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Komodo dragons

Komodo national park is composed of a few islands. The largest is komodo island and the second largest is Pusua Rinca. We visited both over the live aboard boat tour.

I have wanted to see Komodo dragons for a long time. This boat tour is one of the better ways to pack in a lot of things in one trip. Plus there is only two of us. Things are more customized that way. As the weather had been bad, no one could get to the Islands for about a week. We lucked out that it was open the day we started. But with impending rain we decided to do it the first day instead of the second, just in case.

Komodo dragons

Led by two rangers we toured a very small part of the island and learned about the dragons.

Males are larger than females and can be as long as 10 feet and about 330 pounds.
They can liver up to 30 years
They are endangered and this is the only place you can see them in nature in the world.
They have lived in these Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years.
They lay 30 eggs in deep diagonal holes in mounds used by a kiwi bird for the same purpose. Many animals will try to eat the eggs so the female guards the nest for the first three months until the rainy season comes. Then the holes are undiscoverable.
They mate once a year. If males not present, females have both chromosomes so can actually create eggs by parthenogenesis. Unfortunately, in this manner there are only males hatched.
Juveniles run to the trees after hatching as they can be eaten by just about everything including other dragons. They live in small lizards, insects, etc and only come down once in awhile. Add use the law of nature only about 10% make it to adulthood.
The dragons have venom glands with toxins that stop clotting and lower blood pressure. There is also 500 species of bacteria that provide fast infection. Their serrated teeth leave large wounds. They can even take down a water buffalo. Many will feed on one animal and may fight for the food.
They can eat 80% of their weight but only eat every month or so.

Komodo Island

Timor deer and wild boar are some of the prey here. There are some amazing species here at it is a protected park.

The dragons were amazing. I was able to get within a few meters of them. They are incredible. If they want to move they can do it very quickly.

This is an optical illusion. I’m not that close.

Rinca Island

This has an actual information center and elevated paths but it is not a zoo. They don’t keep the dragons in the area as they come and go as they please.

We noticed a juvenile moving quickly away. He was sensing the air with his tongue that all the other dragons were moving into the area. Smart guy to get away. You can see him here: https://youtu.be/tud0SWFHbjk

As we walked along we noticed a deer laying under the walkway. There was one komodo dragon about 20 meters away. After visiting the information center, we saw that more dragons came near the other one. We are pretty sure the deer had been bitten and the scent drew in the other dragons. They can smell blood 4 km away. Now they just wait for the deer to be near death.

Both islands have a few villages on them. Life is pretty tough for the residents who are mostly fishermen. Their houses are mostly on stilts due to tides but also as komodo dragons roam the islands freely. Of course they can climb stairs so keeping doors closed is important. I’m sure they house there goats, chickens, and cats that we saw.

The villagers also make the komodo dragon carvings that you can buy. They have statues and also small ones that are magnets.

We also did a fair amount of snorkeling…..

Labuan Bajo

From Denpasar, the flight to Labuan Bajo is a little over an hour. It is further east from Bali on a large island called East Nusa Tenggara. From here I will stay one night at the Sylvia Resort komodo and will be picked up by the tour operator to travel to the boat in the morning.

There is not much around except for resorts scattered at the end of winding mountain roads. Sometimes it is better just to relax and enjoy the quiet which was made easier with its own beach and pools.

The next morning, after breakfast (and feeding the pussy gato friends I made by giving fish to just one of them the night before), we were picked up for our live aboard tour.

Call this light glamping. A bed, places to hang out…. We paid for a boat with air conditioning. You are on a boat so the bathroom is minimal with a toilet you use scoops of water to flush and a shower with little pressure. It is a typical Asian bathroom you might see in a smaller hotel (usually they have more water pressure for good reason).

They fed us so much food. All typically the same: rice, noodles, fried eggplant, vegetables, tempeh/tofu, fried fish, eggs and pancake for breakfast, fried bananas for a snack, and always fresh fruit.

Not much of an inconvenience as it is only two nights and the only way to see some really incredible things! The scenery through the area was amazing and we made several stops along the way which are in the next posts. Walking up on the water, having a whole crew just wanting you to be safe and happy was all part of the experience.

This is the ring of fire where the islands have been created by volcanoes. Many small villages exist for fishing but not every island is inhabited. Komodo national park has three large islands. Some villages are on them but no tourists can stay.

Sunrise saw the flying foxes which are actually megabats that feed on fruit coming back to where they nest for the day.

Sunset was amazing as well and you could see the flying foxes leaving their nests to feed on the fruit. These are the largest bats in the world and incredible to watch thousands fly over head.

Here is a video to watch: https://youtu.be/OceIxFyU4NU

We stayed in Flores and sailed to komodo island and back stopping at points along the way.

