Posted by: Jonathan
Before going on with this post, I have some dreadful news for our readers. Bianca 2.0 (our underwater camera) has gone missing! During a long ferry ride while watching the sun set over a distant volcano I dig into Jenn's bag to snap a photo and am shocked to find her missing. Although foul play hasn't been entirely ruled out, we believe it was a simple case of camera falling out while pulling something else out of the bag. Unfortunately, Bianca 2.0 took part in most of the photos for this post since the activities were water dominated and we all know Oprah 2.0 can't swim. The photos were not backed up yet so you will have to use your imagination. At this time we are not actively looking to replace her with Bianca 3.0 but are unsure what the future holds as Oprah 2.0 struggles in wet, dirty, and high impact activities.
On to the post:
It was hard leaving the swell and beaches of Kuta Lombok but after some deliberation (coin flip) it was decided to take a boat east heading to Flores instead of staying and letting our roots grow deeper.
The boat took four days and four nights to make the journey, stopping on seven different islands along the way. This was no luxury cruise; there were no cabins, only mats laying side by side on the wooden deck, one simple toilet (hole leading direct to the ocean), and no shower (barring a dip in the salty ocean). Breakfast was two pieces of toast and a slice of pineapple, while lunch and dinner were a package of Ramen cooked with a few veggies served over steamed rice with a side of fruit. I realize the picture I have painted isn't glorious (I am a realist) but even against these odds we enjoyed the trip.
Before going on with this post, I have some dreadful news for our readers. Bianca 2.0 (our underwater camera) has gone missing! During a long ferry ride while watching the sun set over a distant volcano I dig into Jenn's bag to snap a photo and am shocked to find her missing. Although foul play hasn't been entirely ruled out, we believe it was a simple case of camera falling out while pulling something else out of the bag. Unfortunately, Bianca 2.0 took part in most of the photos for this post since the activities were water dominated and we all know Oprah 2.0 can't swim. The photos were not backed up yet so you will have to use your imagination. At this time we are not actively looking to replace her with Bianca 3.0 but are unsure what the future holds as Oprah 2.0 struggles in wet, dirty, and high impact activities.
On to the post:
It was hard leaving the swell and beaches of Kuta Lombok but after some deliberation (coin flip) it was decided to take a boat east heading to Flores instead of staying and letting our roots grow deeper.
The boat took four days and four nights to make the journey, stopping on seven different islands along the way. This was no luxury cruise; there were no cabins, only mats laying side by side on the wooden deck, one simple toilet (hole leading direct to the ocean), and no shower (barring a dip in the salty ocean). Breakfast was two pieces of toast and a slice of pineapple, while lunch and dinner were a package of Ramen cooked with a few veggies served over steamed rice with a side of fruit. I realize the picture I have painted isn't glorious (I am a realist) but even against these odds we enjoyed the trip.
We don't have any photos from any of the remote uninhabited gorgeous islands that we stopped at along the way (since we always had to swim ashore and only took the late Bianca 2.0) so just think of the prettiest place you have ever seen a photo of and that is precisely where we were.
Our first day we were running behind schedule so we just motored through the sunset and into the darkness anchoring for only a few hours during the night before leaving again before sunrise.
Our first day we were running behind schedule so we just motored through the sunset and into the darkness anchoring for only a few hours during the night before leaving again before sunrise.
Our first couple of stops were to an island with a waterfall and another island with a salt water lake. While we snorkeled and swam around the boat, anchored in a sheltered bay, the ocean (unknown to us at the time) grew angrier and angrier. As we pulled out of the bay the white capping waves forced the boat to retreat back into the bay. We waited til nightfall for calmer weather but it never came. Finally, the captain walked out on the deck and announced "you came to Indonesia for adventure right, well tonight you get it!" He wasn't kidding, at one point the boat rocked so hard that Jenn and her sleeping mat slid from one side of the boat clean across to the opposite side. I have never been seasick/motion sick in my life but I was starting to feel it after 16 hours of rocking back and forth. Needless to say Jenn vomited once or four times.
