We've been in Luanbajo, Flores for three days. Most people come here to scuba dive or see Komodo dragons. Us? we came here to get in a little beach time and do a little snorkeling on some (supposedly) awesome reefs, but mainly, we came here to try and see the quiet side of Indonesia. We had hoped that Ubud, Bali would give us that, but we were disappointed.
From Vietnam, we spent a quick overnight (12 hours) in Kuta, Bali. Of couse, we couldn't do too much in that short amount of time, but we did find time for a beer taste test! This was e closest we could come to Incependance Day celebrations.
Bintang won because this Guinness just doesn't compare to what we get in the a
states. Here the Guinness is more like a porter; it's not light and smooth, it's chocolaty and bitter. It's disappointing, is what it is. I call shenanigans!
Shenanigans done with, we flew one of Indonesia's low cost carriers from Bali to Flores.
So here we are, relaxing in our private villa at Villas Seirama Alam, home of our funny and interesting host, Volker.
Our villa, as viewed from the grounds.
The view from our bedroom
A sunset from our veranda
Our new best friend
Today we went on a day trip to go snorkeling with dragons. Komodo dragons!
That is to say, we went snorkeling, and we saw some dragons.
I mean we say some dragons, and then we went snorkeling. What did you think I meant?
First, we went to Rinca island, part of Komodo National park. It's an hour boat ride from Luanbajo, and we saw some cool things on the way.
The island of Komodo is another hour away, so we opted for the smaller, closer, island, which is also part of the national park. It was a good choice. We saw a Komodo dragon almost right away. The guys are really, seriously huge lizards with a bite that will kill you within a few days due to the sixty bacteria in its saliva.
Six-foot lizard
They look quit a bit like a tree branch or root, which is how they hide from deer, goats, water buffalo and other prey. They bite the surprised animal, and then go look for it a day or two later. Like snakes, they use their split tongues to smell for the decaying carcass.
We were lucky enough to see a baby lizard too. This is rare because they usually hide in the trees because Komodo dragons are cannibals. Even a mom will eat its young. Not very nice!
A cute, four-foot long, six month old Komodo dragon
A four-inch long regular lizard
Komodo leftovers
After we hung out with the lizards, deer, buffalo and monkeys, we went snorkeling and hung out with Dori and Nemo. It was cool. Having no underwater camera, I have no proof. You'll just have to take my word for it.
In case you're wondering, Dori and Nemo are pretty cool, although Nemo is much smaller in person.
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