after our time on lombok, we headed out on a 5-day cruise of the nusa tenggara islands in search of the komodo dragon. plenty of sunshine, snorkeling, and swaying (that ocean has a mind of its own) was had. we hung out on some awesome deserted beaches with some of the most beautiful reefs in the world and, after a few days on the boat, we finally reached the komodo national park and 2 of the islands where the komodo dragon is found. we were seriously ready to see some dragons. check out these awesome ancient creatures...
quick note: we are a bit behind in our blogging - we have a SERIOUS amount of photos from our past month of travels and we have had a BIG change in future plans. so, this blog will be a bit of a backtrack for us, but seeming like no time has passed in blog world.
so...ok...mindset = indonesia, sailing, and dragons :)
joe enjoying our most commonly-drunk drink while in indonesia...watermelon juice. mmmm. makes our mouths water just looking at it.
snacking on some stuffed squid
our trip to find some dragons has begun. before that starts, though, we check out a local village on the island that sustains themselves by harvesting water spinach and...
making tons of pottery.
and we're off! it's boat time for the next 5 days
during the trip, we stopped at an island or two each day to relax on the beach, do a quick hike, take some cool shadow photography, or explore the reefs...
snorkel-time! we saw some really amazing sea life. some of the fish and coral we saw were so colorful, they seemed to be glowing. also, purple starfish (cool)
one of the docks we landed on could use a bit of work... when the tide came in, parts of it became submerged in the ocean. kind of trippy to walk on...
right on the beach of an island we stopped at - one of the strangest / most interesting / most beautiful trees we've ever seen. if you look closely, you can see some of the hundreds of roots growing up from the ground surrounding it. it has adapted in this way to deal with the constant changing of the tides
you guessed it - dig this flower...
oh yeah...
during the boat ride, we were always surrounded by some of the gorgeous islands of indonesia, ranging in size from tiny to gigantastic
we arrive at komodo island, excited to 'hunt' some dragons
beautiful view from one of the highest spots on komodo island. no dragons yet, but...
there's one! even though he's just a 'small' one, it was a breathtaking sight. at about 10 years old, he's only a kid - komodo dragons can live upwards of 60 years
ok - joe's gets to brag a little here - he spotted this one before the park ranger did. this one's about the same age as the last one. here is a good action shot of this one 'smelling'. they use their long, yellow forked tongue to sample the air around them.
back near the ranger station (they're attracted to the food smells) we got to see 'the real deal' - a fully grown adult dragon, about 45 years old. we were able to get this close to it with the help of one of the rangers, but wouldn't dare get any closer. their saliva is venomous and their bite can be deadly. when hunting large prey, they will sneak up and bite the animal infecting it with venom and bacteria from it's saliva. then, they track the prey as a group for up to two weeks until the poison effectively kills it. they feed as a group and can survive on as little as 12 meals a year (or less if they snatch a huge water buffalo)
check out these dragon claws...
and check out this bad-ass with his very own dragon claw
enjoy your mudbath, buddy. soon you'll be dragon food
when the dragons are young, they live in trees, safe from predators, including the cannibalistic komodo dragon adults
our visit happened to fall within the mating season. here, we were told, the male is waiting patiently, laying on top of the female, until she is 'ready'
some of the beautiful scenery on the second 'dragon island' we visited, rinca
from here, great views of rinca and the ocean
check out this dragon action
one last dragon spotting before we board the boat again
and the last of our beautiful beach time.
on the way back to lombok, we stopped to do a small hike and go swimming at a waterfall - this was the road that led there
some of the local schoolchildren - check out three boys in the back - they're using a stick taller than the three of them combined to hit down berries from the tree
our local guide demonstrating the waterfall rope swing - lots of fun (but twice is enough!)
a great sunset during the last leg of our journey. that night will always be remembered as the "full moon dolphin party". later on, when it was dark (except for the full moon), we were chillin near the front of the boat when some dolphins decided to join us. we watched them for a while, swimming alongside the boat and occasionally jumping out of the water to greet us. coooooool beans.
we always get a kick out of bad english translations, but this one has got to be the best!
our time in indonesia has now come to an end. it was a beautiful, different place full of amazing beaches, wildlife, culture, and so much more. although our original intention was to continue on to india and the remainder or southeast asia, we decided to take a step back and ask ourselves, 'are we ready for another 10 months of travel?' answer = not quite. so...new plan. next destination = new zealand. that meant only another month of travel and not 10! quite the change, yes, but it is surprisingly tiring being on the road for so long. we realized that we would be pushing ourselves to continue, thus, not appreciating all the beauty around us! so, after new zealand, we will return to the states, bound for a new place to call home.
so, only one more post ahead of us folks! next up, aotearoa, aka...new zealand
tallyho!
lauren and joe
"I should like to spend the whole of my life traveling abroad, if i could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home" - William Hazlitt
