigger than a football, including the length of its spines, much bigger than the one I saw in Pulau Weh. I knew not to get close, but when I pointed it out to the Indonesian guide he made us swim even further away; he had previously had a guest injured, poisoned and hospitalised by one, this was enough to persaude us. It only took about 20 minutes to swim round the island so I started to go back to see the lionfish again but then the water seemed a scarier place and I thought better of it!
Back in the boat I chatted with Florentine. She is 18, from a catholic family, goes to church every week and has 7 siblings. She is studying tourism and wants to be an English teacher. We talked about the differences between Australia and Indonesia. As with many Indonesians she was surprised when I said I am not religious. She has only ever been to Labuanbajo and and her home town of Ruteng. we moved along to Kalong Komodo where we could see Flying Foxes in the distance. We put down the anchor, had dinner, watched the sunset and chatted, partly about Swata's trips to Africa. There wasn't much else to do so we crashed out, under blankets since it was a bit cold out there.
Saturday 3rd August
Up at 6am to watch the sunrise over the sea, and the boat started moving. Banana fritters and coffee for breakfast. As we arrived at Komodo Island we could see the small fishing villages. We docked at Loh Liang at 7am. Last night I had asked the Captain if he would pick us up from Loh Sebita, the other side of the peninsula, so that we could hike there for four hours and not have to then double back. Last night he said no, because he did not know the conditions but we asked the Rangers at Komodo and they were happy to provide a guide for us (for an extra fee) and when Florentina asked the Captain this morning he said ok.
Again we did not have to walk far to see dragons. As we came to a bit of a clearing, there were two big ones under a tree, and again the sight of them made us jump a little. I expect they are there most days, along with 15 or so other tourists. I was a bit snap happy with the camera and should have taken more time to watch them, not just through the camera lense, nevermind. At one point one of them was striding right towards me, with a couple of the people between us, but the ranger soon stood in the way and waving his stick around was enough for the beast to back off. On cue, the dragons struck classic lizard poses, just like the small lizards in Pulau Weh.
The hike across the peninsula on Komodo Island was excellent. It was just the four of us and the guide and we walked thorugh the wilderness; sparse forest, up some small hills, down the side of valleys and in the open country, sometimes with ocean views. We saw orchids and cockatoos. Towards the end of the hike we spotted a dragon crossing our path up ahead, he was running quite quickly and went into the bushes so we didn't see him for long but at least he was out in the wild.
We arrived at Loh Sebita and the Captain seemed happy enough, had tied the boat up and we had to walk in the mud and then the sea up to our thighs to get back on the boat and I let the Captain know that we appreciated his efforts. We had lunch and headed across the ocean enjoying the views and nodding off. We then arrived at Kerachoul for more snorkelling. I walked in off the beach and the coral was ok and there were some big purple fish. We didn't snorkel for long as we wanted to get back to Labuanbajo for the bus.
At 4:30pm We arrived at the jetty and the end of the trip. We went to where the bemos hang out hoping to make it to Ruteng tonight, and as soon as we got there, there was one just leaving. The bemo was not too cramped and we enjoyed the scenery as we got into the countryside where the road is lined with small basic houses and crops. We stopped for dinner, mine was rubbery tofu and tempe. We arrived in Ruteng in the dark and checked into a (relatively) decent hotel. Again a blanket was necessary.
Sunday 4th September
As we were having breakfast on the terrace, thinking about how to get to Bajawa, a couple of guys came past in a Toyota and offered to take us to Bajawa for the same price as the local bus. Well, although I often prefer local transport, it seemed silly to turn down their offer. I don't really understand why transport in Flores is so expensive and the driver could not explain it either. This was something I hadn't really realised before I started this journey to the East.