Uluwatu, Bali

Uluwatu is the southernmost tip of Bali. It is mostly a place for surfers as the waves are best suited for that sport. It was a great time to just lay on a beach for awhile and find other good tasting food. I started at D’Padang which is a short walk from Thomas Beach. Less people and more beach.

A religious holiday has these special bamboo with decorations outside each place.

Couldn’t help snapping a picture as he was waiting for me when I went to get some coffee.

Breakfast at Suka was Chinese inspired with Sichuan hot sauce and Asian slaw.
Delicious food here in Bali.

We watched the person and dog surfing. The dog was much better but swam back after falling twice.

Walking along the beach I noticed all the sea life. Of course I had to take pictures to use in my biology classes.

There is a crab in here if you zoom in on the picture.

We took a tour to uluwatu beach. Thomas beach near the hotel is much bigger and better. But there are monkeys at this one…

Afterwards, we went to uluwatu temple. More monkeys and these were mischievous. As we walked along the cliff, two monkeys stole glasses and a cell phone from other visitors.

We then watched the kecak fire dance. Instead of musicians, the background music is sounds uttered by up to 70 men. The dance is about good and evil. The dance is also a medium between the early world and the spirits.

The monkey in the dance was pretty fun. He traveled through the audience acting as a monkey would, taking things, sitting on people…

A walk looking over where people surf but obviously we are awake too early for the surfers.

Next stop is a one hour flight to Flores to board a boat and tour Komodo Island

The end and beginning of a year

Walking around Ubud and shopping we happened upon a coffee shop owner who has a domesticated civet. I was able to pet it. It was pretty calm but also they don’t see well during the day as they are nocturnal.

New years eve I watched Rocketman at a local restaurant then went to the Lokal bar next to the hotel. No live music but a family from Holland was playing their playlist and we started dancing. Many people passing by joined us. The next morning people addressed me as dancing queen. They said that dancing never happens there but the owners were happy as there were more thirsty people. I wouldn’t have made it to midnight of I didn’t get up to dance.

The first morning of 2023.

After breakfast I walked past the pedestrian market to the rice field. It was so peaceful and there are villas you can rent there. Every new years I go for a walk in nature. To be in Bali and take in the peaceful countryside was amazing. A woman was selling coconut water and it was lovely talking to her.

I went to the Ubud temple. In Buddhism, temples can be somewhat similar but have different bodhisattva that are the focus. The temples are a bit different. In Hindu, the temples are much more alike.

Next I am off to the bottom of Bali to an area called Uluwatu.

Touring Ubud

To see some of the sights around Ubud it was better to hire a guide for a full day rather than negotiate traffic ourselves. The day started with breakfast served on my veranda.

The first stop was a barong and keris dance that represents the eternal fight between good and evil. The good being a barong which is a mythical animal and the evil being a rangda which is a mythical monster. The music is traditional and I liked this music. The same instruments are used to call people to prayer every morning.

The video of excerpts of the dance or together can be seen here: https://youtu.be/-TBBHDi-30o

A tiger appears and helped with the monkey fight men in the forest.

Servants of the rangda dance. They are looking for servants of Dewi Kunti who they will bewitch in order to sacrifice Dewi Kunti’s son Sadewa to the rangda.

Sadewa tied to the tree for sacrifice. The god Siwa however gives him immortality.

Followers of the barong. There is a portion of the dance that is pretty funny when they encounter a boar. Their humor and timing was pretty great. It was a good time that I forgot to take pictures.

Next stop was learning how batik and silver jewelry were made. They employ villagers to make crafts sold here in Bali.

After this (and spending money on amazing silver earrings with moonstones from Bali and larimar stones from Madagascar) we went to the Pura puseh temple. I knew that every house and business has a temple but learned that every neighborhood has a larger temple for community prayer and offering.

Then a waterfall.

Then on to the coffee plantation. This plantation has civets for kope luwak. This is where the civets eat the berries, it is processed slightly during digestion, then collected, cleaned, roasted, and dried after excretion. The coffee is generally expensive but cheaper here in Bali. Though I know it is not the same as collecting the seeds from wild civet poo, it still is legit. These civets are fed the berries instead of foraging in the wild.

Luwak coffee is stronger than typical Balinese. We bought cassava and banana chips to eat.

We also were given free samples of many other types of coffee and tea they produce.

The last stop was at the rice terraces. A bit disappointing as it was very commercialized with zip lining, right rope biking, or swinging. A little underwhelming after hiking for two days through rice terraces in China and only encountering small villages.

After an 11 hour day we grabbed dinner. The number of vegan and vegetarian places are amazing here. Balinese food also has many naturally vegan dishes to begin with. I should have packed everything and just stayed here until the end of the year. It is amazing.

This is a snake skin fruit. When you peel the outside, there are three lobes of fruit with seeds inside. They crunch like an apple but are not sweet and a little acidic. Still very delicious but I like most things.