We were ecstatic as the seas calmed and we made a lunch time stop on a picturesque island. I am not sure what was more inviting, the perfect crescent of white sand or the idea of something stationary. Later that afternoon the scenery picked up as we neared our most anticipated stop...Komodo Island. This island is home to the largest and most deadly lizard, the Komodo Dragon. They grow up to 9.8 ft long and weight up to 330 pounds. They are carnivores eating wild pigs, goats, deer, horses, and water buffalo. Since small dragons are also on the menu they are forced to live the first five years of their lives in trees for safety, eating birds, snakes, frogs, and insects. The Komodo Dragon's claws and bite are ferocious but their real weapon is their bacteria laden saliva. Listerine wouldn't make a dent as the infection from a bite can kill a human in 24 hours.
That night the sky awarded us a vivid sunset making our Ramen dinner a bit classier.
Komodo Dragons are only located in a couple islands in Indonesia, no where else in the world. The next morning we visited Rinca, the other main island inhabited by dragons. We spent several hours hiking through the interior of the island spotting dragons and their future meals.
August is also mating season for the dragons which we were "lucky" enough to see a couple in "the romantic moment" as described by our guide.
Our last stop of the tour before reaching the port of Labuanbajo I borrowed our captains hand made spear gun and hunted down a big one. After swimming around for a bit and several failed attempts at spearing a fish I saw a target I couldn't miss. It was a 52 lb tuna and boy did he put up a fight once I speared him. Unfortunately with the camera gone I don't have a photo to show off the catch of the day.
Ok so maybe it wasn't all that big after all, probably closer to 0.52 lb, everything looks 25% larger underwater anyway. Plus think about the accuracy needed for a small target, pretty much an aquatic sharp shooter. We ended up using the fish I caught for bait since it was a bite size nugget. Also worth mentioning, Jenn took one shot with the spear gun and got a fish. She immediately began screaming "take it away, I don't want to see it!" Evidently she really didn't think she would hit the fish and was emotionally distraught she killed one of Nemo's neighbors.
We arrived to Labuanbajo that evening and went out to dinner with our shipmates before spending one last night on the "5 Star Floating Hotel." The next morning we found a hotel (on land), showered and napped (on a bed) for the first time in what seems like ages.
We then began making preparations and arrangements for out next adventure: camping on a remote uninhabited island. After speaking to all the tour agencies in town and several boat captains, the best they could do was $100 US to drop us off on a remote island and come back to pick us up three days later. This was more than we wanted to pay, since $100 in Indonesia goes a long long long way, but we reluctantly decided to go for it. On my way through town to pay the boat captain I stepped into a dive shop to speak to them about dives when we returned from the camping trip. I got to talking to an Italian guy in the shop and eventually during our conversation I mention going camping but having to pay top dollar to get there and back. He says "oh no no no, come camp on my island, you can go there for free." Turns out the Italian guy, Antonelo, owned a large private island, Sabayor Island, on which he is in the process of building a dive resort. He currently takes divers from mainland out diving and stops by his island along the way to drop off supplies. That night we went out and purchased the essentials (food, water, and sweets) for our stay.
Ok so maybe it wasn't all that big after all, probably closer to 0.52 lb, everything looks 25% larger underwater anyway. Plus think about the accuracy needed for a small target, pretty much an aquatic sharp shooter. We ended up using the fish I caught for bait since it was a bite size nugget. Also worth mentioning, Jenn took one shot with the spear gun and got a fish. She immediately began screaming "take it away, I don't want to see it!" Evidently she really didn't think she would hit the fish and was emotionally distraught she killed one of Nemo's neighbors.
We arrived to Labuanbajo that evening and went out to dinner with our shipmates before spending one last night on the "5 Star Floating Hotel." The next morning we found a hotel (on land), showered and napped (on a bed) for the first time in what seems like ages.
