It was a bumpy 2 hour flight, a real roller
coaster. We landed in Flores just before a downpour started.
After a quick introduction to our guide we
hoped in a car then off to a boat where we immediately started sailing out to
see and around some islands. The islands were very green and some had almost no
trees on them.
The seas had apparently been to rough the
few days before we arrived to sail, but today they were much “better” it was
still very rough.
We arrived at a small island national park
and the local guides here had large forked sticks. We were here to see DRAGONS.
Big fire breathing, flying… ok no… komodo dragons. Large lizards and we were
not disappointed, it was less than 5 meters into our trek when we got to see our
first one.
Further on in the mangroves was a larger, 2
meter female lazing in the sun. well what sun there was. It wasn’t long before
the heavens opened and it was raining again.
Around the national park kitchen huts was a
pair of larger still dragons, our guide told us stories of how the dragons
would kill buffalo and cows and how children have gone “missing” and skulls
found later.
On our little hike we also encountered some
buffalo (apparently the lucky ones not to get eaten) and some wild monkeys
curious as always to see what we were doing but not curious enough to venture
to close to the ground.
After the tour we returned to our boat
where I was able to go snorkelling in some of the most clear and untouched
waters I have ever been in.
After a quick paddle the captain of our
boat told me to come back in, the weather was closing and we had to rush back
to the harbor.
As we arrived we got news that the boat
behind us with 4 Holland tourists on had sunk and the harbor gates were closed
so we had to walk to the hotel in torrential rain. Oh well our shoes where
flooded and now so was our cloths. At least we got to see dragons?
Sông found a nice pillow in our room that
she called her “husband” it was given prime place everywhere… till I kicked
it/him out ;)
The next day we started our drive into the
heart of Flores. Our new guide told us the last few days have been some very
bad weather and the next few seem to be worse. This was not good news.
The first place for the day was a cave,
which was said to have mirrors in it. Or at least to the locals. The water and
the crystal in the cave gave it a mirror look. It was quite nice. The cave was full of micro bats and cave
spiders, that our give told us 1 bite would kill us “oooooo” the spiders looked
like something out of a movie. Actually come to think of it I have seen it in a
harry potter movie somewhere.
After another drive we reached a hill side
where we would walk to see the famous spider web rice fields of Flores. The
fields were set out in a shape of a spider web symbolising we all have a
starting point and we all come from the same place. Its so the villages never
forget there family.
As we reached the town we were going to
stop in that night we pulled into our first native village. It was small and
featured a brick wall constructed when the village was first built in the
Neolithic age and 2 main houses, the chiefs and the ceremony house. All the
other houses around were people living in the village.
In the center of the village was a raised
area used for sacrifices and praying to there gods. It had a large flat stone.
The chief’s hut was grand and had a small carving of a “strong man” on top.
That night Sông and I checked into a
nunnery well it was before they converted it to a hotel. The Nun’s still ran
the hotel. The room even featured a bible and a picture of merry on the wall
and a cross.
The next day was a full day of driving but
what a drive. We drove through some small villages that had been completely
wiped out by a typhoon that had ripped over the island the last few days.
houses were spread over the road, roof moved down the road, trees ripped in ½.
It was like a bomb had gone off…
We stopped at a hill side to view the
scenery, a old man was in the process of chopping a palm tree into planks of wood
to repair his house that was ripped away. It was also the first time I had seen
bamboo trees snapped like twigs.
A short time later we stopped for another
“pitstop” leaving my camera in very capable hands…
The weather seemed to clear that afternoon
and we stopped at a place that made palm wine. 60% proof stuff, it was like the
rice or corn wine I had in dong van.
The process was that the used the seeds
from the palm trees the female trees only.
After a complex process of fermentation the steam runs up a pipe into a
bamboo pole where it cools then down the bamboo into a bucket ready for
drinking.
That afternoon the car drove through some
amazing hill sides and past a old volcano. We stopped for a quick photo and the
local kids crowded in for a photo, always happy to see there face on a little
screen. A few were not quite sure and stayed at a safe distance ;)
We then stopped in that evening at another
“traditional” village. This one was much lager than the last, our guide
explained that each family (maybe 5 or 6 for this village) had to each year
kill a buffalo and put its horns outside there house for the gods.
We worked it
out to be about 10-12 buffalo for the entire village each year sacrificed,
that’s a lot…! The village was laid out in a circle and in the centre was small
huts, this was used for the ladies and large stones used for sacrificing. Each
house was slightly different but all had a similar quality, some had a idol on
the top indicating a strong man.