The scenery was good today; we passed by jungles, volcanoes, rice terraces and valleys. The road wound it's way up to Bajawa and unusually for me I felt a bit travel sick. I had a walk around the town and got a few friendly 'hey mister's'. I got my shoulder bag fixed by a tailor with a sewing machine, he fixed the zip too and I think he was going to do it for free but I gave him some cash. I found the bank and some mangoes and had gado gado for late lunch.
In the afternoon I met a couple from Victoria and they recommended local guide Alfonse for the tour around the villages around Bajawa. So with the Czechs I rounded up 3 other tourists and after meeting with Alfonse, we have arranged for him to guide us tomorrow. A bit chilly this evening, fleece required.
Monday 5th September
The six of us (2 Czechs, 2 Poms, an Israeli and I) met up with Alfonse and the bemo driver at 8am and we headed out to the villages surrounding Bajawa, the highest town in Flores at 1100m. There are many traditional villages, where the Ngada people live, today we visited 3 of the villages.
We drove out into the countryside and overlooked Bajawa. The area is dominated by Gunung Inerie, a perfect 2245m high volcano. The first village we came to is Bena; the bemo stopped just short as we came down the hill to see the picturesque village set on a plateau with about 20 thatched-rooved houses set in a horse-shoe shape around the raised village square (rectangle).
We walked up a few stone steps and Alfonse started to tell us about the village. We were stood next to a totem pole with an umbrella-shaped thatched roof; this represents the males in the village. Opposite each totem pole is a corresponding small thatched house to represent the women of the village. Alfonse said that people first lived here 100,000 years ago.
The people are animist but with some catholic influence, e.g. the Cross on tombstones. There are nine clans in this village, each with about 6 or 7 families. The eldest member of each clan is the clan leader, but the leader of the village is elected. When a person dies, or there is a marriage or a new house is built, there is a two day ceremony. On the first day there is dancing, and on the second day buffaloes and pigs are sacrificed. The horns of the buffaloes are displayed outside the houses.
We had a look around the village and the locals were content with our presence as they know Alfonse and he brings people here often, and a donation to the village is included in our payment to him. There were women weaving ikat, for which these villages are well-known. A house was being repaired and the people were busy. At the far end of the village, and up a few steps, is a look-out.
From Bena we hiked down the road and then along a trail in the jungle. It was a pretty easy hike and we stopped sometimes to look at the views, to rest in the shade and look at the macadamia nuts, cinammon, coconuts, small pineapples and huge bamboo.
After a couple of hours we arrived at the village of Tololea. It was much quieter here as most of the people were away farming and the kids were at school, 5 kms away. An old lady was busy chewing a betel nut wrapped in a betel leaf, which results in a very red mouth, like you have blood in your mouth, not very attractive. Women chew it for the same reasons as men smoke tobacco, it's a habit and maybe makes them feel good. I had some and it made my mouth go numb and it tasted yuk and I spat it out.
The third and final village we visited was Goresena, population 380 adults, most of whom were out working. We had a walk around, again the village is set on a small plateau in a beautiful setting surrounded by forest and the hills. While still being very traditional, the villages have some generators that they use sometimes and we did see a solar panel, a sattelite dish, some coke bottle crates and the kids have Premier League football shirts. And the kids were good at football.
We went along in the bemo for a bit and then got out and hiked along a rough track until we came to the Malanage Mata Air Panas hot springs, where we had noodles before bathing. Two small rivers meet here: one river is emerald green and the water is too hot to swim in; the other river is cold. So where they meet the combination is a pleasant temperature for bathing. Of course it's not perfectly mixed so you can step from a cold patch to a hot patch, or even have your left half in the heat and your right half in the cold. We stayed in the water for ages and our hands were more wrinkled than ever by the time we got out.
At the end of a great day, we headed back to the hotel in the bemo, with the same music on as this morning, including Hotel California, Dolly Parton and an Indonesian song sampling Mungo Jerry's 'In the Summertime'.
As we got back there was a catholic service happening at the front of the building next door. Meanwhile, as I type, I can hear a pig squealing, possibly being slaughtered like the one we heard yesterday.