Ubud monkey forest

Mándala Suci Wenara Wana is a sanctuary and habitat of the Balinese long tailed macaque. We chose the hotel Gayatri as it is between the monkey forest and Ubud temple as well as best great shops and art.

Gado Gado is still my favorite Indonesian food. Peanut sauce with sambal (spicy sauce). Yum!

The area of about 25 acres is separated into different groups of macaques that live in specific areas. It is owned by the village for conservation of the area in the Hindu principle Tri Hata Karana which means three ways to reach spiritual and physical well being. The focus is on these relationships: human-human, humans-nature, humans-supreme god.

The temples here are important for the villagers and only those can enter and pray. Adjacent to one of the three temples is a cemetery fire temporary burial before there is a mass cremation every 5 years or on the auspicious day of the Balinese calendar. We actually heard a lot of noise and music and followed to the third temple where a funeral ritual was taking place. The difference here is that you sense joy and celebration for their life and moving to the next realm. There are no tears as you are to show respect not sadness as it is thought the next world is better than what they left.

I was able to video part of the ceremony: https://youtu.be/puGAld39W5s

Pictures from the other two temples:

Ganesha is the god of beginnings and is the patron of intellectuals. My favorite Hindu god.

The monkeys have lost fear of humans and will eat out of your hand if you are provided food to give them. Otherwise, holding bags, hiding food from them can bring aggression. The people caring for the monkeys are on the lookout for aggression and also interaction between the different groups of macaques especially going to the water in the dry season. The park also focuses on research of the various groups.

I made a small video of a couple of babies: https://youtu.be/l0W-1R289JA

Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is one of the 130 Indonesian islands that is part of the coral triangle. Because of the amount of coral that exists it has the largest biodiversity of fish and turtles in the world. The island is right across the sea from where our first resort was. Service in this country is amazing. You tell them where you want to go and they arrange everything. After the ferry ride we were on the island and another person was waiting for us.

I have not really studied Hindu religion which is the predominant religion here. I noticed prayer and the carrying of Canang sari to be placed at various places at altars in every home or business as well as on the street in front of entrances. At the Kaylas hill resort I stayed at, they put one outside every villa room.

Canang sari is an offering that is made every day to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa who was the creator of humans. This is a way of showing gratitude for having been given life, safety, prosperity, and happiness. The gratitude is symbolized by presenting a canang sari in the form of a flower placed in Coconut leaves that have been shaped into a square, triangle or round shape. Often there are amounts of rice or fruits in the offering and incense is burned see the offering is made. In Kawi or old Javanese, Canang comes from the word “Can” which means beautiful, while “Nang” means purpose or intent, and Sari means core or source. Canang Sari means to invoke Widya’s strength in the presence of Sang Hyang Widhi and His Prabhawa (manifestation) both on a world realm and subtle spirit realm.

The resort is at the top of one of the hills on the island. Still quiet and peaceful with a great view.

We walked down the hill to try different foods.

Tempeh Indonesian curry with Anker beer.

Soto ayam which is Indonesian “chicken noodle soup”. It has vermicelli in it and instead of chicken, they substituted tempeh. Delicious!

After snorkeling I had jackfruit tacos which were amazing. The beer is local Balinese.

Some sights I captured on this part of the island:

This cat claimed the local offering shrine.

One of the things to do on the island is to snorkel or dive. We snorkeled one morning and it was beautiful. A video can be found here: https://youtu.be/AQAs2tjPLsc

We also toured the island. First stop is the temple in a cave.

Men outside were sewing fishing nets.

Next stop was Diamond beach and Atuh beach. Both required climbing down narrow and steep steps to get down the cliff. In sections you had to use rope to guide you down or to help pull yourself up. It was worth it to go into the water. So blue but the waves were also intense here so did not go out very far.

Diamond beach

Atuh beach

As it was raining we decided not to try to go down this cliff and instead talked with others at a rest area. A little monkey came down to grab dinner of the leftover coconut.

The treehouses are on Thousand Islands viewpoint and can actually be rented as an accommodation. It is a beautiful view.

The last stop was the teletubbies. I know what they look like though my kids were too old for that program at the time. The area is just rolling hills and I could not really see the teletubbies in the view.

One of the men at the resort asked where we were from. He had to think for a moment about Pennsylvania and he knew it because of the movies Rocky and Batman. I explained that Batman was filmed in Pittsburgh and it is not an actual Gotham.

Our next stop is Ubud which is more touristy but will let us see more temples, rice terraces, and artisan crafts.

Bali-day

After touring Singapore and Manila, it was a welcome few days off staying in a remote resort without an agenda. Especially perfect for a holiday: my Christmas Eve birthday and Christmas day.

