Komodo Island

March 5^th

Komodo Island, Indonesia

Just a 5 hour stop on this Island today. Komodo Island is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. Tourists primarily stop here to see the dragons. It has only one human settlement on Slawi Bay. It is very primitive and fresh water is scarce, and collected during monsoon season. The population is primarily Muslim. The Island is beautiful… green and tropical. Komodo National Park is a UNESCO heritage site and known for its Komodo Dragons, which pretty much roam around where they want to. We were escorted through the park by a guide and 2 rangers which were equipped with forked sticks to ward off any aggressive animals. These animals are protected so they are not allowed to harm them. I was hoping that a gun would be close by, but I guess all they have to do is poke them in the nose and eyes and they back off. Yea…right. They are not fenced in and can roam freely. They are huge, and they eat the wild deer and pigs, bones and all, that roam the island. They are not afraid to attack humans, and their saliva is packed with venom and bacteria. So enough said….. We were warned before we got off the ship that these things are very dangerous. We were told to stay with the rangers, do not wander off, and stay in a group. They can smell blood and meat from miles away so women having their ‘monthlies’ were strongly urged not to go off the ship. We were not to take any food, or snacks with us. Just water. And because it was so dangerous, you could not get off the ship at all unless you had an escorted excursion booked. The trail through the park was about a mile long. It was like walking through a jungle. Trees, vines, and huge plants. It was hot, steamy, and there was absolutely no breeze. My glasses kept fogging up due to the hot steamy air. First time that has ever happened to me. It was so quiet that you could hear almost everything. Birds, water, and creepy things that you know are out there but can’t see…..not that I was a little on edge anyway. We were on a safari to find these dragons. That’s what it felt like anyway. Even though we were hot and pouring with sweat, it was wonderful. And find them we did, or they found us…..and yes, they did get a little aggressive and had to be poked. I was a little more than nervous. When you see a huge lizard walking toward you with its tongue flicking, you know that it’s checking you out. Now, some people in our group just had to have a picture ‘with’ the dragon in the background. So they would squat down, turn their backs to them and snap away…..just what I want to do, act like prey on their level. Some people just don’t get it, and I just don’t get them. This was definitely not a zoo, and maybe I was over-reacting, but this was pretty primitive. I did not want to see the theory of ‘natural selection’ enacted here, but it could easily have been, and well deserved. I would take the word of a ranger over a fellow passenger (I mean idiot), any day….. I was totally content to stay well away from the action. But the rangers did their job, held them at bay, and everyone got the photo of the day. We were not guaranteed a sighting when we booked the trip, so this was pretty awesome. After our trek, the very friendly villagers were selling local crafts so we bought a few trinkets. It was an amazing day and a Birthday I will always remember…on to Lembar, Lombok, Indonesia.