Friday 2nd September
Last night, here in Labuanbajo, I went for dinner to find out about trips to see the Komodo dragons and some hiking. At the restaurant I asked the first couple I saw if they knew anything about the trips (maybe they had already been and could recommend a travel agency?) and they said they had already made a reservation to go on a trip tomorrow and there was room for other people. So I went down to the travel agency with the Czechs to find out more. At first I wasn't sure because it seemed I wouldn't be able to do the trek I was interested in, and it seems every tourist just does the same thing, but I thought the Czechs would be good company for the trip and maybe something would work itself out with the trekking.
So this morning I got down to the travel agency at 7am, and had breakfast at the bakery across the road. At 8am, Swatya, Jana (the Czechs), Florentine the young trainee travel agent and I walked down to the boat to begin the trip to Rinca and Komodo Islands to see the Dragons and go hiking and snorkelling on a 2 Day / 1 Night trip. Once the Captain turned up we were off!
As we left Labuanbajo we passed by the same small islands I had passed on the ferry here, but a bit closer up. Florentine helped the Captain's mate to prepare lunch while we sat and enjoyed the views for a couple of hours, until we reached Loh Buaya, the small Jetty on Rinca Island.
There are 1336 Komodo Dragons (known here as Ora) on Rinca, 1288 dragons on Komodo and about 150 on the surrounding Islands. As we walked along to the Ranger station we noticed that the Island is very dry with sparse vegetation, it is the dry season. We met our Ranger, Harris. He explained that on our 2 hour hike, he could not guarantee that we would see dragons, since they are wildlife. He grabbed his sturdy, two-pronged trident-shaped stick to fend off any aggressive beasts.
As soon as we walked around the corner we saw a dragon splayed out on the sand, which took us by surprise. This one had a broken leg from fighting. Close by is the rangers' canteen and there were more dragons hanging around there. They don't seem particularly dangerous (though of course they are) because they are lazy and just lounge around in the shade. Harris would give them a bit of a nudge on the backside with his trident so they would get up and walk along a bit.
We hiked a little, along the dry riverbed. we came to a dragon's nest and we stopped while Harris told us a bit about dragons. We were stood next to a few holes in the ground. The female actually digs a few holes and keeps her eggs in just one of them, the other holes are decoys to trick the male dragons who would otherwise eat the eggs. Dragons are cannibals! The mother protects the eggs but once they are hatched she pretty much leaves them be and the babies climb up a tree for safety, and stay until they are about 3 years old. Males outnumber females 3:1.
The thin forest gave us some protection from the searing sun and we saw some megapodes, but then we walked out onto the savannah for a while, cooking. We were the only visitors out there and it felt very remote. We came to a watering hole where a water buffalo was drinking, and then Harris pointed to a dragon up on the dry river bank. It had it's back to us so we walked around to the side of it, staying the regulation 5m away from it, maybe!
It was aware of us but not interested and again Harris gave it a nudge and it got up and walked about 5 metres before slumping down again. Then a huge water buffalo started down the bank and we thought there might be a fight but I guess the dragon wasn't feeling hungry or brave because it just stepped out of the way. After watching the dragon for maybe half an hour we walked back the way we had come and back to the boat.
Lunch was waiting for us: fried fish, which I guess they caught this morning, rice and veggies, very good. We then arrived at small Kambing Island for snorkelling. The water was a bit chilly at first, but ok. There was some good coral nearby, then I swam round to the beach and further round to the other side of the island. There was alot of plant life there as well as coral. The different coloured plants swayed gently with the current and it was great, as good a snorkelling as I can remember.