At the back of the village was a amazing view and a Christian alter with a cross and image of Christ.
We took some time to admire the view and
see lots of other small villages scattered around before we headed back into
the village.
As we were walking around the village we
got to see and talk (with translator) to some of the locals. Sông even got a
marriage proposal but a man smaller than her… hehehe
The next day was a loooooooong drive, we
spent all day in the car to get to the ocean side. It was extremely tiring.
It all seemed worth it when we pulled into
a small fishing village and its harbor. We hopped on a tiny boat. It was so
small the poor captain couldn’t stand up in the cabin so he cut a hole in the
roof to stand through.
After a short 30 min or so boat ride we
stopped at a island, it seemed the trees where dead and the branches moved. As
we drifted closer I could clearly see what it was…. Bats… millions of bats.
They were the same as the large flying foxes we have at home.
It was really a sight to see, as the captain
started up the old boat motor with a backfire or two, the bats came alive and
scrambled as the noise ripped through the trees.
We spent a good 30 min just watching the
swarm of bats flying around then headed to a small island for a grilled lunch.
The island use to have tables and chairs on
but the tour company that built them long since closed and it was abandoned.
The sand was white the sun was out and as our fresh fish cooked on a coco nut
shell fire, sông and I when for a little walk.
The food was amazing, it was so fresh and
the view was making it taste even better, we were sooo hungry it was about 4pm
and we had gotten up at 6am with nothing in between. Still the place and the weather seemed to be
great.
As we headed into shore though the weather
turned once again and it bucketed down with a intensity I had never seen
before.
The next day we had another longish drive,
thankfully this time we stopped at a few places. Our first stop was at a beach
called the blue stone beach. Strangely all the stones at “blue stone beach”
were blue…
We wondered up and down the beach for a
while and found some small stones as presents for the people back home. Our
guide told us some random story of how the stones never stop and its from the
gods. But as we drove further around the island you could clearly see the blue
stone in a layer of rock on the island.
They (the locals) farm the blue stones into
size and color depth and bag it, then sell the bags of stones to bali and the
world to use as they please. Its apparently the “only” place in the world where
they exist and the 10 old ladies scrabbling the beach for these stones work
every day of the year.
We pulled into a small hotel, it was very
cheap and nasty. The first room we had bugs on the sheets, so the second room
the sheets were wet. We told our guide and the hotel owner and left the hotel
for a walk. About 20 min into our walk the downpour of rain started again. Our
guide had tracked us down with the car and drove us back thankfully as we would
have been wet and my camera ruined otherwise. They had changed the entire bed
and sheets. But now we found out there was no water or power in the hotel. It
was all because of the storm the last day or so it had ripped off the 2nd
level of the hotel completely and there water tank. The power was because all
the lines were down.
The next morning we were up at 4am… why????
Oh why??? We were climbing up a volcano today to see the magical 3 colored
lakes.
After a very scary and windy drive with
lots of trees and power lines down, we arrived at a small dark car park. I
really should have brought my touch and my phone was flat as couldn’t charge
it. 
We started with a few groups but having lived at altitude over the last few
months we quickly finished the climb. It was extremely windy at the top of the
volcano and dark. It was another 40 min before the sun started to rise, and we got the first glimpse of the lakes. The sulfur in the air was making us all a bit sick but as the time went on the clouds lessened.
Until finally at 6am we could see the lakes
in all there prime.
The lakes were very beautiful, they
apparently change color every few years for no reason. Scientists think it’s
the minerals being released from the volcano that cause the color change.
It was out 2nd last day and we
had another long drive, time for a cat nap as we were up so early. That evening
we checked into a nice hotel, air-condition, TV, power and water… luxury!.
The next day we were due to fly out at 12
midday, so we headed to a small beach for a bit of time killing. The beach was
hit by a tsunami a few years ago. It was so beautiful, almost like a post card.
We went for a nice long walk on the beach
and found a bent over coconut tree to sit and pass time on. Nice end to the 7
days.
When we arrived back in Bali it was the day
before the Balinese “quiet day”. There was floats and parties all over town. It
was quite a sight to see. Each shop seemed to have its own idol and thing, and
they had closed all the streets down for this parade.
The next day was quiet day, no TV, no
internets (Nooooooo!), no going outside… only sleep.
The day after we flew out back to Vietnam.
With a stop over in Malaysia because I fell asleep and we missed the flight…
Till next time, HAVE FUN!
Steffen
