March 2, 2023 – Komodo Island, Indonesia

Guess what!  I shared my illness with Bob.  He coughed all night.  I’m so sorry!  Took him to the on-board medical center.  He has a sinus infection so prescriptions for antibiotics, sinus decongestant and nasal spray.  

We did have a tour booked this morning but are not getting off the ship (we need to get better for Singapore in 2 days).  Actually, the only way you can get off the ship is, IF you have a tour booked because it is dangerous.  We are anchored close to the island.  The hills are very green and quite tall.  A strange noise that sounds like a Huey helicopter.  If you’re old enough, picture the show M*A*S*H*.  Remember the scene in the beginning with helicopters coming in around those green hills?  It’s what I was picturing but quickly realized the sound was from small boats everywhere that had 2-cylinder Diesel engines.  Water taxi’s are their mode of transportation.  They don’t have any connecting roads.

Bob and I sat on our balcony watching all the small boats and noticing all the garbage in the water around the ship.  Very sad!  I gave him medication and let him rest.  I went up on the top deck with binoculars and watched everything going on around.  Small boats were coming out to the ship trying to sell their goods to tourists.  

My friend Bev and her husband Mike went for a tour and shared photos and stories with me (photos from Bev, Mona and others – thank you!). 

Many workers live 4 hours away and sailed to Komodo yesterday to accommodate tours for our ship.  Welcome to ‘The Land Of The Legendary Dragon’.  The temperature is 90-110 degrees year round.  Komodo reminds me of Jurassic Park.  An island filled with dangerous creatures and yet people come here to explore.  It is one of 14,000+ islands that make up Indonesia.  

The island is a National Park.  The Komodo dragon has plenty to eat since they stock the island with Timor deer, wild boar and some water buffalo.  The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The entrance to Komodo National Park has no fences, no visitor center and no working bathroom facilities.  There are covered platforms where guides and guards wait for their groups of tourists.  Each guard carries a long, sturdy pronged stick to ward off any potential attack by a dragon.  I was thinking something more substantial than a stick (you know what I’m saying). Each group of 20 tourists, get a guide and 2 guards for protection (one in front and one in back).

Male dragons can grow to 10 feet and weigh 150 pounds and can take down almost any animal with just one bite. They can smell a carcass as far as six miles away.  Unfortunately and sad for humans that are living on the island, it means they are a threat to recently buried people.  Dragons will grave rob.  The people living here no longer bury their dead in sand, but clay soil. 

The island of Komodo has the world’s highest concentration of venomous snakes per square meter.  That would be one.  One venomous snake per square meter.  YIKES!  So, maybe I’m glad that we missed this port.  Lol.

After visiting the dragons, they were able to go to ‘the pink beach’.  Heard the snorkeling was fabulous.  Bev shared a few pics – thank you!

Picture below provided (taken from drone). The pink beach is beautiful! Very few true pink beaches in the world. Bob and I were married on one in Bermuda 🙂