In the water I met a couple of tourists with their Indonesian guide. As we went along we saw many strange things clinging to the rocks, I wish I knew what they were. Then I saw a huge lionfish, maybe bigger than a football, including the length of its spines, much bigger than the one I saw in Pulau Weh. I knew not to get close, but when I pointed it out to the Indonesian guide he made us swim even further away; he had previously had a guest injured, poisoned and hospitalised by one, this was enough to persaude us. It only took about 20 minutes to swim round the island so I started to go back to see the lionfish again but then the water seemed a scarier place and I thought better of it!
Back in the boat I chatted with Florentine. She is 18, from a catholic family, goes to church every week and has 7 siblings. She is studying tourism and wants to be an English teacher. We talked about the differences between Australia and Indonesia. As with many Indonesians she was surprised when I said I am not religious. She has only ever been to Labuanbajo and and her home town of Ruteng. we moved along to Kalong Komodo where we could see Flying Foxes in the distance. We put down the anchor, had dinner, watched the sunset and chatted, partly about Swata's trips to Africa. There wasn't much else to do so we crashed out, under blankets since it was a bit cold out there.
Saturday 3rd August
Up at 6am to watch the sunrise over the sea, and the boat started moving. Banana fritters and coffee for breakfast. As we arrived at Komodo Island we could see the small fishing villages. We docked at Loh Liang at 7am. Last night I had asked the Captain if he would pick us up from Loh Sebita, the other side of the peninsula, so that we could hike there for four hours and not have to then double back. Last night he said no, because he did not know the conditions but we asked the Rangers at Komodo and they were happy to provide a guide for us (for an extra fee) and when Florentina asked the Captain this morning he said ok.
Again we did not have to walk far to see dragons. As we came to a bit of a clearing, there were two big ones under a tree, and again the sight of them made us jump a little. I expect they are there most days, along with 15 or so other tourists. I was a bit snap happy with the camera and should have taken more time to watch them, not just through the camera lense, nevermind. At one point one of them was striding right towards me, with a couple of the people between us, but the ranger soon stood in the way and waving his stick around was enough for the beast to back off. On cue, the dragons struck classic lizard poses, just like the small lizards in Pulau Weh.
The hike across the peninsula on Komodo Island was excellent. It was just the four of us and the guide and we walked thorugh the wilderness; sparse forest, up some small hills, down the side of valleys and in the open country, sometimes with ocean views. We saw orchids and cockatoos. Towards the end of the hike we spotted a dragon crossing our path up ahead, he was running quite quickly and went into the bushes so we didn't see him for long but at least he was out in the wild.
We arrived at Loh Sebita and the Captain seemed happy enough, had tied the boat up and we had to walk in the mud and then the sea up to our thighs to get back on the boat and I let the Captain know that we appreciated his efforts. We had lunch and headed across the ocean enjoying the views and nodding off. We then arrived at Kerachoul for more snorkelling. I walked in off the beach and the coral was ok and there were some big purple fish. We didn't snorkel for long as we wanted to get back to Labuanbajo for the bus.
At 4:30pm We arrived at the jetty and the end of the trip. We went to where the bemos hang out hoping to make it to Ruteng tonight, and as soon as we got there, there was one just leaving. The bemo was not too cramped and we enjoyed the scenery as we got into the countryside where the road is lined with small basic houses and crops. We stopped for dinner, mine was rubbery tofu and tempe. We arrived in Ruteng in the dark and checked into a (relatively) decent hotel. Again a blanket was necessary.
Sunday 4th September
As we were having breakfast on the terrace, thinking about how to get to Bajawa, a couple of guys came past in a Toyota and offered to take us to Bajawa for the same price as the local bus. Well, although I often prefer local transport, it seemed silly to turn down their offer. I don't really understand why transport in Flores is so expensive and the driver could not explain it either. This was something I hadn't really realised before I started this journey to the East.
The scenery was good today; we passed by jungles, volcanoes, rice terraces and valleys. The road wound it's way up to Bajawa and unusually for me I felt a bit travel sick. I had a walk around the town and got a few friendly 'hey mister's'. I got my shoulder bag fixed by a tailor with a sewing machine, he fixed the zip too and I think he was going to do it for free but I gave him some cash. I found the bank and some mangoes and had gado gado for late lunch.