We then began making preparations and arrangements for out next adventure: camping on a remote uninhabited island. After speaking to all the tour agencies in town and several boat captains, the best they could do was $100 US to drop us off on a remote island and come back to pick us up three days later. This was more than we wanted to pay, since $100 in Indonesia goes a long long long way, but we reluctantly decided to go for it. On my way through town to pay the boat captain I stepped into a dive shop to speak to them about dives when we returned from the camping trip. I got to talking to an Italian guy in the shop and eventually during our conversation I mention going camping but having to pay top dollar to get there and back. He says "oh no no no, come camp on my island, you can go there for free." Turns out the Italian guy, Antonelo, owned a large private island, Sabayor Island, on which he is in the process of building a dive resort. He currently takes divers from mainland out diving and stops by his island along the way to drop off supplies. That night we went out and purchased the essentials (food, water, and sweets) for our stay.
The next morning we hopped on the dive/supply boat for the 1.5 hour journey to the island. Once we were dropped off we spent the first couple of hours exploring the island in search of the best spot to set up shop. The interior of the island was one large hill after another covered with long dry hay looking grass.
Once we located a prime spot for Columbus (our tent which the GM's just brought us when they visited Bali), Jenn groomed and leveled the sand with a palm branch. It quickly became apparent that we would need some shelter from the unrelenting sun. So Jenn and I tapped into our survival skills and began gathering materials to build a shelter. We mad it entirely of driftwood, bamboo, and hay grass. Where we couldn't use tensile or compressive loads to hold the joint in place we used rubber belts, twine, plastic bags, and any other litter that had washed up on the beach. Yes it would pass inspection even with the category four hurricane building code.
Once the work was done we enjoyed the fruits of our labor, reading and napping in the shade. We went for an evening snorkel before having dinner (PB&J for me and baked beans for Jenn) and watching the sun set.
That night we laid in the sand staring at the sky trying to keep count of the numerous shooting stars.
We later retired to the tent and continued to stare up at the sky as the lapping waves put us to sleep. We slept for 12 hours, not only because Columbus is such a great host but also because there was no call to prayer at 5 A.M. Indonesia is a Muslim country and especially during Ramadan (happens to be the month of August this year - more on this holiday later), the mosques blast music and chanting at full volume starting at 5 A.M. I like to stay open minded regarding other countries religions and customs but I struggle with this one, most mornings, for several hours. So after an amazingly restful night we ate breakfast (dry cereal without milk) and made our way around the the dock to meet the dive/supply boat as it passed by. We jumped onto it and spent the afternoon doing two dives. The diving in this area is world class but is plagued by extremely strong currents. Our first dive was to Castle Rock where the current was so strong we had to do a negative buoyancy entry. This means that we had extra weights and our "floaties" weren't inflated so that once we stepped off the boat we sunk like rocks to the ocean floor where we regrouped with the rest of the divers. From there the current swept us to the edge of a wall where we hung on to a rock to watch. From the deep blue ocean large tuna, jack, and grouper cruised along the drop off all the while being flanked by several types of sharks. It was awesome hanging on to the rock and panning from left to right seeing the whole food chain from plankton and shrimp to turtles and sharks.
Our second dive was at Crystal rock which rises from the ocean floor all the way up piercing the surface during low tide. The current wasn't as strong here allowing us to swim around exploring the site. As we first entered the water the visibility was only a couple meters, not because of sand or silt but because of all the schools of fish.
As the dive boat made its way back to the port it dropped us off on the island to camp another night. We spent the later afternoon and evening snorkeling, reading, and relaxing in shadies. For the second night in a row we clocked double digit hours of sleep - Columbus you have really outdone yourself. We caught a boat heading back to Labuanbajo for fuel and water at about midday. It was hard saying goodbye to shadies and our private patch of sand but we had a looooong way to go to get back to Bali for our flight to Australia.
The journey back to Bali was comprised of ten segments (4 buses, 3 ferries, 2 public vans, and 1 taxi) taking two and a half days (traveling through the night one of the nights). The most notable was a two hour bus journey where Jenn and I rode on the roof of the bus (no luggage rack or rails just the slick flat top) as it twisted through the mountains during a fantastic sunset. It was during this marathon of travel that Bianca 2.0 found her way out of Jenn's backpack; it was a hard emotional loss for the both of us and we appreciate your warms thoughts and words.
