Catching up on some of our Adventures from last Fall
It's a well known fact that we love, love, love our National Parks! So of course, in planning our Indonesian Adventure, we knew Komodo National Park was definitely on the agenda. Spoiler: It may have been the reason we picked Indonesia!
Tourism is a huge part of the Indonesian Economy and they careful control access to Komodo National Park. The only way to the park is to book a tour with a local company from a nearby island then sail to the park. On a boat. A boat on the sea, the potentially rocky sea. But my favorite part of camping is sleeping under the stars. Waking up at night and looking up to a sky filled with tiny bright dots and faint dots that we can't see from the city. And can you imagine how the stars will look from the middle of the sea off an island only inhabited by dragons?!?!
Tourism is a huge part of the Indonesian Economy and they careful control access to Komodo National Park. The only way to the park is to book a tour with a local company from a nearby island then sail to the park. On a boat. A boat on the sea, the potentially rocky sea. But my favorite part of camping is sleeping under the stars. Waking up at night and looking up to a sky filled with tiny bright dots and faint dots that we can't see from the city. And can you imagine how the stars will look from the middle of the sea off an island only inhabited by dragons?!?!
A balancing act between nervousness about the possibility of seasickness (and being trapped on a boat) and the brilliance of sleeping under amazing stars in the Southern Hemisphere!!!! Loaded up on natural (and non natural, all the chemicals, extra strength) anti nausea pills and booked our tour!!!
When researching how to go about choosing which tour company I consulted friends, read reviews, browsed dozens of websites. So many options, where to begin narrowing it down. We ended up booking (what I thought was) a room on a boat for 2 days and one night. Including transport from out hotel to the boat and back- score! Plus the company was the same a friend had used years earlier, always comforting to know a real person who has had a great experience.
The morning of our tour we haul on our backpacks and greet our guide for the next 36 hours. We gather the supplies we need then venture to our boat. We climb down steep slippery stone steps to a tiny little boat. That bobs and weaves in and out of other boats, under docks and past big ships. Until we arrive at our home for the next 2 days!
The morning of our tour we haul on our backpacks and greet our guide for the next 36 hours. We gather the supplies we need then venture to our boat. We climb down steep slippery stone steps to a tiny little boat. That bobs and weaves in and out of other boats, under docks and past big ships. Until we arrive at our home for the next 2 days!
And that's when we realize we've booked a private boat tour! Just us and the crew! Our guide, the boat's captain, the most amazing chef! and another all around boat expert. We set sail for our first island and our introduction to Komodo National Park.
A couple hours puttering along on the calm seas, past gorgeous volcanic islands. Noticing tiny villages tucked in between towering mountains only accessible by the sea. Wondering about the people and their lives there. How do they earn money? How do they procure their groceries? Their water? What's their daily rhythm entail.
A couple hours puttering along on the calm seas, past gorgeous volcanic islands. Noticing tiny villages tucked in between towering mountains only accessible by the sea. Wondering about the people and their lives there. How do they earn money? How do they procure their groceries? Their water? What's their daily rhythm entail.
Arriving at Komodo National Park involved climbing from our great big boat, back into the small dinghy. Balancing in the rocking boat as it sped towards the nearby island. Exchanging our cash for tickets and off we go to meet our tour guide. Tour Guides are the only way to traipse through the dangerous grounds of the Komodos! Tour guides who have been doing this for decades. Who carry a long stick for safety (?!?!) but know all the best Komodo lounging spots.
We spot tiny dragons sprinting from one mud puddle to another and great big ones lounging in the shade, barely glancing up at the giddy tourists amazed at the prehistoric creatures. And this one old guy: Hercules. The biggest/oldest one of the bunch. Wearily watching us creep up slowly to meet him.
All our research warned us of the surprising fast speeds these creatures can muster up when provoked. Best to keep your distance. You MUST follow your guide for safety. No wandering off the path or dallying behind the group in case a dragon feels a little hungry. So when our guide suggested we crouch behind the dragon for a picture, we nervously followed along, prepared to dart back out of the dragons way if he so much as flinched in our direction.
Realizing that the #curseofJesse followed us to Indonesia, who was experiencing an extra ordinary hot week for mid October. Yes it's a tropical island, but even the locals were surprised by the 90+ temperatures. Remembering that equatorial sun is definitely more intense than we're used to. Layers upon layers of sunscreen and seeking out shade #vacationproblems.
A fantastic sunset and star spotting as they begin to pop out of the twilight. Relaxing on the top deck and finding familiar constellations as well as wondering about the new to us stars. Amazement as the darkening skies fill with glittering specks.
Bunkering down in our private room for a few hours of sleep in between generator noises and sweltering temperatures. Waking up in time for sunrise on the ocean. Truly a magical experience.