There have been several points on this trip where we've had to scratch things off the list. They've either been too expensive, too time consuming, or too much of a pain in the ass for what we'd be accomplishing. For the most part these have been few and not always noticeable because there have been so many other things happening while on this trip. Sometimes it's hard though when you know that there is a good chance that this may be the only opportunity, so passing it up may mean it's gone forever. That is what we had started to think about going to Komodo National Park. The travel book we had indicated that trips to the island weren't exactly easy or cheap. So we had resigned ourselves to getting incredibly close to the place, but likely not going. Then we arrived at the Gili Islands, where right outside our hotel was a little kiosk with a sign that said Komodo Adventures.
The package included a four day, four night boat trip to the island, with other adventure stops along the way. The price wasn't inexpensive, but considering they would be covering our meals, accomodations, and transport, it seemed like it would be worth the cost. We booked for the day after next, so that we could actually enjoy the island that we just arrived at. An island so small that it only took an hour and a half to walk around. That was with us going slow and taking pictures. Still it was a nice relaxing place to be with less than a week left for this portion of our trip. This trip has had one constant, which seems to be once we've gotten used to a place, we leave it. It's not because we don't like it. It's more to do with the fact that there was so much to see and do that it didn't feel right being in a place long enough to get bored with it. We were looking for something that would more or less take away the decisions and planning that would be required for some of the final days. I can see why people book all inclusive cruises or hotels. There is something nice about knowing that the heavy lifting has been taken care of and your only responsibility is to enjoy it.
We had to wake up early and catch a boat off the island to the neighboring island. It's always a little bit of of a bummer when you have to leave a good place early, especially when you know you've been enjoying it up until that point. As usual with travel days there was a lot of hurry up and wait. We scrambled onto what must have been the locals morning commute boat as there were enough people on board that we were close to sitting on each other's laps. Thankfully the ride was quick and I even managed to strike up a conversation with a fellow traveler, talking about where we've been and where we're going. At this point in the trip talking about the trip is as easy as talking about your hometown. When we arrived our booking agent met us at the pier and had us walk to a little cafe. Apparently our ride misunderstood the concept of picking people up at the pier as him and the booking agent exchanged some words about, which I didn't understand, but got the general meaning. We got to the cafe, which was the meeting point for all other travelers on our trip. The only problem was that it was 8:30 in the morning and as we sat down they told us we wouldn't be leaving until 11:30. I know I'm a stickler for time and that's just not how things are done here. Something that's supposed to pick you up at 7:30 means anywhere within thirty minutes of then is good enough. Still this was pushing it. It didn't make sense that we had to catch the early boat over to the cafe if we were going to just sit around for three hours. We could have done that at our hotel, which we had paid for through noon. It gave us time to talk to other travelers and form alliances for our deadly game of boat living. Three hours didn't so much fly by as they limped along. When it was finally time everyone was told to walk back to the pier. Efficiency isn't the strongest trait for the travel industry here. At least we were on our way towards the dragons.
The boat we were going to be living on was...smaller than the photo in the brochure. It was also a little bit shabbier. While I don't want to offend the fine people of Indonesia, there are times when you realize what a developing nation really means. Both Thailand and Malaysia had their quirks and you become accustomed to a certain level of care and maintenance. Indonesia is no different. Some places are nice and some, well they at least seem to be trying. If I had to sum it up into a single word, it would be 'Almost'. They almost reach the level of quality they're trying for. Honestly it's part of the charm of this country because the people are usually so friendly and easy to smile. You appreciate what they're going for. This boat was not one of those times. This was one of those times when you've found something online that looks amazing and then when you go see it in person you find out that the custom paint job is faded to the point of being irrelevant. It was ok though. We had stayed in worse places and it's all part of the adventure. Right?
I don't want to use this to complain about the trip because we've been very fortunate to be on this trip at all. It can't all be unicorns farting rainbows filled with candy sprinkles. Our cabin was a sauna resting on a waterbed attached to a rollercoaster. The first night we sweated ourselves to sleep. The second night we dreamed about how would we manage to get off a sinking ship and get back to safety. The third night was filled with music, beer, and water so still you'd think you were on dry land. The fourth day we wandered through the jungle looking for dragons, only to find them lounging around the village like a bunch of lazy cats. Having seen an animal in the zoo and then seeing it in the wild are two very different things. These dragons did their best to bridge the gap by making sure to lay still long enough for everyone to get photos. Some even were brave enough to get close to have their picture taken with the dragon, from a safe distance of course. Our rangers had sticks in case one of the dragons got unruly, but they had no interest in us as we were a group of thirty white European travelers that were constantly making noise. In the end I can say I've been to the island of Komodo and walked among the dragons.
We've only a couple days away from leaving SE Asia. We're headed back to Bali to find some good food and relaxation in the highest order. As usual, I'm interested to see what happens next.
