Indonesia (Again): Beyond Bali (page 3)

The mountain peaks stand out, and these were a pair of my favorites, helping to form the most dramatic marriage of Earth and Sea.

Sheila is an outdoors navigation expert and Komodo Dragon-loving Canadian. She is doing it right here, having a proper moment, reflecting on her current place on the big planet. I always think of a map and then where I am on that map and go, "Whoa."

Our puttering, listing wooden boat delivered us to so many beautiful sights, and it was a good home to a crew of 4 and 8 island hopping wanderers. That's a good little boat! Rhymes with good little goat!

Mike joined a group of other travelers for a brief "voyage" around some of the nearby islands ...  Our bleary-eyed gang of 8 North Americans watched the sun rise from beneath the waters of the Sawa Sea following a sticky night sleeping out on the open deck of our crusty, taped-together wooden boat. The previous day's slow and vibrating serpentine jog through the countless green and mysterious islands far from the island of Flores transported us to pink beaches, hissing Komodo Dragons and fantastic Flying Foxes, just for starters. The food prepared by our crew of pirates was delicious as well, and tasted even better when eaten at sea. Expert fishermen these bandits. So it was just another excellent day in Indonesia, thanks to the crocodiles and Komodo Dragons keeping the spitting Cobras at bay.

Sharing nervous laughter and recoiling from danger with 7 other seasoned travelers from Alberta, Quebec, Texas, and Bowling Green, Ohio, is half the fun, because spending time with people who think like you, travel like you and have similarly diverse world adventures is what life is all about. I love sharing stories with such lively peers, soaking up travel knowledge and inspiration. That's always a good day.

After breakfast on the boat (coffee and fried breaded bananas), we had another adventure=filled day, beginning with a scorching hot, steep hike to the top of Padar Island for an arresting view of the three bays of Padar, one of the most amazing natural amphitheaters i've ever seen, a panorama of rich blue seas and evocative green earth. For sheer dazzling eye appeal, I can't say I've seen anything more remarkable.. The hit was strenuous, but the reward proved brilliant. 

And you know you're leading a charmed stretch of good travel fortune when you and your mates spend the afternoon swimming with the giant manta rays near Punya Island, an occurrence that might be the most otherworldly thing I've ever done. I'm still having a difficult time believing what we saw in their hidden underwater world. We all donned our snorkel gear and waited while our band of pirates (the boat's crew) searched for and pointed toward a hulking black spot beneath the waves. "Go, go!", they shouted, imploring us to jump in the water and give chase. We got our bearings and found the beast, and then spotted another nearby, cruising beneath us. 

The rain arrived as the journey across the western half of the island ended, and the sights we enjoyed all day long were in keeping with the most unique, diverse and magical lands, the isle of Flores, Indonesia.

And after hoping to spot just one, we now found another of these giant creatures, and then another! The mantas swam elegantly and effortlessly around us, swirling through the water together as if auditioning for an oceanic ballet. They were beautiful, docile, and MASSIVE, their black skin and white belly contrasting perfectly with the blue-green sea.

We all gathered in a group for a final manta performance, when 7 of them danced together on the ocean floor, just below our flippers, circling and intersecting each other's path, crossing above and beneath one another, a stellar show for the luckiest tour group this side of the equator. To see so many gentle, alien-looking beasts together and at such a close distance was startling and unreal. We climbed back on-board the boat, giddy, high on adrenaline and breathlessly sharing manta war stories, shaking our heads at what we had just witnessed. The ride back to the big island was a happy, fuzzy blur, and when the gang dispersed at the dock and headed off in separate directions, it was a little sad, like the last day at camp. We spent 34 hours sailing the high seas together, and I couldn't ask for a more companionable group of wanderers. We meshed perfectly.

Look at those shrouded mountains! I love seeing things I haven't seen before, in ways that look like a painting.

For more people pictures, click here