Maggie and I are up in Ubud, the main city on the island of Bali, and we just had fried duck for dinner, Awesome. The last week has been a fun an exciting blur, i'll try to summarize as best I can, please bear with me.
New Years eve (Dec 31) We took the ferry from bali over to Gili air, and found a homestay for the evening after hiking around in 100 degree heat with our backpacks seeming heavier and heavier. After dropping our packs we explored the island and went for a swim. To our dismay, the island was surrounded by a shelf that makes the water about half a meter deep for 20 meters outs from the island on all sides, making it almost impossible to go swimming and superheating the water so it feels like a nice warm bath. Not what we were looking for after a hot and humid search for accomodations. Regardless, we enjoyed the swim as best we could and had dinner at a technicolor rave with blacklights, sitting by the ocean, with a majority of the rave participants on some mind altering substances, we finished dinner and were in bed reading before 11pm, man we are boring!!
(Gili Air)
Anyways, New years we head over to the island of Lombok via ferry and Crossed Alfred Wallaces line. I believe it is a line that depicts a major change in the landscape, animals, plants and fish. It runs along the lombok straight, a very deep channel between bali and lombok, anyways, it was a big change. much drier climate, more volcanic than balis lush jungles.
(Resort in Lombak, much deserved after the places we have been staying in)
After a few days at a hotel in lombok, We booked a boat tour to flores to see the Komodo dragons and left on January 4th for a really amazing trip.
Day 1 ( Jan 4th) we get bussed across the island with 24 other people from all over the globe, Sweden, Germany, Britain, Holland, Canada, singapore, malaysia etc. we arrive to the eastern Port of Lombok and head out on a short cruise to an island for snorkeling and a welcome dinner. The snorkelling had all sorts of neon coral and some really crazy looking fish as well. After a welcome dinner we set sail overnight and we discovered that we would be sleeping on the floor of the boat, not bad until the cockroaches came out in the middle of the night and we discovered these new passengers that would be sharing the boat with us.
(interior of the boat. Also our bedroom)
Day 2 ( January 5th) We arrive at beautiful tropical island of sumbawa for more snorkelling and beach time, as we got to know the different people from around the globe, it was great to get to learn about different cultures, governments and people. Many of the people we met changed our perception of what a certain people or country is like. We all had a good time but hit some rough seas on the overnight sail and no one got a good nights sleep.
Day 3 ( January 6th) arrive at Komodo island and national Park. We see 4 Dragons out in the wild of the national park while accompanied by two guides and find many more down by the national park restaurant. The Dragons grow to be 3.5 meters long and can live for more than 50 years. pretty much the closest thing to a dinosaur that I have ever seen, again, awesome. we drop off some passengers in Flores and pick up some new ones the same evening, and start our journey back towards lombok.
(don't worry mom, the guides had sticks to fend off the dragons)
Day 4 ( January 7th) a Trip to Rinca Island and many more Komodo Dragons, luckily no one was eaten or attacked :). and more snorkelling.
(morning light off the bow)
Day 5 (January 8th) more snorkelling and sailing, great fun with a great group of people, the crew included, we all made it back to the east coast of lombok by 1030pm, staggered to our hotel and got some sleep.
(January 9th) Hopped a morning ferry to Bali, took a minivan up to Ubud, and found a great hotel that is tucked into a mini forest in the center of the city, really liking it here so far and we are off to Jakarta on the 12th of january and then up to the phillipines on the 13th.
be well everyone, see you all in just a couple of weeks
Sam + Maggie
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