🙂 Komodo Dragons!
🙁 Stranded due to boat strike…
🙁 Komodo dragons have shark-like teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a person within hours of a bite.
We were blissfully ignorant to the dangers of the Komodo dragons as they just looked like large lazy lizards lounging the sun and under the wooden hut that we slept in! Research has since proven that the long, jaded teeth are their primary weapons. They deliver deep, deep wounds and the venom keeps it bleeding and further lowers the blood pressure, thus bringing the prey closer to unconsciousness. Four people have been killed in the last 35 years (2009, 2007, 2000 and 1974) and at least eight injured in just over a decade. The thick jaws can crush a buffalo’s bones. I don’t think we would have encouraged Trent to stand so close to a lizard for a photo had we known…
We had had a long and arduous journey to get to Komodo! After leaving the Gili Air we had travelled by bus over Lombok to Sumbawa and finally boarded the ferry to Komodo where we were transferred via a tiny fishing boat to land. The islands are volcanic in origin; the underlying juncture of the Sahul and Sunda continental plates has caused volcanic eruptions and uplift of coral reefs. The terrain is rugged and hilly, and what little flat land exists in Komodo occurs primarily along the shorelines. Although largely uninhabited, many ethnic Bugis fishermen have managed to coexist with the 1,200 dragons who dominate the island. Neighbouring Rinca Island had apparently served as a penal colony. We were given the local workman’s double room and cap cay for lunch. We then joined a small tour where we took loads of photos…Paul’s sister had visited the year before and they use to feed the dragons a goat but this practice has now been stopped.
We were up at06h30 for another tour – two dragons were having a scrap and were extremely vocal! There was also a deer drinking water – we waited in eager anticipation for a dragon to take it – but no such luck – he got to live another day! Pancakes for brunch. Did homework with Trent and then headed out on the small fishing boat to wait for our ferry. We bobbed in the ocean, had a swim and snorkel while we waited and waited…our boat broke free from the mooring and started drifting away so we jumped in and towed it back and tied it back onto the mooring. We all nedded the toilet and had to poo in the sea – the fish really enjoyed that!!! Paul read the Famous Five but improvised with adult content and this kept the whole fishing boat of English and French travellers highly entertained 0 the French wanted to know who had written the book – lol! At 17h30 we gave up and rowed back to the mainland. Saw wild pigs. Back in old room and bed at 22h00. Woken at 05h30 – 2 people thought that they had malaria! The French told us that they had managed to charter a boat and asked if we wanted to chip in. The boat cost had now soared from R10,000 Rs each to R120,000 for the boat … argh…. we had no choice as were held to ransom. It was a rough ride on the small vessel and we feared for our lives – VERY relived to arrive in Flores after 4hours.
Had satay dinner with stunning sunset. The English guys, Dave and Charlie mentioned that they were next off to a stunning and remote Beach Island called Waecicu Beach and asked if we were interested in joining them to hire the boat to get there – we accepted … and that is our next adventure!
Go to: Bali & Ubud
Go to: Bromo
