Forgetting the journey to the springs and getting back to reality we realised that it was quite a trek to get back to Bajawa. With no idea if there was any more transport or if it was even possible to get back to the town that day the road had to be hit. Commence walking. Hoping for a ride from someone, it was getting dark and cold; we stopped two guys on motorbikes and negotiated for a price back to the town. They had to drop some things off to their home before they could take us. Not two minutes later a ‘trek,’ truck with planks of wood in the back for seats, passed by heading to the town for an eighth of the price of a motorbike. Some things are just meant to be.
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| Hiking across Rinca |
Descending into Labuan Bajo at sunset, west Flores, on the next day you could see islands scattered across the bay. The light reflecting from the water accenting their silhouette. It was absolutely beautiful and instantly I forgot about the long, and loud, 8 hour bus ride it took to arrive. Labuan Bajo is famed for its world class diving (and snorkeling) and close proximity to the Komodo Islands National Parks which includes Rinca Island. Heading out to the islands you can instantly see the change in landscape. A bizarre thing really when they are so close in proximity, but have obviously been separated for many, many years. On Rinca the scenery is savannah, a dramatic contrast to the tropical rainforests and volcanoes of Flores. Hiking across the island you feel like you’ve taken a step back in time. Komodo dragons prowl the land, some as big as 4 meters. It reminds me of a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. It’s important to keep your distance though as a bit from one will become severely infected due to the bacteria in the dragons’ mouth. For sure, you cannot survive such an encounter. The Komodo can smell food and blood from kilometers away so for this reason the kitchen is strategically built up on stilts. It’s also said that menstruating women should stay off the island for safety.
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| Passing storm |
Heading back to the mainland after frolicking with the fish in the corals we encountered perhaps one of the worst storms our captain has seen in 20 years. The wind was strong, we were heading straight towards it and the only place to seek refuge was behind the steering room. It was impossible to even peer beyond the corner as you were pelted with hard rain coming in at 90 degrees. The boat was at full power but seemed to be going backwards and it felt as though we would never get out of it. At one stage, when I could see the boat crew become a little worried, I even checked for where the life jackets were located. If someone were to be knocked off board they would have been blown to, well… who knows where? They say that the sun shines after the rain and this time it was as though the heavens opened and golden sunlight warmed our cold bodies. Everyone was hugging and hi-fiving that we made it out.. Because for a second it didn’t seemed so likely.
Diving around the islands is spectacular because of changing currents and perfect water temperatures for colorful and vibrant coral. At first plunging into the water you don’t know where to look. There are colors and fish everywhere. Descending to 30 meters the scenery changes and the fish become bigger. Big schools of fish swim in the currents below and smaller fish hide amongst the corals and flap about in eddy currents. I must remember to breathe from my regulator because it’s easy to keep your mouth wide open in awe. An hour passes by way to quick and before you realise it’s 3 minutes at 5 meters and time to ascend. Breaking the surface everyone pulls out their regulators, takes off their masks and can say no more than, ‘Awesome!’
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| Tempting fate |
Have you ever seen anyone fishing for Komodo dragons? Well this is what the local dive guys thought would be a fun thing to do while we waited on the dive boat for a group of people to visit the land of the lost. A fish on the end of a weight belt was the lure of choice for the 3 or 4 Indonesian guys who competed against each other to show their manliness. They would very confidently step from the boat and walk down the jetty to tease the dragons. This usually ended with the dragons chasing them, giggling and squealing, down the jetty before they leaped back onto boats while others pushed the boats away from the jetty. Perhaps not the safest game to play but extremely entertaining none-the-less.
I can’t remember exactly how long it took to get from Flores to Lombok. What I do remember is it took; one early morning 5 hour ferry, a 2 hour hitchhike in the cabin of a truck, a long night bus across Sumbawa, another ferry crossing and a final 3 hour bus landing in Mattaram early afternoon the next day.
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| Point break at Kuta |
Destination: Kuta. And I don’t mean Kuta Bali but Kuta Lombok. I feel the need to differentiate between the two, just to clarify that I’m not a loud, Aussie drunkard (scoff if you will). Finding your way by public transport is easy. But what I did notice, getting closer to Bali, you must bargain a little harder as local drivers have come to expect a little extra money out of the unaware tourist. Of course you can avoid this dilemma by catching a ride with a much nice local who will, often, go out of their way to drop you right at the doorstep of your destination. Kuta attracts surfers. It was strange to overhear two guys chatting at a restaurant about an annoying beginner who kept dropping in on their waves. It’s such a subculture and I haven’t been exposed to the lingo in such a long while.
Exploring by foot finding reef breaks, awesome shakes and amazing food. Not to mention postcard-esque blue water, long white beaches framed with tall palms. The kids at Mawin beach (compared to others in the area) were a breath of fresh air, not asking for money, just wanting to run and play and be picked up and thrown in the water. It was nice to see kids just being kids… and being a kid too.
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| Relaxing on Gili Air |
After giving the Indonesian public transport system perhaps a little too much patronage it was time to hit some islands again. The Gili islands in north-west Lombok are 3 islands boasting beautiful beaches and perfect snorkeling. Unfortunately these are now connected to Bali by a speedboat which makes them more accessible to a lot more people. Gili T, the largest of the three, now has a fully fledged party scene attracting people spilling out from Kuta, Bali. I was chatting to a local guy at the small port and was surprised to hear him speak English with an Australian accent. I chose to explore the two smaller islands often overlooked by those who are looking for a bit more action. From the islands you can pop off into the sea to discover submerged treasures like hidden reefs and shipwrecks. Sitting on Gili Air in the morning looking over to the mainland you can see the sun rise over the daunting Gunung Rinjani. A 4,100 meter volcano whose peak is often hidden amongst the afternoon clouds. For days I watched the weather deliberating whether or not to attempt to make the long 3 day hike to the summit. It was as though it were challenging me saying, ‘Come on, you know you want to.’
The day I bit the bullet and decided finally to make the climb I was witness to one of probably the most spectacular sunrises I’ve ever seen. Perhaps it was a sign.
Next up Chapter 5: Rinjani you're mine..