In the afternoon I met a couple from Victoria and they recommended local guide Alfonse for the tour around the villages around Bajawa. So with the Czechs I rounded up 3 other tourists and after meeting with Alfonse, we have arranged for him to guide us tomorrow. A bit chilly this evening, fleece required.
Monday 5th September
The six of us (2 Czechs, 2 Poms, an Israeli and I) met up with Alfonse and the bemo driver at 8am and we headed out to the villages surrounding Bajawa, the highest town in Flores at 1100m. There are many traditional villages, where the Ngada people live, today we visited 3 of the villages.
We drove out into the countryside and overlooked Bajawa. The area is dominated by Gunung Inerie, a perfect 2245m high volcano. The first village we came to is Bena; the bemo stopped just short as we came down the hill to see the picturesque village set on a plateau with about 20 thatched-rooved houses set in a horse-shoe shape around the raised village square (rectangle).
We walked up a few stone steps and Alfonse started to tell us about the village. We were stood next to a totem pole with an umbrella-shaped thatched roof; this represents the males in the village. Opposite each totem pole is a corresponding small thatched house to represent the women of the village. Alfonse said that people first lived here 100,000 years ago.
The people are animist but with some catholic influence, e.g. the Cross on tombstones. There are nine clans in this village, each with about 6 or 7 families. The eldest member of each clan is the clan leader, but the leader of the village is elected. When a person dies, or there is a marriage or a new house is built, there is a two day ceremony. On the first day there is dancing, and on the second day buffaloes and pigs are sacrificed. The horns of the buffaloes are displayed outside the houses.
We had a look around the village and the locals were content with our presence as they know Alfonse and he brings people here often, and a donation to the village is included in our payment to him. There were women weaving ikat, for which these villages are well-known. A house was being repaired and the people were busy. At the far end of the village, and up a few steps, is a look-out.
From Bena we hiked down the road and then along a trail in the jungle. It was a pretty easy hike and we stopped sometimes to look at the views, to rest in the shade and look at the macadamia nuts, cinammon, coconuts, small pineapples and huge bamboo.
After a couple of hours we arrived at the village of Tololea. It was much quieter here as most of the people were away farming and the kids were at school, 5 kms away. An old lady was busy chewing a betel nut wrapped in a betel leaf, which results in a very red mouth, like you have blood in your mouth, not very attractive. Women chew it for the same reasons as men smoke tobacco, it's a habit and maybe makes them feel good. I had some and it made my mouth go numb and it tasted yuk and I spat it out.
The third and final village we visited was Goresena, population 380 adults, most of whom were out working. We had a walk around, again the village is set on a small plateau in a beautiful setting surrounded by forest and the hills. While still being very traditional, the villages have some generators that they use sometimes and we did see a solar panel, a sattelite dish, some coke bottle crates and the kids have Premier League football shirts. And the kids were good at football.
We went along in the bemo for a bit and then got out and hiked along a rough track until we came to the Malanage Mata Air Panas hot springs, where we had noodles before bathing. Two small rivers meet here: one river is emerald green and the water is too hot to swim in; the other river is cold. So where they meet the combination is a pleasant temperature for bathing. Of course it's not perfectly mixed so you can step from a cold patch to a hot patch, or even have your left half in the heat and your right half in the cold. We stayed in the water for ages and our hands were more wrinkled than ever by the time we got out.
At the end of a great day, we headed back to the hotel in the bemo, with the same music on as this morning, including Hotel California, Dolly Parton and an Indonesian song sampling Mungo Jerry's 'In the Summertime'.
As we got back there was a catholic service happening at the front of the building next door. Meanwhile, as I type, I can hear a pig squealing, possibly being slaughtered like the one we heard yesterday.
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