The flight there was uneventful until we landed at 11pm. For some reason, there were lots shuttle buses available for the planes landing/taking off and we had to wait 2 hours to deplane. Another hour in immigration and another hour traveling to the resort in Klungkung put us there at 3 am. I felt sorry for the driver we hired who had to wait at the airport and the resort employee who also waited.

Bali is the western most island in the Lesser Sunda islands, part of the Indonesia archipelago (there are 130 islands here). The majority of people are Hindu and no matter where we were greeted in their language and in English. So friendly and always a smile on their face. This is our first stop and will go to three other places on the island before heading to Komodo Island and then Jakarta.

But we arrived and the place was beautiful. The secret spot resort is right on the beach and peaceful. Not much around it which is amazing. Anything you need they can get for you when they go to the market. This was great as I did not have the adapter plug for this country.

The bathroom is outside in a courtyard. The tub is full size and I can lay down in it.

After a few hours sleep I needed coffee and something to eat. They have a free breakfast and a choice of 3 different menu: Indonesian (fried noodles or rice), pancake, or continental. Looking at their menu for the other meals, they have an amazing variety and cook everything from scratch.

We went for a walk near the edge of the water and was surprised at bring pulled in when a wave came much further than we expected. Despite our phones being submerged, they survived. Bali is known for surfing and now we know the strength of the waves.

We noticed a memorial service near the water before ashes were scattered.

Before I left the Philippines I purchased this coconut liquor to bring as there are not many options here. Perfect for my birthday paired with fresh fruit juice.

Our agent who arranged our driver from earlier in the night came by as we needed to arrange transport to Nusa penida island, our next stop. He also created a tour of Ubud for us. We toasted my birthday and his which is on the 25th.

There are only 6 huts at the resort and my friends and I occupied 4 of them. Perfect to exist without masks. Such freedom! Our only excursion was to walk around the tiny village.

This little guy acted like a tough watch dog.

The owner decorated with lights and a tree. Everyone on staff wore a Santa hat.

For my birthday dinner they made Gado Gado which was delicious. A peanut sauce with tempeh and tofu.

My friends had the owner found a cake for me with a candle. So thoughtful and yes some singing.

This is the rainy season and it did rain off and on the two days. I did manage to swim a few times and lounge around outside under covered lounge areas. Perfect for relaxation.

Even in the rain this place is beautiful. The sound of the waves is perfect to just relax and read a book.

Mujair nyat nyat is one of the traditional food in Bali. It is a tilapia fish that is fried or baked with Balinese herbs and spices such as ginger, galangal, kencur, black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg, tabia bun, candlenut, jangu, bangle, and also turmeric on top of the fish. It is rich in flavor and just a little spicy. You can easily taste spicy and sour from the herbs with the savory flavor of the fish.

Dessert of black rice pudding. This is made with coconut milk and is delicious.

The lizards are tokay geckos. They provided amusement as we watched them hunt insects.

I would come back here again. The people are wonderful. They are amazing cooks and the menu has traditional Balinese food to western food.

Wandering Manila

The last full day in Manila was more leisurely. Finally I spent time by the pool, swimming and reading a book.

We went looking for more vegan Filipino food. We took a taxi to one that is a barbeque place. However they did not have seating. Undeterred, we ate on the sidewalk watching people go by. It was delicious food. Sisig is usually made with pig face and belly and cooked until it is crispy. The word sisig (pronounced see-sig) stems from sisigan, an old Tagalog word that means “to make sour,” it did have a slight sour taste that paid well with beer. Bopsis had Spanish origins and is a spicier dish with tomatoes, chillies, and onions.

From there we walked through the streets to another restaurant. Great sights along the way but they did not open when they said they would be.

We passed a few of these tents along the side of a busy road. They are actually funerals with the casket, memorial flowers, and chairs for vigil.

I wanted to try another Filipino desert called Boku pie. It is a delicious in a different area of the Philippines but we traveled to a bakery that is supposed to have it. But they did not have any. They did have ube hopia which had purple sweet potato in it. It is similar to a pastry in Yunnan province in China but a bit heavier.

In our wandering I came across a free library with a resident kitty.

The Sofitel had great Christmas decorations and music. Festive!

And the hotel had great food: sisig, eggplant with mango salsa, and turon a la mode which is fried bananas with ube ice cream.

This turon is banana lumpia with caramel

Now off to Bali!

Makati sights and food

Makati is overall a very safe area of Manila with interesting alleys and food variety. There is a week rated Vegan cafe that makes authentic local food (without meat of course).

It was enjoyable to walk around a city and just taken in the sights, sounds, and smells.

Many homes have guard dogs either inside or outside as in this picture.

One of the top 10 world Christmas light shows is here in Manila. We stayed to watch it. It was pretty spectacular. I took 360 videos and only a few pictures.

These are public busses. They go to specific areas to stop but people get on and off when it is in traffic.