The journey back to Bali was comprised of ten segments (4 buses, 3 ferries, 2 public vans, and 1 taxi) taking two and a half days (traveling through the night one of the nights). The most notable was a two hour bus journey where Jenn and I rode on the roof of the bus (no luggage rack or rails just the slick flat top) as it twisted through the mountains during a fantastic sunset. It was during this marathon of travel that Bianca 2.0 found her way out of Jenn's backpack; it was a hard emotional loss for the both of us and we appreciate your warms thoughts and words.
Once back in Bali we spent entirely to much time in the internet cafe catching up on posts and planning our assault on Australia. I was able to slip off for a couple hours each day to surf the outer reef breaks while Jenn shopped, got a manicure, and a tattoo. The tattoo, in remembrance of Southeast Asia, is a small palm tree on her foot symbolizing the months spent lounging in their shade on beautiful beaches.
We have been in Asia for eight months and are sad to say bye to such a glorious place. Australia will be our first "developed" country we have visited on our trip, so we are excited and nervous about the culture shock of stepping back into the 21st century.
In other news - this is our ONE YEAR TRAVEL ANNIVERSARY! One year ago today (August 23) we boarded a flight leaving the good ole USA - time flies when you are having fun... and we have been having a blast! We are celebrating with a fancy dinner followed by a couples massage.
Notable things in Indonesia:
Since we have been in Asia so long I have to admit that not much stands out anymore. Six people on a motorbike, old news. Petrol sold in coke bottles, yeah yeah. Riding on the roof of a bus with luggage (no racks or straps just gravity holding them down), call it my preferred seating. With that being said the things I did learn in Indonesia are:
The oceans here are unlike any I have ever seen. The waves and currents are unbelievably strong. I have never been to a beach where I could see the currents were so fast that I decided it was only a 50/50 chance I would make it back to shore if I chose to go for a swim. Also, swimming between islands is harder and more dangerous than previously thought. Even when the islands look tantalizing close together it always turns out to be a much longer swim than you think. As you grow tired and slow your strokes you feel the current dragging you further into the open ocean.
Ramadan - I mentioned this Holiday before when I was describing the early morning call to prayer. Ramadan is a month long holiday where Muslims fast (no food or water) from sun up to sun down. They rise before the sun comes up (hence the early morning call to prayer) eat and then refrain from indulging themselves until the sun sets. Most Muslims make an effort to head home for the last week or so of the Holiday since Eid Ul Fitr marks the end of the fasting and a party with an abundance of food. Traveling during Ramadan can be challenging in some places. Food can become scarce during the day in non touristy areas since no locals are eating. Also, most things momentarily come to a stop at sun set so they can eat since they have been abstaining all day. Traveling around is difficult the last week or so since so many locals are on the move, the travel crunch is compared to Thanksgiving and Christmas combined in the States.
AUSTRALIA HERE WE COME
Since we have been in Asia so long I have to admit that not much stands out anymore. Six people on a motorbike, old news. Petrol sold in coke bottles, yeah yeah. Riding on the roof of a bus with luggage (no racks or straps just gravity holding them down), call it my preferred seating. With that being said the things I did learn in Indonesia are:
The oceans here are unlike any I have ever seen. The waves and currents are unbelievably strong. I have never been to a beach where I could see the currents were so fast that I decided it was only a 50/50 chance I would make it back to shore if I chose to go for a swim. Also, swimming between islands is harder and more dangerous than previously thought. Even when the islands look tantalizing close together it always turns out to be a much longer swim than you think. As you grow tired and slow your strokes you feel the current dragging you further into the open ocean.
Ramadan - I mentioned this Holiday before when I was describing the early morning call to prayer. Ramadan is a month long holiday where Muslims fast (no food or water) from sun up to sun down. They rise before the sun comes up (hence the early morning call to prayer) eat and then refrain from indulging themselves until the sun sets. Most Muslims make an effort to head home for the last week or so of the Holiday since Eid Ul Fitr marks the end of the fasting and a party with an abundance of food. Traveling during Ramadan can be challenging in some places. Food can become scarce during the day in non touristy areas since no locals are eating. Also, most things momentarily come to a stop at sun set so they can eat since they have been abstaining all day. Traveling around is difficult the last week or so since so many locals are on the move, the travel crunch is compared to Thanksgiving and Christmas combined in the States.
AUSTRALIA HERE WE COME