Four Days and Four NIghts: Komodo Boat Trip

Journal Excerpt - Day 4
October 9th, 2008

-Water buffalo skulls. Rinca Island Ranger Station, Komodo National Park, Indonesia.-

Today we awoke bright and early at the gates of Rinca Island, Komodo National Park. Trev and I were able to pay our guide just a little extra and in return get an extra hour tagged onto our tour.

The park and the island were gorgeous. Breathtaking landscapes and amazing animals.

-The vast sprawling landscapes of Rinca Island.-

-A hungry Komodo.-

As we trudged through the forest in the blistering heat we were able to see many dragons. One was sitting on her nest, a maze of holes in the ground (One hole will house the delicate eggs while the remainder of the holes are constructed to confuse predators). One watching a monkey in a tree. And, one eyeing up a water buffalo at the local watering hole.

-A Komodo's future dinner...-

All of them were so large, so powerful and so ominous. On one hand, it was hard to be afraid of them as they lay soaking up the sun. On the other hand, all of the tale of Komodo-caused death runs through one's mind. I found myself growing comfortable in their midst and that was a little scary.

-Pensive monkey. -

-They reach lenghts of up to 4 meters and live to be 60 years of age. They can run 18 Km/hr and their bite is deadly.-

After the park we headed out on the sea again, this time heading for one more swimming stop and then off to our final destination, Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores.

Our last swimming stop was beautiful. No snakes. Really, no coral to speak of but wonderfully, fine white sand and ultra warm water.

-Clown fish, now endangered because of the popularity caused by Disney's Finding Nemo.-

We ended our trip tonight as we docked in the Flores harbour. We left the boat to book flights back to Denpasar, Bali, found and ATM and dinner and then decided to stay on the boat for one more night. Tomorrow it's on to a new adventure.