We drove about 20 minutes, then the driver, who did not speak much English or anything other than Indonesian, stopped at the side of the road. We waited for about 10 minutes and another car came and 4 girls came our car. Now we were 6 and the extra space was gone.
After driving about an hour we stopped to change the car. We got a better newer car, but it was smaller. So for the next 20 minutes we sat really squeezed.
Then we arrived Mataram city, where we changed the car to a big bus. The bus was really good. It had air condition and a toilet. The problem was, that our seats were in the back of the bus next to the toilet, where it is for sure that Carina would get motion sick due to the motion of the bus and the smell from the toilet. The next bus did not leave before the day after, so we got on the bus.
We had our seats and it was fun to sit there and see how much stuff they in Indonesia can load inside a bus after the seats are full.
We left Mataram city and had a pretty drive to the tiny port town of Pringgabaya on the north-eastern coast of Lombok.
The ferry, that took us about 2 hours to Poto Tano on the west coast of he island of Sumbawa.
Not our bus. But a bus we saw from the upstairs of the ferry.
On the ferry we could buy all the snacks and drinks we wanted.
The evening view from the ferry.
So far everything went smooth.
Now in Sumbawa we drove about 2 hours before we made a dinner stop. Now it was dark outside and the bus driver seemed in hurry, so the result was that Carina got motion sick even that she took motion sick tablets. After the stop we drove to Bima, a drive which took us about 6 hours. Here we arrived at 3 am in the morning. Our next bus did not leave until 5 am.
This bus was a nightmare. We call the kind of bus we had our last drive chicken buses, due to them being small, having no toilet nor air condition, but having way to many people and everything else. They packed the bus so the door could not close, so we got air. It was freezing in the early morning hours. On top of that they have a crazy amount of luggage and people on top of the bus as well. Luckily it only lasted for about 2 hours.
in Sape habor.
Then we arrived to Sape, where we had to wait for 2 hours more before the ferry would take us to our destination.
The ferry ride to Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, took about 7½ hours.
It was really pleasant.
Our ferry.
We could board the ferry and wait on the ferry.
Even in the early morning, people were up and going.
We saw many different small boats.
On the way we met a German girl and a bunch of Indian people.
They became our friends on the journey and while we were in Labuan Bajo. On the ferry, we all went upstairs in the outside.
We found a good spot in the shade to lie down and relax, read and sleep.
It was amazing. We had the most beautiful view ever.
Josie and Markus.
The Indian guys playing guitar.
On the way we saw dolphins.
The inside of the ferry.
Then we could see Labuan Bajo and
Then we arrived Labuan Bajo.
The harbor of Labuan Bajo has many different ships.
When we came to Labuan Bajo we found a place to stay. It was called "Gardena" and it was the most magical place to live. Markus and I got our own bungalow on a hill with a fantastic view over the Labuan Bajo harbor.
Our first sunset.
Labuan Bajo used to be a little fishing village.It is still a little town, and a tourist place, as it is the launching point for trips to the Komodo National Park and the many islands in the archipelago, where the Komodo dragons can be found on a few islands.
The only street has
26 dive shops.
Beside spotting the Varanus Komodensis the main attraction in the area, is the extraordinary marine life. The Komodo archipelago is a paradise for divers and snorkelers. The waters in the Komodo National Park offer dozens of very pristine dive sites, with many migratory pelagic fish and vibrant reefs, which makes it one of the worlds riches marine habitats.
Many boats in the little harbor.
We decided to see the attractions in this place, so we bought ourselves a 2 days package deal.
The first day: A day trip sailing to the north part of the Komodo National Park while having 3 dives.
Then we had a day off from being on the water.
The second day: again going to the National Park, but this time with 2 dives and a visit to Rinca island to see the Komodo dragons.
We had some amazing days in Labuan Bajo and the Komodo National Park and it's definitely a place we'd love to visit again.
sunset from ore favorite bar with water and orange juice.
We did not want to go back overland to Bali and then fly or drive 10 more hours to Yogyakarta on Java, which was our next destination, so we bought flight tickets even that flight tickets to and from Labuan Bajo are relatively expensive.
Our diving boat at the little pier on Rincha Island.
The boat had downstairs and upstairs. Downstairs was all the stuff you need on a boat and upstairs was for relaxing.
Just a nice view from the boat.
Everywhere we saw islands with not much vegetation, but then sometimes there would be a nice beach fringed with palm trees.
Sometimes we saw a tiny village.
They looked so secluded.
Downstairs on our dive boat and some of the crew and dive instructors.
We were both sure that in a second we would see real pirates, but we did not.
But we had a nice sunset.
The sunsets from Labuan Bajo or the surroundings are truly amazingly beautiful.
We rented a scooter one day. This is one of the many pretty views.
We stopped at a cafe to get something to drink. And we found this lovely bougainvillea and a lot of stairs.
Another view of the island of Flores.
Francisco went with us the day we went around on scooter.
We went to see a cave. Batu Cermin limestone cave is set within an impressive rock formation.
It was a very dark and scary cave.
Through a hole in in the cave, rays of light find their way into the cave's inside walls where they perform a spectacular show of reflected sunlight. This facinating effect is caused by some slick, mirror like rock surfaces that reflect the light. Hence the cave's name, Batu Cermin, which means "mirror rock" in Indonesian.
We did not find the "show" very spectacular, as there was no water to create the mirrors but it was nice little stop.
On our way back we stopped at the town market and got some cheap food.
Markus is ready for food.
This is the kitchen.
Nasi Goreng, its good and it is cheap. Fried rise with a fried egg, some chicken and vegetables and crackers.
The market in the evening.
The evening kitchen.
Fresh fish.
A sunset from our bungalow, which had a good big bed with mosquito net. A toilet where we had to scoop water in the bowl after using it. We only had a little shower with cold water, but we had a really really good breakfast.
This is the pier and the entrance to Rinca island and the place where we saw the Komodo dragons.
Rinca island is a part of the Komodo National Park and the best place to see the legendary Komodo dragons.
Rinca island is one of a very few places to spot Komodo dragons in the wild. Usually tourists go to see theIt's more likely to see the Dragons in Rinca than in the actual Komodo island because Rinca has less settlements.
Now we were getting close.
The park has status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It is the worlds largest lizard and
can reach over 3 meters in length and weight up to 100 kg.
The dragon hunts alone and feeds on animals as large as deer and buffalo, which are both found on Rincha island. The males also try to eat the females eggs, and there is often a battle between the sexes.
The dragons are venomous and have caused several human fatalities.
The island itself is carpeted with Savannah and fringed with mangroves.
The beautiful view from Rincha island.
The only 2 month old airport on Flores island from where we flew to Yogyakarta via Bali.
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